Sir Mark Cavendish potentially brought the curtain down on his glittering cycling career on Sunday as he completed his 15th and final Tour de France.

Speaking shortly after completing the tour-ending 33km time trial between Monaco and Nice, the Manx Missile said it was ‘likely’ to be the final race of his career with a farewell appearance at September’s Tour of Britain only an outside possibility.

‘It’s definitely my last Tour de France, that’s for sure. It’s my 15th one, and it’s given me the most incredible memories,’ Cavendish told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Rewind 16 years to Wednesday, July 9, 2008.

Tony Brown was still the Isle of Man Chief Minister, Barack Obama was yet to be elected US President, Gordon Brown was the UK Prime Minister and Rafael Nadal had just won his first Wimbledon title a few days earlier. 

And future Euro 2024 champion Lamine Yamal was yet to celebrate his first birthday.

That day, Cav announced himself on the world stage with his maiden Tour de France stage victory when stunning the peloton to win in Chateauroux.

Fast forward to now and the Manx Missile has just brought the curtain down on a glittering and historic career in cycling’s biggest race.

Since then, the UK has had six further prime ministers and Home Alone II ‘star’ Donald Trump has served a term as US President - oh and Cav has racked up an astonishing 35 stage wins at Le Tour to cement his place in the pantheon of greats of cycling.

The 39-year-old recently-knighted Manxman now holds the outright record ahead of the legendary Eddy Merckx, having rolled back the years and stormed to a breath-taking victory in Saint Vulbas three weeks ago.

The historic win seemed to have eluded Cav several times in recent years, not least when he crashed out of the 2023 Tour with a broken collarbone in what was meant to be his last attempt before retiring. 

Prior to that, he had endured a difficult few years when he battled injuries, illness and depression before producing one of sport’s greatest comebacks when lighting up the 2021 edition with four superb stage wins to move level with Merckx.

That set the stage for his crowning moment and, while it didn't happen last year, Cavendish delayed his retirement by 12 months to have one last crack at the record and duly delivered in sublime fashion in what he says is likely to be his last ever professional race.

Tributes and plaudits have come in from far and wide since, with Cavendish rightly being lauded as one of Britain's greatest sporting stars having also been crowned UCI World Road Race Champion in 2011.

Five-time Olympic gold medallist and 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins hailed the Manxman after Sunday's final stage of the 2024 edition, saying: ‘You’re going to go down as the greatest of all time. There are not many GOATs in the world but you are certainly one of them and I’m so happy for you and the family.’

Those sentiments were echoed by four-time TdF winner Chris Froome who said: ‘Congratulations on an amazing career, you’ve inspired so many people, including myself.’

What's next for Cav remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: the world of sport and professional cycling will be a much poorer place without its global superstar from the Isle of Man.