Sir Mark Cavendish Shares Heartfelt Appreciation for Prince William Following Knighthood Anxieties

Cyclist Sir Mark Cavendish has commended the “outstanding” Prince William following the bestowal of his knighthood during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Sir Mark, 39, confessed he felt “quite anxious” before accepting the accolade but remarked that the Prince of Wales helped to soothe his nerves and engaged him in conversation about his professional journey.

In response to inquiries about his prospects within the sport, Sir Mark mentioned he has several competitions remaining this year.

“I’m continuing to train for them,” he stated. “It will be quite enjoyable to compete as a Knight Commander.”

Sir Mark concluded his season with a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage victory, which he indicated would “probably” be his final race.

Having since conveyed mixed signals about potential future races, Sir Mark reiterated his decision not to participate in the Tour de France, a race he has never claimed overall despite his unprecedented number of stage victories.

He remarked: “That’s common knowledge; I won’t be entering another Tour de France.”

Upon receiving his knighthood, Sir Mark stated that he spoke to Prince William about cycling, which he regarded as “very pleasant”.

“Last time we met was during the Tour de France in Yorkshire where I unfortunately crashed at the end of that stage,” he recounted.

“He inquired whether I was engaged in any other activities at that time, and he engaged in conversation about my career.”

The cyclist expressed that the experience of receiving the knighthood was “humbling” and remarked he feels “immensely proud to represent the nation”.

He elaborated: “It’s extraordinary. You see, I’m just a lad from the Isle of Man, becoming a Knight Commander is not something I could have ever envisioned.”

Reflecting on his children, he shared: “One of the boys believes I’ll be walking around in armor. They’re exceptionally proud.”

To this point, Sir Mark has achieved a total of 165 career victories on the road, which includes the world title in 2011, stages of all three Grand Tours, and Milan-Sanremo in 2009.

He also secured a silver medal in the omnium at the 2016 Olympics.

“I consider myself very lucky to have pursued my passion for so many years and to inspire others to ride as well,” Sir Mark commented.

“Observing the number of individuals cycling now, witnessing the blossoming of cycling in this country and our success in the sport… it’s tremendously gratifying to be a part of that and to realize it’s something for which one can receive recognition.”

Among the sports figures honored at Windsor Castle were: former England Lioness Karen Carney, retired international rugby referee Wayne Barnes, and former Scotland footballer and pundit Ally McCoist—each of whom received their OBEs from Prince William.