BRITISH CYCLING SUPERSTAR Mark Cavendish says he has successfully come through a two-year battle with clinical depression revealing on Monday he was “dark” but is now on the “other side”.
The 34-year-old is just four stage wins shy of equalling Belgian legend Eddie Mercx’s record of 34 stage victories in the Tour de France.
However, with the coronavirus pandemic playing havoc with the sporting calendar — both Euro 2020 and the Olympics have been postponed for a year — there is no guarantee the Isle of Man-born rider will get a chance to have a go at the record this year.
The Tour is due to start on 27 June.
Cavendish, though, is just happy that should the Tour go ahead he will be in a healthy state of mind for the challenge facing him.
“It’s not just been my physical health which has been dealt a blow over the last couple of years,” he told The Times.
“I’ve battled quite hard with depression during this time
“I was diagnosed with clinical depression in August 2018.”
Cavendish said he refused to take anti-depressants but did seek expert counselling.
“I didn’t take any medication,” he said.
“Like, this isn’t the time or place — we’ll do a thing on it at some point — but I received help.
“I was dark. And I’m on the other side, thank you.
“Well, as much as I can be. I think I’ve come out of that. And it’s nice to have come out of that.
“And to look for the positives.”
Not many positives can be taken from the coronavirus pandemic but Cavendish has found one.
He is presently back at home in the Isle of Man having agreed like his Bahrain McLaren team-mates to take a wage deferral for three months the size of which is dependent on income and individual circumstances.
“It could have been easy for me to go through my whole career and only see the kids once they’re teenagers,” said the father of three and who has a stepson.
“So to be able to absorb this… to be able to do what mums and dads do, it keeps me happy, it keeps me super motivated, and it keeps me sane I guess.”
His old mentor Rod Ellingworth believes Cavendish was not far off the form of his peak year in 2016 when he won four stages on the Tour de France.
Ellingworth should know as the two have been reunited with Cavendish at the Bahrain McLaren team.
“His form is not like 2016 but he’s getting there,” said Ellingworth, who is the team general manager.
“If that was 10 out of 10, he’s somewhere like seven at the minute.
“He came to us one or two out of 10, that’s physical, mental and the passion for it.
“So he’s progressing really well.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
I know this is off topic but agureo is out for 3 months after a muscle tear.
Silva went off injured last night as well. My fantasy football team is falling apart.
Sky says its a month. Aguero is one player who shouldn’t be playing and international football outside of major tournaments.
great news, i lost alot of ground last week in fantasy league!
the Liverpool club and fans get excited far to quickly. he could barely do it in the bundesliga with a world class team so how will he do it with average leftover players in a top league. it really is baffling tbh
Could barely do it?? He won it twice with them..
Another United fan far more interested in what Liverpool are doing than that gobbeam LVG
Gavin Mark doesn’t speak for the United fans, Mark is a pretty stupid individual.
Matt also implies here that Germany is not a top league. Silly Matt.
You can criticise Liverpool while still accepting the reality that their manager has a more than decent record.
Louis Van Gaal also had a bad time at Barcelona the second best team of all time.. For 6 seasons Dortmund were 50/50 with Bayern..
This proves my point , Matt clearly stated yesterday that’s he’s a Chelsea fan but because he winds up the bitters he’s automatically classed as a Manu fan ! Now there’s something familiar about that ……
Which begs the question Cian , if things where so great at dortmund why did all the players choose to leave ?????
Gavin Doyle do you not relies by now that L.van Gaal is a spoofer. :-)
Money?
Money Justin. Where did those players go when they left? Bayern- gotze & lewandowski, Kagawa – Utd, sahin- Liverpool, and the fella whose name I can’t remember went to Real Madrid. All places where the money is much better than Dortmund
Sahin actually went to madrid and from there went on loan to liverpool and back to dortmund then…
Cheers fionn
So in other words it not going to matter what he does or wins at Liverpool cause if someone offers to pay players more money they will leave.
Nucky I didn’t see Matt mention Everton at all
Lvg a spoofer??? Have you seen the state of the Dutch team since he left.
Does it have “I’m the one who klopps” on the back of it!!!!
Matt the troll strikes again. Zzzzzzzzzz.
Do they have PL winners 15/16 on the back , well I’m not getting one then
Poor Danno, you must be devastated. I’m sure United will win a game again soon so you can go back to tipping them for the league, but you might have to wait until after Crystal Place away.
Well if its isn’t ‘ the king of the bitters’ ! Ron better to concentrate on your own teams form …. But do not despair ‘The Clairvoyant One’ has spoken …. He’s not making promises but if he’s still there in 4 yrs he’ll have won the league ….. Will I laugh now ….
Danno try taking your own advice & concentrating on your own team
Danno, the irony of you saying “better to concentrate on your own team” to someone ha ha, try taking your own advice..
It’s even funnier when you say it twice