BRUSSELS (AFP) — Veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish will make a return to the Tour de France after a three-year absence from cycling’s biggest event.
Cavendish was not expected to be among the eight riders selected by Deceuninck-Quick-Step but was a last-minute inclusion following Sam Bennett’s withdrawal.
The three-week race starts on Saturday in Brittany from the port city of Brest.
The 36-year-old Cavendish has won 30 Tour de France stages, putting him second on the all-time list behind Belgian great Eddy Merckx. However, he last won a stage in 2016.
He also won the best sprinter’s green jersey in 2011, a coveted prize that Bennett claimed last year.