Sir Mark Cavendish expressed his excitement about racing as a Knight Commander after receiving his knighthood at Windsor Castle. The 39-year-old cyclist from the Isle of Man concluded this season with a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage win, which he indicated would likely be his last race. However, Cavendish has previously postponed retirement and has since provided mixed signals about his future in the sport. When asked about his plans following the knighthood ceremony, he hinted at a possible return, stating, "I’ve still got races this year. I’m still training for them, it will be really nice to race as a Knight Commander." Nonetheless, he reiterated that he would not participate in the Tour de France again, saying, "I’ve already said I won’t do another Tour de France. That’s public knowledge, I won’t do another Tour de France."
Reflecting on the knighthood, Cavendish admitted, "I was really nervous. His royal highness was superb. I didn’t honestly know I’d be nervous, but I’m so incredibly proud of representing the country." He shared a conversation with Prince William about cycling, recalling their last meeting at the Tour de France in Yorkshire where he crashed at the end of a stage. Cavendish also discussed his long and successful career, noting the growth of the sport and the inspiration he has provided to others. "I am very fortunate to have got to do what I love for so many years, and to see other people inspired by that and riding bikes themselves," he said. "Seeing how many people ride bikes now, seeing the growth of cycling in this country now and seeing how successful we’ve become at it… it’s incredibly rewarding to be part of that. It’s wonderful. You know, I’m just a lad from the Isle of Man, to be a Knight Commander, that’s not something I could ever have dreamed of."
Cavendish has achieved 165 career victories on the road, including the 2011 world title, stages of all three Grand Tours, and Milan-Sanremo in 2009. He also secured a silver medal in the omnium at the 2016 Olympics and is a three-time Madison world champion on the track. Cavendish humorously mentioned that one of his children expected him to wear a suit of armour after being knighted, saying, "One of the boys thinks I’m going to be walking about in armour. They’re very proud."
