'I UAVE ACHIEVED EVERYTHING THAT I CAN' - MARK CAVENDISH CONFIRMS RETIREMENT AND FINAL RACE

Britain's Mark Cavendish, the most successful sprinter in cycling history, will retire after racing in the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore on Sunday.

The 39-year-old from the Isle of Man, who said in May that this season would be his last, broke the Tour de France record for stage wins with his 35th victory in July.

Cavendish won the road world title in 2011 and twice won the green jersey - awarded to the rider with the most points - at the Tour.

He has won 165 races since the start of his professional career in 2005, including 17 stages in the Giro d'Italia and three in the Vuelta a Espana, and received a knighthood in October.

On the track, Cavendish won omnium silver at the 2016 Olympics and was a three-time madison world champion.

"Racing career - completed it," Cavendish, who rides for the Astana-Qazaqsta team, wrote on Instagram.

"I am lucky enough to have done what I love for almost 20 years and I can now say that I have achieved everything that I can on the bike.

"Cycling has given me so much and I love the sport. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in it and now I am ready to see what the next chapter has in store for me."

Cavendish showed promise as a BMX and mountain bike rider, and was then part of the new era of investment in cycling in Britain as British Cycling dominated track cycling at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

He began his professional career on the road in 2005 in a feeder team for T-Mobile, winning his first Tour stage in 2008 for Team Columbia.

Cavendish suffered from injury and illness from 2017 and hinted at the end of the 2020 season that he could retire.

But following a return to form the following year he won four more Tour stages and the green jersey in his second spell with Quick Step.

Cavendish and his family were the victims of a violent robbery at their home in 2021.

He was omitted from Quick Step's Tour squad the following year, after which he signed for Astana-Qazaqstan for 2023.

Cavendish was set to retire at the end of the 2023 season but, after a crash ended his involvement in the Tour that summer, he delayed it by a year.

Having jointly held the record for Tour stage wins with the legendary Eddy Merckx since 2021, Cavendish surpassed the Belgian with victory in Saint Vulbas in July.

He finished third in the Tour de France Saitama Criterium in Japan last weekend.

- BBC

LYLES WINS 100M AT US OLYMPIC TRIALS TO BOOK PARIS SPOT

USA TODAY Sports 

 Noah Lyles chased down his rivals to win the 100m final at the U.S. Olympic trials in 9.83 seconds in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday to book a spot at the Paris Games.

The world champion hit the accelerator at the midway point to burst through the field and cross the line ahead of Kenny Bednarek (9.87) and Tokyo silver medallist Fred Kerley (9.88).

Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champion, had the early lead but ran out of steam and finished fourth in 9.93.

Lyles, who won the sprint double at the world championships in Budapest last year, is aiming for four gold medals - two individual and two relay - at the Paris Games.

"Part of the plan," Lyles said. "Might be a shock to everyone else but when you know the goal, you know the goal."

Lyles finished next to last in the 100m final at the trials three years ago in Eugene, and after winning the 200m he could do no better than bronze in the event at the Tokyo Olympics.

Those disappointments still drive him, he said.

"If I didn't get that third place in Tokyo I wouldn't have had that desire, I wouldn't have had that fire burning," he said.

"I wouldn't have accomplished what I've accomplished in the past and now we constantly look to the future with open eyes because anything can happen."

Lyles will next compete in his signature event, the 200m, with the opening heats set to begin on Thursday.

The third day of the U.S. trials at Hayward Field saw Kendall Ellis win the women's 400m final in 49.46, with Aaliyah Butler taking second in 49.71 and Alexis Holmes claiming her spot on Team USA in 49.78.

Sam Kendricks, the 2016 Olympic pole vault bronze medallist, won his final with a meet record of 5.92m but it remains to be seen whether he will travel to Paris after telling reporters he might skip the Games.

Kendricks had travelled to the Tokyo Games but was not allowed to compete after testing positive for COVID. In footage posted on social media on Friday, Kendricks said: "The Olympics screwed me - everybody at Team USA left me behind."

Olympic champion Athing Mu reached the 800m final after winning her heat in 1:58.84. The 22-year-old had not competed in 2024 due to injury before arriving at the trials.

"I felt way more in control this race. The first round was just to kind of to get my legs moving again," Mu said. "I want to make sure I do run my race (in the final)."

Michael Norman, the 2022 400m world champion, won his semi-final in a conservative 45.30, while 16-year-old Quincy Wilson brought the house down as he improved upon his own under-18 world record to qualify for the final in 44.59.

Annette Echikunwoke won the women's hammer with her first attempt, a throw of 74.68m, while 2019 world champion DeAnna Price was second (74.52m) and Erin Reese third (71.21m).