(Reuters) – Britain’s Mark Cavendish said on Thursday that he wants to continue racing for two more years, with another appearance at the Tour de France on his radar.
Cavendish admitted at the end of 2020 that he was considering retirement, but enjoyed a remarkable return to form last year, sprinting to four stage wins at the Tour de France to equal the record of 34 set by Belgian great Eddy Merckx.
The 36-year-old Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl racer, who ensured a winning return to the Giro d’Italia as he sprinted to victory on stage three in Hungary last week, feels fit enough to keep going.
“I want to extend my career for at least another two years,” Cavendish told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It’s not just that I want to keep cycling, I feel I can be competitive for at least another two years. Maybe more, but two years should certainly be possible.”
Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen is in line to be QuickStep’s sprinter at the Tour de France in July, meaning Cavendish may not be selected, but he said he would be ready if the call came.
“If I could only win one more (stage) I’d be happy. If I could win 10 more, I’d be happy. The number really, really isn’t a factor for me at all, that’s the truth.
“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.
“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.”
(Reporting by Peter Hall; Editing by Toby Davis)
