>'I pulled off my glasses and wiped my eyes. "That was perhaps the last race of
my career..."'
Deep down, Mark Cavendish thought he was finished. After illness, setbacks and clinical
depression, the once fastest man in the world had been written off by most. And at the age
of 36, even he believed his explosive cycling career would fade out with a whimper. The
Manxman hadn't won a single Grand Tour stage in Italy, Spain or France since 2016.
But then came his incredible resurrection at the 2021 Tour de France. Included on the
Deceuninck Quick-Step team at the very last minute, only after Sam Bennett suffered an
injury, Mark set about rewriting history. He claimed back the green jersey he first wore in
2011, and his four stage victories finally saw him matching Belgian legend Eddy Merckx's
all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins. Cycling greats are never content, and
Cav's dogged determination and inner strength had earned him the record that few
believed he could ever achieve. This is his own intimate account of that race, right from the
saddle of the miracle tour.