Mark Cavendish: An Intimate Conversation With The Greatest Sprinter In Cycling History

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Dec 11, 2023

Mark Cavendish, one of cycling's greatest sprinters with 34 Tour de France stage victories, shares his inspiring journey of resilience. He candidly discusses his struggles with mental health, including depression and disordered eating, that nearly ended his career. The conversation dives into the emotional complexities of competition and personal identity. Mark reflects on his remarkable comeback in 2021 and explores the importance of vulnerability in a high-pressure sport. His story is a powerful testament to growth, grit, and the joy of cycling.

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INSIGHT

Mental Health Perspective Shift

Mark Cavendish admits to previously viewing mental health struggles as excuses.
He now understands the seriousness of mental health through personal experience.

ANECDOTE

Rediscovering Joy in Cycling

Cavendish rediscovered the joy in cycling after losing it due to the pressure to win.
He realized that he loves cycling as a job, not just winning.

ADVICE

Dealing with Pressure

Pressure is the key differentiator between good and great athletes.
Learn to manage pressure from yourself and others to unlock your potential.

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Even in your darkest moments, the potential for redemption lays in wait.

Mark Cavendish is a living illumination of this truth—a man who bounced back from career-ending setbacks and a protracted battle with mental health to become the greatest sprinter in cycling history.

Over the course of his storied career, Mark has taken home 55 Grand Tour stage victories, 162 professional victories, and has won an astonishing 34 stages of the Tour de France, tying a previously thought impossible-to-match record set almost 50 years ago by Eddy Merckx.

At the pinnacle of his career, Mark suffered a debilitating crash, began to battle seemingly insurmountable health obstacles—a debilitating crash, disordered eating, depression, and Epstein-Barr—that took him out of elite performance contention for nearly five years.

But instead of ending his career, Mark fought back. In an extraordinary comeback Tour de France in 2021, Mark won four stages and the green jersey nearly a decade after he had last won it—a meteoric rise, fall, and resurrection beautifully portrayed in the recent Netflix documentary, Mark Cavendish: Never Enough.

This is a powerful and revealing conversation about grit, commitment, mental health, and the hard-wrought journey to success.

In addition to discussing his new Netflix documentary, we recount the highs and lows of Mark’s incredible career, his battle with mental health, and his unique relationship with cognitive performance strategist Dr. David Spindler.

Mark also shares his new relationship with goals, and how he manages the pressure to eclipse Eddie Merckx’s historic record by winning his 35th stage at the 2024 Tour de France, where he will compete against riders nearly half his age.

I found Mark to be humble and grateful—a gentle champion with a firm grasp on what is truly important and why. My hope is that Mark’s story serves as a powerful reminder that taking responsibility for your mental health is crucial, and that no matter how far you’ve fallen, there is always hope to build a better future for yourself and others.

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