British sprinter Mark Cavendish withdrew from the Tour de France on Tuesday to focus on his bid for a first Olympic medal at the Rio Games in just over two weeks.
Cavendish, 31, won four stages this year and now has 30 wins overall as he edges ever closer to Belgian legend Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 stage wins.
There are five stages left in the race this year, four of which are in the Alps, but Cavendish will not now be starting stage 17 on Wednesday.
“After an extremely enjoyable and successful couple of weeks at the Tour de France with Team Dimension Data, it is with great sadness that I took the decision today to leave the race,” Cavendish said in a statement.
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“After the heat and intensity of the previous stages, we analysed my fatigue levels and decided I’m at a point that would have a detrimental effect on my other big goal for the year, the Olympic Games.
“To leave a race and organisation that I hold so much respect for and a team that I have such a special bond with has not been an easy decision at all.”
Douglas Ryder, the team principal, paid tribute to Cavendish and said he respected his decision.
“He managed to put on his first ever yellow jersey and to carry the green jersey into the first rest day in Andorra was just exceptional,” he said.
“He has been a great team leader over the past two weeks and a great ambassador for everyone involved in this team and for the greater cause we ride for.
“Mark is really sad to leave the tour, we are committed to support him in his dream goal of receiving a medal for Britain at the Rio Olympic Games.”
Australian Rohan Dennis similarly quit the Tour on Tuesday’s rest day to concentrate on his Olympic preparations.
Dennis, 26, who won the opening stage time trial at the Tour last year and wore the race leader’s yellow jersey for a day, was sitting 126th overall at more than two and a half hours behind leader Chris Froome.
The Olympic Games in Rio start on August 5.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
