Cycling star Mark Cavendish relives horror moment zombie knife was held to his throat in front of kids in house invasion
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CYCLING legend Sir Mark Cavendish has told of how a zombie knife was held up to his throat - leaving him with ongoing flashbacks. The Tour de France hero, 39 - who announced his retirement last year - was the victim of a violent robbery in front of his young son in November 2021.
![[Mark Cavendish at the Singapore Grand Prix qualifying.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/mark-cavendish-qualifying-ahead-f1-934849931.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Four masked men broke into his family home in Essex in the early hours, making off with two Richard Mille watches, worth a combined £700,000, as well as a phone and a Louis Vuitton case. Cavendish - who has won 36 stages of the Tour de France - was in bed with wife Peta Todd and son Casper, then three, at the time.
![[Mark Cavendish of Great Britain on the podium at the UCI Road World Championships.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/mark-cavendish-great-britain-stands-914676703.jpg?strip=all&w=640)
One of the thugs held a large "Rambo-style" knife to the cyclist's throat and threatened, a court later heard. He said: "I get flashbacks all the time. 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 [differently]. Everyone thinks, ‘I’d fight.’ And of course I was swinging at first.
![[Peta and Mark Cavendish at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/doug-peters-empics-alamy-live-958194038.jpg?strip=all&w=661)
"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.”. Three of the masked intruders have been caught and sentenced, though one remains on the run. Cavendish went on to say he was "happier" that he was there, adding he would "never have forgiven myself" if it happened to just Peta and the children.
![[Cyclist Mark Cavendish kissing his wife after a race win.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024-astana-qazaqstan-teams-mark-948022749.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
He explained the intruders were looking for a specific watch that he'd borrowed for an award ceremony. Cavendish said while the violence aimed at him was awful, also upsetting was the reaction from some people inferring he was in someway to blame due to having expensive possessions.
