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Mark Cavendish has officially confirmed that he will not retire as planned at the end of the 2023 season and will continue to race in 2024 and target a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win.
Cavendish confirmed the long-rumoured news in a short video on Wednesday, saying, “Just one more year, hey?”
The 38-year-old sprinter had announced his planned retirement during the Giro d’Italia rest day with hype swelling around his performance at the Tour de France, where he would be seeking the stage win that would move him clear of Eddy Merckx after he equalled the Belgian on 34 stage wins in 2021.
But after just missing out on victory in Bordeaux, with a mechanical issue curtailing a triumphant surge to the line, Cavendish crashed on stage eight, immediately clutching at his shoulder, with scans confirming a broken collarbone, ending his race.
Since then, Cavendish has been the subject of speculation, not the least spurred by his own team, with Astana general manager Alexander Vinoukourov, saying ‘you’ve got to come back for another year now’, even as Cavendish farewelled the team from the Tour de France.
The champion sprinter revealed that the biggest impetus to race on in 2024 came from his children.
“I was not ready to change my decision, I was in peace with it,” said Cavendish. “Then, I discussed it with my family, my kids and I got their answer, 'you should carry on, well, just one more year…'. So, now I believe I am ready for this another year as a professional rider, and I am happy I can do it and finish it with Astana Qazaqstan Team.”
Cavendish said the support of his team had also helped him make the decision. “We’d grown incredibly as a team, Astana-Qazaqstan this year, and it felt like a family, so much so that the first thing Vino [Vinokourov] said to me when I crashed in France was, ‘Why don’t you do one more year?”’
Team boss Vinokourov has plans to beef up the team support for Cavendish heading into another shot at the Tour de France. Michael Morkov's signing with the team was announced imemdiately after the Cavendish reveal, the main leadout man for Cavendish at the 2021 Tour de France reunited with the British rider.
"While this season Mark’s arrival in the team was quite unexpected, then for the next year we are preparing thoroughly, seriously reviewing the squad, strengthening the sprint direction, making personnel changes," said Vinokourov.
"It won’t be easy to better the record he shares with Eddie Merckx, it would be a historic achievement, but we have a chance, and we have to use it."
Cavendish said he had been comfortable with the decision, and would have been comfortable to retire if that had been the outcome.
“Ultimately I’d miss racing, I love racing but I was happy, I was in a happy place and I knew I could go out on top. Obviously, it wasn’t the finish I was hoping for, crashing at the Tour but it is what it is.”
Cavendish has not raced since his crash at the Tour but he is expected to compete at the Tour of Turkey, which starts on 8 October.
Watch all the highlights from the Tour of Turkey the next day on SBS On Demand.
