The 39-year-old from the Isle of Man, who said on Saturday that this would be his last race before retirement, won in a run finish to end a 19-year profession.
Cavendish, riding for Astana-Qazaqstan, wore race number 35 to check his record for stage wins in the Visit de France.
He marked signatures and took selfies with fans before the race and got a 'wheel of honor' - different riders held their bicycles up on one haggle the other - on the beginning line of the race, comprised of 25 laps of a 2.3km course.
"I'm very personal," said Cavendish, who was near tears after the race. "I understood in the last five laps it was the last 15km of my vocation.
"I was anxious about crashing or something if I battle [for the lead]. I truly needed that so awful. I've generally cherished this game."
Cavendish came out on top in 165 races in his vocation, remembering the street world title for 2011, 17 phases in the Giro d'Italia, and three in the Vuelta an Espana. He got a knighthood in October.
On the track, he won omnium silver at the 2016 Olympics and was a three-time Madison best on the planet.
Having postponed his retirement by a year, Cavendish broke the record for most Visit de France stage wins with a triumph in Holy person Vulbas in July.
"Cycling is such a type of opportunity," he said. "It's a method for meeting individuals; it's a method for being separated from everyone else with your viewpoints. It has such a lot of potential as a game, a method of transport, a diversion.
"I've generally attempted to do anything I can to help this push ahead and that won't stop regardless of whether I'm not riding a bicycle any longer. I could possibly place more into that, as a matter of fact.
"I'm anticipating what the remainder of my vocation holds. I could never have wanted for a superior farewell. I'm so appreciative. I trust everybody partook in that."
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