2023-05-22 12:30:18
The Isle of Man rider, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Sunday, has set himself the ultimate goal of winning a 35th stage victory in the Tour de France in July and thus breaking the record he currently shares with the Belgian Eddy Merckx.
“It’s my last Giro d’Italia and 2023 will be my last season,” said the 2011 world champion with tremolos in his voice, surrounded by his wife and children in Coccaglio, Lombardy.
Also winner of Milan-San Remo in 2009, the former track racer has one of the finest records in his sport: he has won a total of 161 victories in his career, 34 in the Tour de France, 16 in the Giro and 3 in the Vuelta, as well as the classification by points on the three Grand Tours.
After the aborted plan to sign with B&B Hotels, which disappeared for lack of a sponsor, Cavendish joined the Astana team this winter where his former teammate Alexandre Vinokourov, who had become manager of the Kazakh team, reached out to him.
He is yet to lift his arms this season – his 17th in the peloton – but remains competitive as shown by his third place in the 11th stage of the Giro.
Two other figures in the peloton have already announced their retirement for the end of the season, the Slovak Peter Sagan and the Frenchman Thibaut Pinot.
© 2023 AFP
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