Mark Cavendish is getting ready for his 18th season within the professional peloton in 2024, returning with a strengthened Astana Qazaqstan workforce as he takes goal at a record-breaking thirty fifth Tour de France stage win subsequent summer time.
Again in July, the Manxman was edging nearer to the momentous job of overhauling Merckx, recording a second place on stage 7 in Bordeaux earlier than destiny intervened a day later. He crashed out of the race on the street to Limoges, the frustration of not going out on his personal phrases solely amplified by the ache of a damaged collarbone.
His Astana Qazaqstan boss Alexander Vinokourov was fast to say that the workforce would welcome him pushing aside retirement, and three months later Cavendish made it official with the announcement that he’d prolong his profession.
In fact, returning to chase that Tour stage victory was a significant factor in making that call. Nevertheless, talking at Astana’s pre-season coaching camp, Cavendish stated that feeling “valued” and “comfortable” on the workforce was the primary driver behind going once more in 2024.
“I feel the most important issue was realizing I used to be valued,” Cavendish instructed the assembled media at Astana’s press day on Sunday. “It had been quite a number of years since I felt valued, I assume, as a rider and off the bike as a teammate. And I used to be comfortable. It is ironic that the rationale I wished to begin was as a result of I used to be comfortable and having fun with biking. I might end realizing I used to be in love with the game the identical because it was once I began.”
“Mockingly, I am carrying on as a result of I am comfortable and I really like the game. It took some time. It was simply seeing the place I got here again from my damage greater than greater than something. Alex [Vinokourov] requested me straight after I bought again from the hospital if I wished to hold on. That is good.”
“That is a workforce boss who has been a champion, has ridden a motorbike, and who understands. I simply find it irresistible. I do not assume I actually need to have the rest to do in biking. I can simply get pleasure from it and that is a pleasant place to be.”
Cavendish additionally stated that his youngsters have been additionally a part of the choice to maintain racing, questioning his determination to name time on a profession that has seen him rack up 162 wins. That second place in Bordeaux – Cavendish regarded set to win earlier than inexperienced jersey Jasper Philipsen sped previous on the line – was one other issue, he added.
“The last word name was with the children – once I stated I am stopping, and so they go ‘What do you imply you are stopping? You possibly can’t do this,'” he stated.
“That was fairly an enormous issue. I’ve to set an instance to them, and my philosophy has been ‘by no means give up’. That has at all times been my elementary very first thing. OK, you must cease your profession someday, but when they’re like ‘Nicely, why cease?’, then why ought to I cease?”
“We have been there with a workforce that was comparatively new and dealing collectively and we have been a part of the sprints. We belong there in a dash now.”
“To make that in simply a few quick months was – even coming away with out a win – it was a large win for us as a workforce,” he added. There’s one thing there to work on and all these elements positively performed into it.”
An outdated good friend in a new-look lead-out practice
Cavendish will get pleasure from a new-look lead-out practice for 2024, with former QuickStep teammate and premier lead-out rider Michael Mørkøv coming aboard together with Davide Ballerini, Rüdiger Selig, and Max Kanter.
It stays to be seen how the practice will shake out as soon as racing resumes, however the familiarity of getting Mørkøv racing in entrance of him will solely assist him chase extra victories in 2024.
“He is the most effective lead-out man on the earth, is not he?” Cavendish stated. “For positive, anyone that has Michael Mørkøv has a greater likelihood to win a stage of the Tour de France. It is nice – we have raced collectively since we have been 14 years outdated. We have been by every little thing biking on the similar time even off the bike. Similar to Renshaw was, he is the calm to my not so calm. There is a good steadiness within the room as nicely.”
“It is at all times good. You do not have to take a look at what races you possibly can attempt to work collectively to construct on one thing with. You possibly can form of hit the bottom operating. It is positively a profit.”
“Astana Qazaqstan traditionally hasn’t actually targeted on sprints however we have got a workforce boss in Alex and a administration that know bike racing. So it isn’t like they’re clueless in what we would want. It is simply that we have by no means actually been in that course. So, I’ve large confidence and to this point it appears to have been good that I’ve had that confidence as a result of it feels good right here in December.”
The Tour de France is Cavendish’s greatest purpose of the yr – on the route presentation he stated “It could be the toughest route I’ve ever seen” – and he’ll begin the run-up to July with a brand new expertise as he heads to the Tour Colombia in February.
Cavendish stated he is heading to the race, held subsequent yr for the primary time since 2020, with altitude coaching in thoughts. It isn’t one thing he is achieved a number of throughout his profession – and he stated he did not have nice experiences with it at his outdated workforce Dimension Information – however he famous that it is roughly a prerequisite to be on prime type for races in fashionable biking.
“To do a little bit of altitude coaching, at the start,” he stated of his determination to begin the race. “You’ll find locations round Europe that do altitude however usually one of many groups with the huge budgets have booked the resort for the entire yr and stuff so you possibly can’t actually do it. You need to discover options elsewhere.”
“I actually have not achieved that a lot altitude in my profession but it surely’s form of you must do now. It isn’t such as you’re getting a profit from doing it. You are simply not a lot on the stage when you do not do it now.”
“I have been [to altitude training] a handful of instances when it has been managed and I’ve gone very nicely off it, and the instances with Dimension Information if you’re simply left your personal units and it is form of gone the opposite manner. I do know we have got individuals round right here that know what they’re doing with it, so we’ll give it a go.”