Sir Mark Cavendish (born 21 May 1985 in Douglas) is a former professional cyclist and one of the greatest sprinters in the sport's history, who joined his local Douglas cycling club at age nine. Riding for HTC-Highroad and other teams from 2007, he won the men's road race at the 2011 UCI Road World Championships, and across a career from 2007 to 2024 he claimed a record 35 Tour de France stage victories, surpassing Eddy Merckx's long-standing total of 34. He was knighted for his services to cycling.