Mark Cavendish believes everything he needs is in place as he takes another shot at more Tour de France history over the next three weeks.
Cavendish will line up for Saturday’s opening stage in Florence with 34 Tour stage wins to his name, holding the all-time record alongside Eddy Merckx.
Last year was supposed to be Cavendish’s final Tour, his final chance to take the record outright, but when it was ended by a stage eight crash, the Manxman was persuaded a career like his could not be allowed to end in the back of an ambulance. He returned for one more season.
Although illness has disrupted some of his campaign to date, Cavendish is in confident mood as he looks towards Monday’s stage three into Turin, expected to be the first sprint opportunity.
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think it was possible,” the 39-year-old said. “I don’t think any other team would be here if they didn’t think it was possible. It’s our job as cyclists to try and win. Realistically there’s five or six chances and it’s hard.
“All the other sprinters have got the same opportunities as well. I think we have everything in place to do it but everyone else thinks they’re in a place to do it. That’s the nature of sport. We try.
“I don’t think I have anything to lose. It’s not like playing roulette where if I don’t win I lose 34 Tour stages. I know it makes a nice story to say that but it’s as simple as that.
“I’ve won 34 stages. I’ve won the most stages along with the great Eddy Merckx. I just try for more and if there’s one, two, or 10 it doesn’t matter. We have a job to do which is to try to win and take every day like that and approach it like any other bike race.”
When Cavendish joined his Astana-Qazaqstan team at the start of last season, it was a last-minute deal put together after a planned move fell through. He signed for a team with little sprinting pedigree and with little time to draw up a plan leading into the Tour.
Twelve months on, things are very different. ‘Project 35’ has been at the centre of Astana-Qazaqstan’s thinking, and Cavendish has had only one focus.
“I think I’m more ready now than I was last year,” said Cavendish, one of a record 11 British riders starting this year’s race. “I think I was ready last year but I’m so happy I carried on actually…
“We’ve had the time to make a plan of how to approach the Tour and we’ll put that into motion.”
Astana-Qazaqstan have brought in Michael Morkov and Davide Ballerini – two of the riders who helped Cavendish to four stage wins in 2021 – to join his lead-out train.
“I don’t want an excuse,” Cavendish said. “And so every component we had was a factor in me continuing another year. (Team manager Alexander Vinokourov) worked hard to put it all in place for us and I couldn’t be happier.
“We all get on super well. We’ve trained together, raced together all year knowing the goal.”
Last summer Cavendish prepared himself to bid farewell to the race he loves the most, and the one that has defined so much of his career. Now he is doing it for a second time.
“I feel it again but it’s weird, when you feel something already it kind of changes,” he said. “It’s not like it’s happened again, it’s just prolonged…I’ve had a whole year of it…
“It’s quite beautiful to start in Florence. I lived here for 10 years. I’d prefer a nice sprint stage to start but it is how it is.”
