British sprinter Mark Cavendish makes a return to the 2021 Tour de France for the first time since 2018.
The 36-year-old will be part of Deceuninck-QuickStep’s eight-man squad. He replaces Sam Bennett who is down with a knee injury.
“I am delighted to be going back to the Tour de France with Deceuninck-Quick Step,” Cavendish, 36, said in a team statement ahead of the race that begins Saturday.
“Obviously, the circumstances with Sam could be better – he had a special Tour last year and I am sad for him not being able to defend his green jersey. But at the same time, I am excited to be going back to a race that I have such an affinity with and where I have so much history. It is the biggest bike race in the world, and I am going to do all I can to grab this opportunity with both hands.”
No. Words. Can. Describe. How. I. Feel.
I will do absolutely everything to honour #thewolfpack boys, the @deceuninck_qst jersey and the greatest race on the planet @LeTour.
Big boots to fill for @Sammmy_Be. Can everybody join me in sending him positive vibes please 🙏🙏
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) June 21, 2021
