Mark Cavendish (Astana-Cazakstan) underwent surgery on his broken collarbone suffered in the Tour de France.

The British sprinter crashed on stage 8, breaking his collarbone and forcing him to abandon the race. It left him with a lot of disappointment, especially since it was the day after his strong performance in stage 7, which had raised expectations for him to win the race.

"I'm really down for everyone's love and support. Fans, colleagues, family, friends. Thank you so, so much," Cavendish explained in his first social media post since the accident, explaining that he did not know what to say before.

"Obviously it wasn't the ideal way to finish the Tour de France, but that's part of the beauty and cruelty of cycling! But I felt incredibly uplifted by all the beautiful souls who have been on the journey with me."

Cavendish's post came from the hospital following surgery on his right collarbone, which was also injured in the 2014 Tour de France crash.

"It will take a little longer than the standard 2-3 weeks for a clavicle. ." said Cavendish.

Cavendish announced that the Giro d'Italia would be his last year as a professional. Had he done the same at the Tour de France, he would have broken the record for wins in that race, which he now shares with Eddy Merckx.

The 38-year-old, whose chances were cut short in 2023, has raised the prospect of possibly continuing another Tour de France, as the Astana-Kazakhstan team is prepared to offer him that chance. That would be a more fitting farewell to the Tour de France, where he has accomplished so much since his first Tour de France appearance in 2007.

Still, if Cavendish sticks to his 2023 retirement plan, there is still time to decide on a suitable race for the season finale, as the recovery period is only a few weeks away and races such as the Tour of Britain still lie ahead.

Cavendish did not mention in this post whether the results of the 2023 Tour de France might change his retirement plans.

"Well, time for rehab. I'm going to be in the gym for a while," Cavendish said.