Mark Cavendish ends 17-year Tour de France career surrounded by family and cheering crowds

It was 17 years ago that sprinting great Mark Cavendish started his Tour de France career with a time trial in the streets of London in the 2007 race. Early on Sunday afternoon, after a record-breaking 35 stage wins, the British fastman completed his 15th and final Tour on the streets of Nice with, again, another time trial.

The second starter of the hilly 33.5-kilometre race against the clock from Monaco to Nice, the Astana Qazaqstan rider rolled down the start ramp at 14:41:30 local time, 90 seconds after teammate Davide Ballerini had opened the afternoon’s racing.