Cycling star Mark Cavendish relives horror moment zombie knife was held to his throat in front of kids in house invasion
Sir Mark Cavendish, a cycling legend, has described how he had constant flashbacks after a zombie knife was put up to his throat.
The 39-year-old Tour de France hero, who declared his retirement last year, was robbed violently in November 2021.
Early in the morning, four masked men stormed into his family’s Essex house and stole a phone, a Louis Vuitton case, and two Richard Mille watches, which were valued at a total of 700,000.
At the time, Cavendish, who has won 36 Tour de France stages, was in bed with his wife, Peta Todd, and their three-year-old son, Casper.
A court later heard that one of the attackers threatened the rider while holding a big “Rambo-style” knife to his throat.
Cavendish told the Daily Telegraph that even after all these years, the memories of the horrific event are still fresh.
“I constantly have flashbacks,” he added. To be held in front of your child with a zombie knife at your throat?”
It was horrifying. You consider what you might have done [in a different way]. Everyone believes that I would fight. I was swinging at first, of course.
“But I can assure you that if someone is holding a knife to their neck, there is nothing you can do. For example, my wife and child are present. There was nothing I could do about it.
One of the disguised intruders is still at large, while the other three have been apprehended and sentenced.
Cavendish said that he would “never have forgiven myself” if it had only happened to Peta and the kids, but he was “happier” that he was there.
He clarified that he had borrowed a particular watch for an award ceremony, which the intruders were searching for.
Cavendish added that although the violence directed at him was terrible, it was also distressing to see some people react as though he was somehow at fault because he owned valuable items.
RETIREMENT
The legendary cyclist announced on social media that the Tour de France Singapore Criterium in November of last year would be his farewell ride.
“Sunday will be the last race of my professional cycling career,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“I am fortunate to have been doing what I love for nearly 20 years, and I can now say that I have mastered every aspect of riding a bike.
“I love cycling and have benefited greatly from it. I’ve always wanted to change the sport, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me.
“Thank you, everyone, for all the support, always.”
The Tour de France stage wins record was broken in July by Cavendish, who won the largest event in cycling for the 35th time.
Eddy Merckx, with whom he had shared the record for three years, was now one step ahead of him.
Last year, the renowned sprinter, known as the Manx Missile, had first intended to retire.
However, he made the decision to return to riding for a last year in a bid to surpass Merckx’s record after falling out of the Tour de France.
Since winning his first Tour de France stage in 2008, Cav has emerged as one of the top cyclists in the world.
However, since receiving a diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus in 2018, the star’s life hasn’t been easy.
Before his amazing comeback in 2021, which featured four stage victories and the green points jersey, the diagnosis set off a difficult few years during which he was not selected for the tour.
Following his knighthood earlier this year, Cavendish is now focusing on his future professional endeavors.
In an interview with Men’s Health, he stated: “For me, however, it’s about beginning something new rather than stopping.
Although I will always ride a bike, I’ve known what I want to accomplish with my life for the past few years.
“I’ve started the process for that. I still adore the sport, so I want to continue managing it.
“Over the last two years, I have brought a lot of people to this squad [Astana Qazaqstan], and I am aware of what it takes to succeed.
“I ve been building up to the moment I m not racing.”
However, he has also stated that he will be replacing his tires with trainers in the future.
“I’ll always ride my bike, but right now I want to run,” he continued. Simply put, put on your shoes and head out!
“My brother and I had already decided to run the Paris Marathon together.
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“I’m eagerly awaiting the day when I won’t have to get up and complete a computer program.
“I can just ride with my friends, it doesn t matter if I go fast or slow.”