The French city of Châteauroux will temporarily rename itself ‘Cavendish City’ later this month to honour one of the Isle of Man’s greatest ever sporting stars.
On Saturday, July 13, Stage 9 of the 2025 Tour de France will finish in Châteauroux - a city forever linked with Sir Mark Cavendish.
The ‘Manx Missile’ first announced himself to the world there in 2008, outsprinting Oscar Freire for his maiden Tour de France stage win.
He returned to triumph again in 2011 and completed the hat-trick in 2021, proving the remarkable longevity of his sprinting career.
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Châteauroux is a city in central France, with a population of around 43,000, roughly double that of Douglas.
In both 2011 and 2021, Cavendish also won the green jersey for the points classification, ten years apart, underlining his status as one of the sport’s most consistent and decorated sprinters.
Last year, he made history by winning his 35th Tour stage, breaking Eddy Merckx’s long-standing record, before announcing his retirement from professional cycling later in 2024.
Although he won’t be on the start line this year, his legacy will loom large over Stage 9, which begins in Chinon and ends after 174 flat kilometres in the town he made his own, the kind of stage Cavendish once dominated with ease.
Mayor of Châteauroux, Gil Avérous, shared a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of a sign reading ‘Cavendish City’, writing: ‘Three stage victories in the #TourDeFrance at Châteauroux… That deserves a nod.’
The launch attracted hundreds of schoolchildren, who braved the wet weather to celebrate with a timed ‘hot lap’ led by Sir Mark, a mass ride-out, and the unveiling of new features including a podium, custom finish line, and a large mural showcasing the names of pupils from every school on the Isle of Man.
Speaking at the event, he said: ‘When I first came here as a boy, I found a place where I could ride, race, make friends, and fall in love with cycling. I’ve never forgotten that.’