Meeting the strongest sprinter of all time: Mark Cavendish

What has cycling meant to you? When I started it was a rather niche sport and I am proud of how much it has grown during my career. But it's the accessibility and the freedom you have riding that make me love it so much. It doesn't matter where you come from, how you use your bike or how old you are: cycling allows you to join what is probably the greatest community in the world.

You still follow the races? Of course. One of my five children is also crazy about cycling. So I watch it whether I want to or not. But I like it because I know all the intricacies and tactics of a race, and that will never change.

At what age did you realise you were going to be a professional? Around the age of 14. That's when I mapped out my path: where I should arrive at 18, what languages I should learn and how well I should know my body and my bike. From then on, my life has been all about this goal. It has not been easy, but I consider myself lucky to have been able to do the job I love.

As a sprinter, how does it feel to cross the finish line in a sprint? A sprinter is only evaluated for victories. So, the energy you feel when you know that all the work done, before and during the race, has led to the desired result is incredible. Every race has infinite variables. It is not just one rider (or team) against another, but there are 180 riders who want to win, with varying weather conditions and terrain. Establishing a plan, executing it and adapting everything you do to put yourself in the best position to aim for success is a feeling that, when it works, is truly addictive.

Cavendish mentre vince in volata la quinta tappa del Tour de France 2024. In totale, il ciclista ha vinto 35 tappe della grande classica francese: un record. EPA/GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO

How does it feel to have been the strongest sprinter of all time in one of the world's best-loved sports? I believe that all professional sport is an inspiration. It was for me when I was a kid and it still is today. The fans live every ride with you and it's beautiful. The thing that moves me the most is when someone tells me that they started cycling by watching me.

Do you see a successor on the horizon? In cycling today there are incredible athletes with wonderful stories. I will enjoy the opportunity to watch and follow, in an unbiased way, the progress of the next generation.

What did winning mean to you? It was win or nothing. I rarely came second or third. I preferred to put all my chips in a win. If I won it was good. If I didn't win it was a failure. I always thought that in everything you do, you must always give it your all.

And speed? The more cycling became a job, the more the thrill of speed faded somewhat. I still experience it with cars or motorbikes.

Of your 165 victories, which was the most important one for you and why? They are all special, but if I have to choose one, the most emotional was the last stage of the Tour de France in 2012 on the Champs-Élysées. At the time I was reigning world champion and I was ridden by Bradley Wiggins, one of my closest friends, who was about to arrive in Paris in the yellow jersey. On a personal level it was all very special, but it was also very special for British cycling (Wiggins, by the way, was the first Briton in history to win the Tour de France, ndr.).

Your career has also led you to become a brand partner of Richard Mille. What does that mean to you? Brands often use the word family, but I have to say that it is rare that it is really like that. With Richard Mille it is. Starting with Richard himself, his family, everyone who works for the brand, all the way down to all his ambassadors, the relationships that are formed are genuine. As an athlete, you have many moments of difficulty and just as many moments of happiness, and I can say that the contact and warmth I felt from the brand in difficult moments meant more to me than I could say in words.

What did you think when you competed with a watch as valuable as a Richard Mille on your wrist? I was proud to show in my sport what a Richard Mille watch represents. The real value was the feelings I had knowing that the whole Richard Mille family was riding with me.

How did you experience the time during the race? Every second counts. How long until the finish line? How much time has passed since the start? How long will it take to cover this distance at this speed? How can I best time this effort to break away at the right time? These are the fundamentals of cycling.