Mark Cavendish believes there are as much as six alternatives for him to take a record-breaking thirty fifth stage win in his last Tour de France.
The 39-year-old, who at the moment shares the file with Eddy Merckx, will begin his fifteenth Tour on Saturday, with a transparent staff purpose to say a victory.
On the eve of the race’s Grand Départ in Florence, a relaxed Cavendish addressed the media from his lodge, sat beside his Astana-Qazaqstan staff boss, Alexander Vinokourov, who helped persuade him to return to the Tour after crashing out on stage eight final yr.
This yr, the identical ambition stays: make historical past.
“Look, I haven’t got something to lose,” Cavendish smiled. “It’s not like taking part in roulette, the place if I don’t win right here, I lose 34 Tour levels, are you aware what I imply?
“I do know it makes a pleasant story to type of say that, nevertheless it’s so simple as that. I’ve gained 34 levels of the Tour de France. I’ve gained probably the most variety of levels together with the nice Eddy Merckx. I’m simply attempting for extra. Whether or not that’s another, two extra, 10 extra, that doesn’t matter. We’ve a job to do, which is to try to win and we’ll simply take each day like that and strategy it like some other bike race.”
Requested how optimistic he’s of profitable a stage, the previous world champion mentioned: “We wouldn’t be right here if we didn’t suppose it was doable. In fact, I don’t suppose some other staff with a sprinter could be right here in the event that they didn’t suppose it was doable to win, and essentially that’s our job as cyclists, to try to win.”
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The official route counts eight ‘flat’ levels, the primary coming in Turin on day three. “I believe, realistically, it is 5 – 6 possibilities,” mentioned Cavendish. “It is onerous the opposite instances.”
Earlier this yr, Astana-Qazaqstan recruited legendary lead-out man Michael Mørkøv, and introduced in Mark Renshaw, one other of Cavendish’s former pilots, as a sports activities director to move up ‘Undertaking 35’.
Along with Mørkøv, Cavendish defined he has been plotting win a stage this yr. “It’s not very romantic. It’s truly fairly scientific,” he mentioned. “We’ve a course of we love to do, Mørkøv and myself. We talked about it this morning, probably the most ultimate state of affairs for a dash. Clearly I can’t actually give that away.”
(Picture credit score: Future/Tom Davidson)
Stage win file apart, maybe probably the most poignant second of the press convention got here when Cavendish was requested in regards to the legacy he hopes to go away behind in his last Tour. The Brit remained mute for 20 seconds whereas he thought-about his reply, wanting down on the microphones in entrance of him, and across the small room, the place his spouse, Peta, stood on the again.
“I don’t actually know,” he then mentioned, breaking the silence with a smile. “I truthfully don’t actually know. I mentioned earlier than I began my profession that if I may ever be in a guide of names of riders that meant one thing, massive riders within the historical past of biking, if my title was in that guide, I’d be glad.
“As I’ve grown up, and clearly had youngsters, and seen how they’re impressed by, not simply their biking heroes, however any sporting heroes and life heroes, it type of adjustments your perspective on what a sports activities individual is.
“I perceive now that I’m lucky to be within the place of what I do, and provoking not only a era, however just a few generations, adults, children, it doesn’t matter. If they’ll develop up and see me from afar or know me, know I’ve left an impression on them that helps inspire them, then that’s crucial.”
The Tour de France begins on Saturday in Florence, Italy, with a hilly stage throughout the Tuscan countryside.
