Cycling-Cavendish to make surprise Tour de France return

Deceuninck NV

21/06/2021 15:06

June 21 (Reuters) - Mark Cavendish was named in the
Deceuninck-Quick Step team for the Tour de France on Monday,
days after team manager Patrick Lefevere said the British
sprinter would remain at home for the Grand Tour starting on
Saturday.
    Sam Bennett was set to feature in the race and defend his
green jersey but has failed to recover from a knee injury, with
Cavendish taking his place and looking to add to his tally of 30
Tour de France stage wins.
    "I am delighted to be going back to the Tour de France with
Deceuninck – Quick Step," Cavendish, 36, said in a team
statement. 
    "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."
    Cavendish, back with Deceuninck-Quick Step six years after
leaving the Belgian outfit, will be racing at the Tour for the
first time in three years.
    He has been in resurgent form this year, winning four stages
at the Tour of Turkey followed by claiming the fifth stage at
the Tour of Belgium.

 (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru
Editing by Toby Davis)
 ((Hardik.Vyas@thomsonreuters.com;))