Cavendish opens up in his documentary

Mark Cavendish is the protagonist of a new Netflix documentary. The sprinter reviews some of the best moments of his career, but also explains in depth how he overcame the depression he suffered as a result of mononucleosis that accompanied him for several seasons. The documentary will be released on August 2nd.

'Mark Cavendish: Never Enough', Netflix's documentary to learn about the calvary and rebirth of a legendary sprinter

Sport is the scene of great deeds, impossible triumphs and victories that will be remembered forever. It is a spectacle that thrills millions of people and is performed by people who are dedicated body and soul to being the best; hard work but rewarded with money, fame and honors. But sport also hides a bitter side that is often more unknown; starring athletes who suffer downturns, frustrations and who sometimes live tormented by excessive pressure. Sport is in fact a scenario where defeats are much more common than victories.

Mark Cavendish is one of the greatest sprinters of all time. The Isle of Man rider announced in the last Giro that he would retire at the end of the season. This year's Tour was his last chance to reach 35 stage victories and overtake Eddie Merckx as the cyclist with the most partial victories in the French round.

However, Cavendish broke his collarbone in a crash on stage eight, which caused him to drop out of the competition and forget about that long-awaited record. Even so, Aleksander Vinokurov, team manager, reached out to him to extend his contract for another season. So far it is not known what the rider will decide, although with the offer to delay his retirement until 2024, the decision seems to be up to him alone.

Cavendish's history is a success story: a World Cup, 34 stages and two green jerseys in the Tour, 17 stages in the Giro, three stages in La Vuelta, one Milano-Remo and three stages in Tirreno-Adriatico, among the 161 victories that put his resume within the reach of very few.

Despite these numbers, Cavendish went through torment when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis that nearly ended his career. The Epstein Barr virus attacked him in 2017 and from there he went into a spiral of poor results that seemed to have no end. The following seasons -2018, 2019 and 2020- were a walk in the desert that seemed to open the doors of retirement wide open for him.

Even so, the Isle of Man rider was reborn to avoid the cruel end to which he seemed doomed and took the opportunity offered by Quick-Step to join their ranks. From then on, he soared in a season in which he won four stage victories in the Tour.

'Mark Cavendish: Never Enough' 

Netflix dives into the story of Mark Cavendish, who confesses without complacency the hard situation that resulted from the mononucleosis that affected him in 2018 and 2019. The cyclist tells in detail that he went through depression and how he had to deal with this mental illness to get back on track.

Cavendish explains that he overcame depression with the help of his family and the doctors who accompanied him through the process - Helge Riepenhof, who coincided with him during his early years in the elite, and David Spindler, a cognitive neuroscientist now with UAE Team Emirates. "I had nothing, wanted nothing, did nothing, felt nothing," he declares.

"You feel fucking empty, you know? The feeling of worthlessness. I had lost any encouragement I had to be a person, to be a father, to be a friend, a husband," he recounted. "It was a nightmare living with me," Cavendish added. "Was I going fucking crazy - what the fuck was wrong with me?"

Beyond this, the documentary also reflects on Cavendish's successes, when he won the 2011 World Cup, and the odd argument between the rider and Dimension Data.

The documentary premiere is scheduled for August 2, has a duration of 90 minutes and has the testimony of his wife Peta and former teammates like Mark Renshaw, Bernard Eisel and Peter Kennaugh, as well as Rolf Aldag and other members of the team.