It was 17 years ago in 2007 that the great sprint rider Mark Cavendish began his Tour de France career with a time trial on the streets of London. On Sunday afternoon, the British fastman, who set a record with 35 stage wins, finished his 15th and final Tour on the streets of Nice in yet another time trial.

The Astana Cazacustin rider, who started second on the 33.5-km hilly course from Monaco to Nice, took off at 14:41:30 local time, 90 seconds after his teammate Davide Ballerini started the afternoon race.

After his 35th stage win in the first week and a final sprint in Nimes on Tuesday, Cavendish's final challenge in the Tour de France was to finish the race. And after successfully completing three days of grueling challenges in the Alps, the final TT was the last, much easier, but still hurdle to overcome to do so.

Cavendish finally returned on the final day of the Tour de France with a time of 54:38. It was the last chance to honor Cavendish on the roads of the Tour de France, as evidenced by the enthusiastic cheers of the crowds gathered on the Promenade des Anglais and Place Massena, and by the dozens of supporters waiting outside the Astana team area.

He waved to the crowd in the last kilometer, shared a long hug with his family at the finish line, and finally returned to the Tour de France victory podium for a special ceremony to honor his achievements.

“I think I got most of my emotions out yesterday [Saturday],” Cavendish said, referring to the tears he shed as he crossed the finish line of the Col de la Cuillol, where he had fought off time in the mountains one last time in the Tour de France and won.

“I kind of enjoyed it today. I knew that if I made it to the top of the climb by a certain point, I could make the time limit. I enjoyed counting down the kilometers, seeing the last flamme rouge, and meeting the families who crossed the finish line.

Cavendish, who is certain to make Tour history and finish in Lenten Rouge overall, said he is “incredibly happy” when asked how he feels about the past three weeks and what he has accomplished.

“There are 11 teams leaving the Tour without a win,” he said.

“Like anything, it's a roller coaster ride at the Tour. We arrived in Nice and were blessed.”

With no final stage on the Champs-Elysées, Cavendish said it was strange to experience the final day of the Tour without any pressure.

“Yesterday I went back to the hotel and I wanted to be with everyone and the team and relax and have dinner. So today I was relaxed, but I still had things to do.”

Cavendish was asked if this was really his last race, and he replied, “Maybe.

After the interview, Cavendish headed to the team bus with his family. Also riding with Astana on the bus was team manager Alexander Vinokurov, who signed Cavendish at the last minute in 2022, giving him the possibility of breaking the Tour stage record, which he held on par with Eddy Merckx.

“It was our goal and dream to win stage 35,” Vinokourov told Cycling News.

“It was really emotional to see Mark ride the last kilometer.

“And his sprint for his 35th win was also very special because it came after a lot of hard work. It was a dream come true, and this way Mark has no regrets.

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