Tour de France - After retirement: Astana wants to persuade Cavendish to continue

The Astana cycling team wants to persuade veteran star Mark Cavendish, who retired from the Tour de France after a crash, to continue his career. "Yes, we want Mark to continue in 2024 and compete in his 15th Tour de France to win his 35th stage," team boss Alexander Vinokourov told the French sports newspaper "L'Equipe".

Cavendish suffered a broken collarbone in a crash on the eighth stage and had to abandon the race. This also ended his dream of a record stage win, which would have put him ahead of legend Eddy Merckx. Both lead the list with 34 victories each. The 38-year-old former world champion Cavendish actually wants to end his career at the end of the season.

"I myself suffered a broken femur during the 2011 Tour, it was supposed to be my last year. But I didn't want to stop like that. I extended and fought to win the London Olympics the following year," added Vinokourov, who even won gold in the Olympic road race in front of Buckingham Palace in 2012. "Mark has the same spirit, the same will to achieve his ultimate goal. We are ready to offer him this opportunity. But he will decide."

Cavendish had proven his old class at the Tour this year. In Bordeaux, the Briton narrowly missed out on second place on Friday when he was outsprinted by triple winner Jasper Philipsen after problems with his gears. He also managed a stage win at the Giro d'Italia this year. It was also his 162nd professional victory, only Merckx has more successes (275). "He is the best sprinter in the history of the Tour," said Christian Prudhomme, head of organisation for the Tour of France, about Cavendish.

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