Mark Cavendish finally has a team for 2023

Manx Missile reportedly secures a contract, and a path back to Tour de France

Photo by: Sirotti

Terry McKall December 18, 2022

After a tumultuous fall, Mark Cavendish finally has a team. Rumors have linked the Isle of Man rider to basically every squad in the peloton at this point, even including Human Powered Health. But it appears that Cav finally found a match in Astana-Qazaqstan. According to Gazetta dello Sport, the contracts are signed and Cav is already on his way to the Astana training camp in Calpe, Spain.

A spot on Astana will be a huge relief for Cav as it opens up a path back to the Tour de France. After the dramatic collapse of his B&B Hotel squad, it looked like Cav might not find a spot on a team that would be guaranteed a spot at the Grand Tour. That means he could have a chance to try to break Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour de France stage wins, to the relief of fans around the world. The two legends of cycling are currently tied for the record.

Of course, the road to Paris isn’t guaranteed. Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl famously opted to leave Cav off its Tour rostering 2022. That quickly led to Cav’s departure from the Belgian squad. After that kerfuffle, it would be surprising if part of Cavendish’s negotiations with Astana didn’t involve some guarantee of Tour selection.

Astana also appears to have signed Cees Bol. The 27-year-old Dutch sprinter would be a huge asset in 37-year-old Cav’s quest for one more Tour stage win.