Mark Cavendish will continue racing for at least another two years and says he's ready for Tour de France if needed
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 19/05/2022 at 09:55 GMT
Mark Cavendish has enjoyed success during the Giro d'Italia, sprinting to a third stage victory, and taking third place on the sixth stage. Asked about his future, the 36-year-old says he still has the hunger to succeed and has no plans to walk away from the sport any time soon. He is not expected to feature in this year's Tour de France but says he will be ready if his team needs him.
'It's number 16!' - Mark Cavendish wins Stage 3 of the Giro
Mark Cavendish has vowed to continue cycling at the highest level for “at least two more years”, and says he’s ready to take on the Tour de France if his team needs him.
Competing in the latest edition of the Giro d’Italia has seen the 36-year-old taste more success, after sprinting to victory on Stage 3. That exceptional performance in Hungary saw Cavendish take his 16th career stage win in the event.
He came third on Stage 6, but had to settle for sixth in the latest part of the race when Alberto Dainese shocked the favourites to take victory.
Clearly enjoying his cycling, Cavendish told La Gazzetta dello Sport, “I want to continue my career for at least two more years. It’s not just that I want to continue riding my bike. I feel I can be competitive for at least another two years. Maybe more, but at least for another two years I can be competitive, I know that.”
The truth is this. If I could only win one more, I’d be happy.
That winning feeling will be hard to replace when Cavendish does decide to call it a day, and although he would love to take at least one more victory, he says, “If I could win ten more, I’d be happy. The number really, really isn’t a factor for me at all, that’s the truth”.
It is thought that Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s decision to have Cavendish in the Giro means he will be left at home for the Tour de France, with fellow sprinter Fabio Jakobsen likely to be preferred.
However, after equalling Eddy Merckx’s stage-win record in the 2021 edition of the Tour, Cavendish is hungry to be involved in the famous race and says he will be ready if called upon.
“Of course, I’d love to do [the Tour de France], but I’m a professional and I’ve always been a professional and I do what’s required for my team”, he said.
“You know I’ll always be prepared for it, but it’s not my decision. It’s not something that I think or don’t think about. I just do my job.”
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement