Veteran cyclist Mark Cavendish has announced that he will retire from the sport at the end of the season.

Cavendish, who in 2021 equalled Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour de France stage wins, said that now was the right time for him to announce his retirement.

Speaking to the media at the Giro d’Italia where he is currently riding for Astana Qazaqstan he said: “This is a perfect opportunity to say with absolute joy in my heart that this will be my final season as a professional cyclist.

“Right now there’s no need to talk about my short and long-term plans – I’ll always be a cyclist, that’s for sure.

“But for this final period I’d like to just enjoy doing what’s made me happy for the last 25 years, and that’s simply to race.”

Aside from making a name for himself as one of the finest sprinters of his generation Cavendish with countless stage wins in the major Grand Tours he is also an Olympic medalist.

“Cycling has been my life for over 25 years,” he said.

“It’s taught me so much about life, dedication, loyalty, sacrifice and perseverance – all important things to pass on now as a father.”

And fatherhood is one of the things that he is most looking forward to in his future. He said: “Today it’s my son Casper’s fifth birthday; it’s a rest day and I can spend that with them now. Now it’s important to be there for every birthday, every school concert – important I can be there for them.”

He added: “The bike’s given me opportunities to see the world, meet incredible people who are involved and not involved in the sport – a lot of whom I call friends,” he said.