Record-chasing Cavendish extends career by joining Astana

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN The Associated Press

FILE - Britain's Mark Cavendish, wearing the best sprinter's green jersey, celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the thirteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 219.9 kilometers (136.6 miles) with start in Nimes and finish in Carcassonne, France, on July 9, 2021. Mark Cavendish might get the chance to break Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins this summer. The 37-year-old British road champion joined Kazakh outfit Astana-Qazaqstan to extend his storied career by one season. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Christophe Ena]

BRUSSELS (AP) — Veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish might still get a chance to claim the outright record for stage wins at the Tour de France. Cavendish has joined Astana-Qazaqstan to extend his storied career by one season and will be hoping to ride for the Kazakh team at cycling’s biggest race in July. The 37-year-old British road champion and cycling great Eddy Merckx currently top the all-time list with 34 stage wins. Cavendish equaled Merckx’s record at the 2021 Tour. That was 13 years after his first stage win.