Cavendish shares story of the most frightening moment of his life: "I still have flashbacks"

Mark Cavendish has opened up about one of the scariest moments of his life. On November 21, 2021, his home in Essex was violently burglarized. In a recent interview, the former cyclist shared how his family was threatened that night and talked about how the experience has shaped his future plans.

In the early hours of the morning, four masked men broke into Cavendish's home, just days after he had been discharged from the hospital following a serious crash during the Six Days of Ghent. Cavendish was at home with his wife, Peta Todd, and their three-year-old son, Casper, when the criminals threatened him with a knife.

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A large knife was held to Cavendish's throat

The burglars did not force their way into the home without a specific goal. The 39-year-old Brit was believed to own a luxurious and extremely valuable Richard Mille watch worth 2 million pounds — equivalent to about 2.2 million euros.

"I get flashbacks all the time," Cavendish told The Telegraph. "To have a zombie knife held up to your throat in front of your kid? It was horrific. You think about what you could have done. Everyone thinks, ‘I’d fight.’ And of course I was swinging at first. But I tell you, anybody gets a knife held to their neck, you can’t do anything. Like, my wife’s there, my kid. I was helpless to do anything."

The intruders took off with two Richard Mille watches worth 700,000 pounds, a smartphone, and a Louis Vuitton suitcase. Ironically, they did not find the exclusive watch they were after, as Cavendish had already returned it after an event. Three of the burglars have since been caught and convicted.

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Cavendish will run marathon and spend time with family 

After the burglary, Cavendish faced online criticism for wearing such an expensive watch. "That was almost the hardest thing. Being vilified for having expensive watches. You’ve seen today where I’ve come from, you know? I’ve done everything myself. I’ve paid my taxes. Even if I had bought that watch myself, how can I be vilified for that? Why shouldn’t I?"

Cavendish also touched briefly on his future. He is now preparing for a marathon, specifically the Paris Marathon. "I’m aiming for four and a half hours. My knees are not really up to going any faster." But above all, it’s an emotional challenge. He is running it with his younger brother, who spent a long time in prison for drug smuggling. The two lost touch for a long time. "Honestly, I’ve never been prouder of anyone than I am of him. It’s a big old thing, you know? It’s one thing to stop doing something but it’s another thing to get healthy. He’s got three kids. He’s a brilliant father. A brilliant uncle. He works so hard. He’s just bought his own house," Cavendish said.

Moving forward, the 'Manx Missile' plans to focus more on his family. He is also considering taking on a role in team management.

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