Sir Mark Cavendish, the Tour de France's all-time stage wins record-holder, has been named official starter for the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, organisers confirmed on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old will wave the French Tricolour flag to begin the race at 16:00 on Saturday 13 June at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The appointment gives Cavendish the race's ceremonial starting role. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which organises Le Mans, has entrusted the flag-waving duty to a figure of international standing every year since 1949, when the race returned after World War II.
"Waving the French flag at the start of the race in front of thousands of spectators and TV cameras from all over the world is an incredible honour for all official starters," the ACO's own history of the tradition states. Roger Federer filled the role in 2025, with Zinedine Zidane starting the 2024 race.
Cavendish's Le Mans ties
Cavendish has previously appeared at Le Mans. In May 2025, he took part in a cycling event at the circuit alongside MotoGP riders during the French Grand Prix weekend.
Since retiring, Cavendish has also taken on a motorsport-linked role. Aston Martin appointed Cavendish as its first Global High-Performance Ambassador, a role in which, the carmaker said, he "will expand Aston Martin's presence in top-level international sports, building on our high-performance culture and representing the brand at key events." Aston Martin fields a factory team in the World Endurance Championship, which includes Le Mans.
The wider Le Mans event runs from 10 to 14 June 2026, with the race itself beginning on Saturday afternoon and finishing 24 hours later on Sunday. Sixty-two cars are entered for the 94th edition, according to the official entry list published in February.
Cavendish retired from professional cycling in 2024 with a record 35 Tour de France stage victories, one more than the long-standing mark set by Eddy Merckx. His knighthood followed in the same year. The Le Mans starter role follows other public appearances since he stepped away from racing.
He will wave the Tricolour at 16:00 on 13 June as the field sets off around the 13.6km Circuit de la Sarthe.
