Mark Cavendish confirmed at Astana – Qazaqstan

Astana Qazaqstan Team is happy to announce the arrival of British National Champion Mark Cavendish, who is going to join the Kazakh team for the season of 2023.

Excited Cavendish

“I am really excited for this adventure,” said Cavendish. “I raced with Alexandr Vinokurov for many years, and now I’m racing with his 2 boys! I remember when they were children the same age as my own, dreaming to be bike racers. Astana Qazaqstan Team is going to be a great place to be successful, with a strong team led by Alexandr, a champion on the bike and a gentleman off the bike.

I’ve enjoyed a long career already, but the joy of riding my bike and the hunger to continue winning are as bright as ever. So I’m looking forward to being part of a successful team, whether working with the team for wins, crossing the line first myself, or cheering on my teammates. As always, the objective will be for us to stand on the top podium,” Cavendish concluded.

Cavendish, one of the greatest road sprinters of all times, enters the 2023 season aiming to best his phenomenal 34-Tour-de-France-stage-win-record, pushing him past the standing of the legendary Eddy Merckx.

In the season of 2022 Mark Cavendish won Milano-Torino, a stage at the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Oman and UAE Tour.

New Ways and New Possibilities

“Mark Cavendish doesn’t need any presentation,” said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.. He is the best sprinter of all times, and I am happy to welcome Mark in Astana Qazaqstan Team. The arrival of a top sprinter in our team is kind of challenge for us, but we are ready for it. We see new ways and new possibilities. The goals however are still the same – victories in any kind of race: Classics, stages in different stage races and, of course, in the Grand Tours. Mark still has a big desire to win and we are going to support this feeling with all our forces in all kind of races.”

Where’s The Sprint Team?

Digging into the details of how successful Cavendish will be at Astana Qazaqstan begs the big question – where’s the sprint team? The Manx rider’s greatest years have been when he had a trustworthy crew of fast riders that could work through traffic and deliver him to the right point to make his run for the finish line.

Astana Qazaqstan signed a couple of fast young riders for 2023, including Estonian Martin and Russian Gleb Syritsa, but they may be looking to make their own mark rather than being at the beck and call of a sprint leader. Even with the possible addition of Cees Bol, another victim of the B&B Hotels collapse, Cavendish and team will face experienced sprint squads with years of experience together at this year’s Tour de France.

Bringing a huge drafting benefit and boasting experience in Tour de France sprints, Bol seems to be the team’s best option for taking that last lead-out spot. Belying his size, he has the endurance to keep the speed up over rolling finishes as he proved in Tour de Suisse Stage 3 and Tour of Britain Stage 2 in 2022.

Other options for the sprint train are Gianni Moscon and Yevgeniy Federov.

Now the question remains if Astana Qazaqstan team leadership will give Cavendish the support he needs to build and train his support team in six short months.