Mark Cavendish will not be present at the start of the Giro d’Italia in his final season as a professional cyclist. The experienced British sprinter, currently 38 years old, has chosen not to participate in the Giro next year. His personal coach at Astana, Vasilis Anastopoulos, revealed this in a conversation with the British website GCN. “No,” the Greek coach is emphatic when it comes to a possible participation in the Giro. “Mark will first complete a block of competitions, followed by a recovery period. This will be followed by another training block, and then we will finish with some more races towards the Tour.”
Cavendish in pursuit of his 35th stage victory
The British rider hopes to make cycling history next year with a 35th stage victory at the Tour de France, surpassing Eddy Merckx and becoming the all-time leader in terms of stage wins in the biggest cycling race in the world. The two cycling legends are currently tied with 34 stage wins each.
Cavendish and the riders who are part of his sprint train will undergo two altitude training sessions for an extended period before the Tour. “And there will also be a Training Camp in Greece in April, all with a view to the Tour de France,” Anastopoulos describes.
The season will kick off at the Tour Colombia.
Mark Cavendish will not start his final cycling season in Europe, Australia, or the Middle East, but in South America. The British rider will complete his first competitive kilometers of 2024 at the Tour Colombia (February 6-11), but before that, he will undergo an initial altitude stage in his home country.