'I had no option!' - The men hoping to guide Mark Cavendish to record 35th Tour de France win
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ByEurosport
Published 27/02/2024 at 11:33 GMT
Michael Morkov has revealed that Mark Cavendish personally requested that he joined him at Astana Qazaqstan after the Briton crashed out of the Tour de France last year. Morkov was Cavendish's leadout man at the 2021 Tour, where the Manx Missile won four stages and the points classification. Watch the Eurosport Cycling Show on Tuesday, 27 February at 17:30 GMT on Eurosport 1 and discovery+.
'Cav called me during the Tour' - Morkov on the phone call that convinced him to join Astana
Fabled leadout rider Michael Morkov has revealed that Mark Cavendish called him from last year's Tour de France, with the Briton saying he would extend his career if the Dane joined him at Astana Qazaqstan.
Cavendish's search for an outright record 35th win at the Tour appeared over when he broke his collarbone on Stage 8 last year, barely two months after he confirmed he would retire at the end of 2023.
But after speculation persisted that he could ride on in a bid to move clear of Eddy Merckx, who also has 34 wins at the Tour, Cavendish signed up for a last hurrah with Astana for this season - with Morkov arriving too.
Morkov piloted Cavendish to four stage wins and the points classification at the 2021 Tour with Deceuninck-Quick-Step.
Speaking to the Eurosport Cycling Show - available to watch on Tuesday, 27 February at 17:30 UK time on Eurosport 1 and discovery+ - Morkov said that he “had no option” but to join Astana after Cavendish spoke to him following his crash at the Tour last year.
"Cav called me during the Tour after he crashed last year," Morkov recalled.
"He asked me to join the team - if I joined the team he would extend his career. I think I had no option! I wanted to support him.
"With the success we had in the past, I made him a better sprinter, but he also made me a better leadout man. So I’m really happy to join Cav again and I’m sure we’re going to have some victories."
Now back in Cavendish’s group, Morkov is ready to help the Briton to one final push this summer.
"I don’t feel there's much pressure to be honest," he said. "We can use that to try to win a stage at the Tour de France.
"Mark doesn’t have to prove himself. If he doesn’t win at the Tour de France anymore, he’s still had an amazing career. I don’t have to prove myself either.
"Astana will do whatever they can to support Mark and our group to make this special victory.
"I hope we can take the win but if not, we didn’t lose anything."
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Another former leadout of Cavendish’s, Mark Renshaw, is now the sporting director at Astana as the Kazakh team do everything they can to pull off a famous victory.
“It’s something really special,” Renshaw said.
“It’s not going to be easy. For me, and for Mark, he already holds the record with Eddie Merckx. He’s trying to go one better, which is no easy feat. So if we can achieve that goal, there will be a lot of happy people.”
Renshaw added: “He works as hard as anyone else in the sport. There’s many riders that are as determined, but I think his natural ability is better - he has something special that most riders don’t.
"It’s amazing how careers and how history unfolds at the moment. It prolongs one more year and we get one more chance at the Tour. That’s amazing."
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