New Documentary Details Mark Cavendish’s Fight With Depression and Epstein-Barr Virus
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After being diagnosed with the infectious Epstein-Barr virus in August of 2018, Mark Cavendish was candid about his struggles while dealing with the illness.
Cavendish opened up early on not just about the physical toll the virus took on the body but also the mental and emotional battles he fought.
“It’s not just been my physical health which has been dealt a blow over the last couple of years,” he told Matt Dickinson of The Times in a 2020 video interview. “I’ve battled quite hard with depression during this time.”
In a new Netflix documentary exploring the legendary sprinter, Cavendish reveals the depths of his struggles with clinical depression during his bout with Epstein-Barr, which can cause infectious mononucleosis.
In the documentary titled Mark Cavendish: Never Enough, the 34-time Tour de France stage winner speaks candidly about his battle with the virus and the subsequent battle with depression he endured in its wake.
“I didn’t have anything, didn’t want anything, didn’t do anything, didn’t feel anything,” Cavendish says of his clinical depression in the documentary, which explores how the Manxman became cycling’s greatest sprinter and the struggles he continued to face despite all of his successes.
“You’re just f------- empty, you know,” he added. “The sense of worthlessness. I’d lost any get-up that I’d ever had just to be a person, be a dad, to be a friend, a husband.”
Cavendish sought help, working with physicians, therapists, and cognitive neuroscientists, eventually leading him to what he described as “the other side” of his depression.
Shortly after that, he experienced a now-famous career resurgence, winning four stages in the 2021 Tour de France with his new team, Deceunick-QuickStep, on the way to a green jersey win. He had been absent from the Tour the three seasons prior. That stunning performance pulled Cavendish into a tie with Eddy Merckx for the record for stage wins, a record that was long thought unbreakable.
After being left off the 2022 Tour roster, Cavendish, now 38, switched teams, signing with Astana Qazaqstan for this year’s Tour and announcing his retirement at this season’s end. Despite lacking a solid leadout train, Cavendish showed well in the Tour’s early sprint finishes, proving he still had the legs to break the tie.
Sadly, he crashed out of the Tour one day after he finished second in a sprint finish on Stage 8.
Shortly after his abandonment, Astana Qazaqstan team manager Alexander Vinokourov publicly announced that he would welcome Cavendish back in 2024 should the Manx Missile want to take one final shot at the Tour de France. Vinokourov has also stated that he would commit to improving his team’s leadout.
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough premieres Aug. 2 on Netflix.
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