Cycling star Mark Cavendish relives horror moment zombie knife was held to his throat in front of kids in house invasion
CYCLING legend Sir Mark Cavendish has told of how a zombie knife was held up to his throat – leaving him with ongoing flashbacks.
The Tour de France hero, 39 – who announced his retirement last year – was the victim of a violent robbery in front of his young son in November 2021.
Four masked men broke into his family home in Essex in the early hours, making off with two Richard Mille watches, worth a combined £700,000, as well as a phone and a Louis Vuitton case.
Cavendish – who has won 36 stages of the Tour de France – was in bed with wife Peta Todd and son Casper, then three, at the time.
One of the thugs held a large “Rambo-style” knife to the cyclist’s throat and threatened, a court later heard.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Cavendish said years later the memories of the horror incident are still raw.
He said: “I get flashbacks all the time. To have a zombie knife held up to your throat in front of your kid?”
“It was horrific. You think about what you could have done [differently]. Everyone thinks, ‘I’d fight.’ And of course I was swinging at first.
“But I tell you, anybody gets a knife held to their neck, you can’t do anything. Like, my wife’s there, my kid. I was helpless to do anything.”
Three of the masked intruders have been caught and sentenced, though one remains on the run.
Cavendish went on to say he was “happier” that he was there, adding he would “never have forgiven myself” if it happened to just Peta and the children.
He explained the intruders were looking for a specific watch that he’d borrowed for an award ceremony.
Cavendish said while the violence aimed at him was awful, also upsetting was the reaction from some people inferring he was in someway to blame due to having expensive possessions.
RETIREMENT
The cycling icon previously took to social media to announce last November’s Tour de France Singapore Criterium would be his final time in the saddle.
A statement on his Instagram read: “Sunday will be the final race of my professional cycling career.
“I am lucky enough to have done what I love for almost 20 years and I can now say that I have achieved everything that I can on the bike.
“Cycling has given me so much and I love the sport, I’ve always wanted to make a difference in it and now I am ready to see what the next chapter has in store for me.
“Thank you, everyone, for all the support, always.”
In July, Cavendish broke the all-time Tour de France stage wins record by claiming a 35th victory at cycling’s biggest race.
It took him one clear of Eddy Merckx – who he had shared the record with for three years.
The legendary sprinter, dubbed the Manx Missile, had originally planned to retire last year.
But after crashing out of the Tour de France he decided to get back on the bike for one more year in a final attempt to break Merckx’s record.
Cav won his first Tour de France stage back in 2008 and has been one of the best riders in world cycling since then.
But it hasn’t all been plane sailing for the star after he was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus in 2018.
The diagnosis sparked a tough few years when he missed out on selection for the tour, before his incredible comeback in 2021 that included four stage wins and the green points jersey.
Now, after being awarded a knighthood earlier this year, Cavendish is looking ahead to what is next in his career.
Speaking to Men’s Health, he said: “For me, though, it’s not about stopping, it’s about starting something new.
“I will always ride a bike, but the past few years I’ve known what I want to do after.
“I’ve set the wheels in motion for that. I want to stay in management in the sport, I still love it.
“I brought a lot of people to this team [Astana Qazaqstan] over the past two years, and I know what it takes to be successful.
“I’ve been building up to the moment I’m not racing.”
While he has also said he’s going to be swapping his tyres for trainers going forward.
He added: “I will always ride my bike, but I want to run now. It’s pure – get your shoes on and off you go!
“I’ve already agreed to do the Paris Marathon with my brother.
“I’m really looking forward to the time when I don’t have to wake up and do a specific programme on a computer.
“I can just ride with my friends, it doesn’t matter if I go fast or slow.”