Mark Cavendish has confirmed to Cyclingnews that he is not going to journey Milan-San Remo in his last season, with Astana Qazaqstan’s want to attain WorldTour rating factors thought of a precedence over any farewell look for the Manxman within the Basic he received so dramatically in 2009.
Cavendish additionally will not journey the Giro d’Italia in his last season, having already confirmed he’ll journey the Tour de Hongrie in early Might.
Profitable a stage on the Tour de France and the stage win document stays the last word objective of the season for Cavendish. Astana Qazaqstan desperately want to attain rating factors if they’re to defend their place amongst the 18 WorldTour for 2026-2028 and so each rider has to chase factors in races, together with Cavendish.
Israel-Premier Tech and Lotto Dstny have scored a haul of factors in 2023 and up to now this season and appear on monitor to safe a WorldTour place in 2026. Astana Qazaqstan and Arkea-Samsic are 2000 factors under 18th place and so want to vary their racing technique and chase factors, as Lotto Dstny have accomplished nicely in current seasons.
It might be argued that Cavendish racing for a last season, and his shot at success within the Tour de France, is price way more to the game and to Astana Qazakstan than factors scored in minor races. Nevertheless, the UCI guidelines and locations within the WorldTour are primarily based solely on factors, with no room for nostalgia or farewells.
Cavendish received Milan-San Remo in 2009, on his debut within the race. The peloton reformed within the streets of San Remo after the Poggio climb and Cavendish sprinted late to catch and go Heinrich Hausler on the road. He went on to win his first levels on the Tour de France that summer time and have become arguably probably the most profitable sprinter in historical past.
“Milan-San Remo will all the time be a particular race for me however this season I even have a job to do,” Cavendish informed Cyclingnews at Tirreno-Adriatico, accepting his position within the Astana Qazaqstan group and their struggle for rating factors. He’s additionally chasing UCI factors within the dash levels of the Italian stage race however punctured throughout a last loop on stage 2 and race officers utilized a ‘barrage’ making it troublesome for him to return to the peloton through the group automobiles.
Cyclingnews understands that Cavendish will goal Milan-Torino on Wednesday thirteenth March, three days earlier than Milan-San Remo, whereas different riders have been chosen for La Classicissima on Saturday sixteenth March.
A win at Milan-Torino is price 200 UCI rating factors, with important different factors awarded to the highest ten finishers. Milan-San Remo gives way more factors to the highest ten, nevertheless, Cavendish accepts he has little probability of scoring factors, with the likes of Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock and Christophe Laporte combating for victory and prone to assault on the Poggio to make sure the race doesn’t finish in a dash.
“I rode it final yr,” Cavendish identified to Cyclingnews after a protracted, emotive silence.
“It is modified as a race to what it as soon as was, once I received it,”
He most popular to not reply intimately when requested if that was a superb or dangerous factor for the game.
“The game is what it’s,” he mentioned.
“I all the time watch the massive at some point races and I am going to watch it with my son Casper, he loves the Classics, so it’ll nonetheless be a special occasion for me.”
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