Cycling legend Chris Hoy makes bold Mark Cavendish prediction
Cavendish announced his retirement from cycling earlier this year but crashed out of his final Tour de France trying to break the all-time stage wins record
Sir Chris Hoy believes Mark Cavendish will mount one final comeback and break the Tour de France stage win record in 2024.
Cavendish was initially named in the British squad for Sunday’s UCI World Championship road race in Glasgow but withdrew due to the broken collarbone that ended his Tour hopes.
The 38-year-old, seemingly stranded on 35 stage wins and level with Eddy Merckx atop the all-time charts, has been offered one final fling by his Astana Qazaqstan team.
“At the start of the season, I said it was definitely his last year,” said six-time Olympic champion Hoy. “But having seen how much Cav enjoyed and relished the Tour de France, it wasn’t like he was there with a burden of winning another stage.
“He had a smile on his face from ear to ear, on every stage. He was relishing the challenge and feeling like he was getting back to something like his best.”
The Manx Missile came within a whisker of breaking Merckx’s record on stage eight in Bordeaux before a crash forced him to abandon.
Questions of a potential comeback in 2024 were ruled off-limits by Cavendish in a new Netflix documentary, Mark Cavendish: Never Enough, which charts the twilight of his career.
“I wouldn’t put it past Cav,” said Hoy. “I’ve just got a feeling he’ll come back. I don’t know anything, I haven’t been told anything, but I would love to see him have one more year.
“I think as long as the passion is still there and he’s injury free, there’s no reason why he can’t be there.
“He might not be the fastest in the world any more but he has the ability to win stages because of his experience.
“No one knows more about positioning in the bunch and lining himself up than him. I’d put money on him winning a stage if he does come back.”
Hoy will be a central figure in BBC coverage of the UCI World Championships, with track action running until Wednesday in the velodrome that bears his name.
Double Olympic champion Katie Archibald specifically requested Hoy to conduct her first major broadcast interview since the tragic death of partner Rab Wardell in August 2022.
Archibald wants the World Championships to be a monument to Wardell’s memory and his motto, “ride bikes, have fun”.
“Rab was an absolute legend of the sport and he contributed to it in so many different ways,” said Hoy, who was speaking at an event to celebrate how National Lottery players have transformed cycling in the UK, with more than £143m invested since Lottery funding began.
“He lived his life looking for fun and cycling was at the very heart of his life. A year later, it’s still quite shocking that he’s gone and it’s hard to get your head around.
“I think the reception that Katie will receive when she steps on the track – the crowds are not going to just cheer her on, but pay their respects to Rab – it’s going to be a very emotional moment for everybody there.”
An in-form Archibald is the most powerful female track rider in the world and she could yet vie for Glasgow gold in the team pursuit, Madison and Omnium events.
The 29-year-old has alluded to dropping out of training efforts in recent weeks but Hoy believes she should add to her haul of 11 World Championship medals.
“Katie usually underplays her chances,” Hoy said. “She’s going to come here with everything she’s got.
“She’s going to come here with an extra amount of motivation and energy with this home crowd. There’s definitely a chance she could come away with three gold medals.
“She’s relying on other people in some of those events, and with Laura Kenny having just given birth to her second child, the British team isn’t going to be quite at full strength.
“But I’m hoping that Katie can come away with at least one rainbow jersey.”
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