The raceway at the Isle of Man鈥檚 National Sports Centre has been officially renamed in honour of Sir Mark Cavendish.
The Manx sprinter was in Douglas to christen the new Sir Mark Cavendish Raceway, where he began cycling competitively as a child, and which helped kickstart his glittering career.
Cavendish, who retired at the end of the 2024 season after a 19-year professional career, completed a timed 鈥榟ot lap鈥 of the 1km raceway before being joined by a number of local children to ride around the renamed facility.
Cavendish told The Independent, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big honour. It鈥檚 the place where I started and it had a profound impact on my career, so from a sentimental point of view, it鈥檚 very, very nice. I was about ten or eleven when I first started racing there, going down on a BMX and getting my head kicked in! Then getting a bike with gears, getting the thrill of it, I wanted to be first across the line every time.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exactly the same now [for these kids], they鈥檝e just got faster bikes!鈥
The 40-year-old raced his final Tour de France last year, retiring with a record 35 stage wins at cycling鈥檚 most prestigious race, along with 20 stage wins at the Giro d鈥橧talia and Vuelta a Espana, a world road race title, several major one-day wins including at Milan-San Remo, and three world championship victories on the track.
His children, including seven-year-old Casper, now follow in his footsteps by riding on the raceway, and Cavendish said the facility is hugely important for instilling a love of cycling and enjoyment of sport. Members of his former cycling club were also in attendance at Friday鈥檚 event, forming a guard of honour before his timed lap.
鈥淚 fell in love with cycling because of the community,鈥 Cavendish added. Some of the volunteers who run events at the Raceway, including children鈥檚 racing nights, are still around from when he was coming through the ranks. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the beauty of cycling, that everyone can do it, it鈥檚 got this club feel to it, and it鈥檚 so nice to see that hasn鈥檛 changed.
鈥淭he facilities for sport are so good for such a small community, everyone embraces it here. It rains a lot and everyone is out, whether it鈥檚 playing footy, track and field, or cycling 鈥 it鈥檚 in everyone鈥檚 blood. Most people have a racing nature in them.鈥
The Raceway held a similar 鈥減arade lap鈥 featuring local children alongside Cavendish last year to celebrate his Tour de France record, and he wanted to replicate that this year to get the community involved.
鈥淚鈥檓 so honoured that it鈥檚 my name on there, but it鈥檚 a place for everyone,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he kids can dream there. To be able to push things further [as a professional cyclist] you have to travel the world, and knowing someone from your community can do it, having the inspiration to do what you want to achieve [is important].鈥