Mark Cavendish Net Worth

What Is Mark Cavendish's Net Worth?

Mark Cavendish is a former Manx professional road racing cyclist who has a net worth of $10 million. Mark Cavendish is best known as one of the greatest road sprinters of all time, holding the record for the most stage wins at the Tour De France, which he achieved over the course of 17 years. He is also known for participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won an individual silver medal. Cavendish ended his career by being knighted at Windsor Castle by William, Prince of Wales, and winning the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore.

Early Life

Mark Simon Cavendish was born on May 21st, 1985, in Douglas, Isle of Man, the son of David and Adele Cavendish. He joined his first cycling club in his hometown of Douglas at the age of nine. His coach at the time, Dot Tilbury, has mentioned that Cavendish didn't like losing. Tilbury also recalled how, after winning a round, Cavendish would continue to lap around the other participating players. Cavendish has stated that as a child with a simple bike, he often lost races against his friends and that this prompted him to ask for a mountain bike for his thirteenth birthday. Cavendish said that after his parents granted his wish, he went out the next day and beat everyone at the races. Around that age, Cavendish met fellow cyclist David Millar during a race on the Isle of Man. Millar went on to become one of Cavendish's significant inspirations. After graduating from high school, Cavendish worked at a bank for two years to save up enough money to fund a professional cycling career.

Career Beginnings

Mark Cavendish was chosen as one of six riders in 2003 to participate in the British Cycling's Olympic Academy for junior riders. However, he almost got rejected due to his poor performances in the preliminary stationary bike tests – his coaches convinced the academy director to allow him to continue due to his high potential in the field. Although Cavendish initially struggled in this professional setting, he won his first senior competition in March 2004. He went on to win two gold medals at the 2003 Island Games while still enrolled at the academy.

Despite its rigid rules and dictatorial style, Cavendish enjoyed his time at the academy, which taught him not only cycling but financial management, cooking, and cleaning to ensure a functional life.

Before the 2005 track world championships in Los Angeles, Cavendish's usual cycling partner Geraint Thomas crashed during training and could not participate. As a result, Cavendish paired with Rob Hayles, with whom he went on to win the Madison (also known as "The American Race") during the championships. Cavendish finished one lap ahead of the other participants, winning a gold medal. He won the European championship points race there as well.

Professional Success

Mark Cavendish's professional breakthrough occurred when he joined Team Sparkasse in 2005. As a part of the Continental team, a feeder squad for the T-Mobile team, he rode for the Tour de Berlin and the Tour of Britain. Cavendish secured gold for the Isle of Man while competing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne after his partner, Hayles, let him out of the sprint.

Cavendish was promoted to posting as a stagiaire for the T-Mobile Team after a successful performance in the 2006 Tour de Berlin. However, his breakthrough is attributed to winning the 2007 Scheldeprijs, a Belgian race. Many wins followed in races such as the Four Days of Dunkirk and the Volta a Catalunya, where he was chosen to compete in the upcoming Tour de France. Although he earned two top-ten competitions, Cavendish is reported to have been unhappy because he crashed in the first two stages of the race, leading him to withdraw altogether at stage eight.

In 2008, Cavendish was invited to compete at the World Championships in Manchester. However, his partner Hayles failed the routine blood testing, leading him to get banned from the race. As a result, Cavendish paired with fellow cyclist Bradley Wiggins. Despite a rough start, the two scored the gold medal, ultimately finishing with 19 points. In the following years, Cavendish performed admirably in races such as the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, the Tour of Island, the Tour of Missouri, and the Tour de Romandie, where he went on to win the opening time trial.

Cavendish's 2011 season was poor, and his first win since 2008 came after he won the scratch race for the Revolution event, held at the Manchester Velodrome. That same year, he won the Most Inspirational Sportsman of the Year Award at the Jaguar Academy of Sport Annual Awards and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

In 2012, he joined Team Sky for the season, paired with cyclist Bernhard Eisel, one of his former teammates.

For his 2013-2015 season, Cavendish signed a three-year contract with Belgian team Omega Pharma–Quick-Step.

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

In 2014, Cavendish had a quiet start to the season and went on to suffer a separated shoulder injury. He returned to compete, winless, and 2014 was one of his poorest seasons. His start to the 2015 season, however, was highly successful, and he had won five races by mid-February.

Cavendish was reported as suffering from the after-effects of the Epstein-Barr Virus in 2017, and he subsequently was diagnosed with clinical depression. Doctors told him that he couldn't train again until he was fit enough to compete, leading him to reduce his food intake, which triggered a quick deterioration in his physical and mental health. His 2018 season, when he was cleared to return to racing, was marked by many injuries. He would later describe the season as "incredibly disappointing."

Cavendish signed to the B&B Hotels–KTM team in 2023 before it was disbanded, leaving him a free agent. During the Giro d'Italian of the same year, he announced that he intended to retire by 2024. On October 2nd, 2024, Cavendish was knighted at Windsor Castle by William, Prince of Wales. He ended his career by winning the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore the same year.

Accolades

In November 2015, the University of Chester awarded Mark Cavendish an honorary doctorate in science due to his contributions to and achievements in cycling.

In December of 2024, the Isle of Man Office released a stamp collection featuring Cavendish, referred to as "The Manx Missile."

Personal Life

On October 5th, 2013, Mark Cavendish married English glamour model Peta Todd, becoming a stepfather to her son from a previous relationship. The couple had four children together, and the family shares three houses: one in the Isle of Man, one in Ongar, Essex, and a training base in Tuscany, Italy.

In November 2021, Cavendish's Essex home was robbed at knifepoint. Two men were arrested as a result, and Cavendish adopted two guard dogs in response to the event.

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