Deceuninck-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefebvre admitted that the decision to sign Mark Cavendish for the 2021 season was made on Friday after the British rider was able to work out the money for the contract.

Cavendish's return to Quick Step after a five-year blank is a new chance for the 35-year-old to get his career back on track after a slow season this year with Dimension Data and Bahrain McLaren.

"My heart said yes, my brain said no. It's a risk, but he brings a lot to the team. He's still very well known and I've had nothing but positive reactions on Twitter. People are happy for him and I'm glad he's taking this chance. I don't think he deserved to stop cycling the way he did in his last race," Lefevere told Cyclingnews.

"Mark and I have always had a good relationship. But when he was with Dimension Data and when he was in Bahrain, he wanted to come back. But this year, what I saw happened. Mark Cavendish, who entered the breakaway at the 0km mark in the Tour de Flanders, broke down in tears after Ghent-Wevelgem.

"After the last race in De Panne he was in a hotel in Kortrijk and I invited him to my office. I don't want to stop like this. I said to him, 'Mark, I really don't have a single euro. My budget is already finished.'

'He said I could ride if I could find someone to pay the contract. But a week later someone called me and said they had talked to Mark and he was interested. We started talking and eventually it happened."

Cavendish raced for Lefebvre's team from 2013 to 2015, winning 48 races during the golden years of his career. However, his career was severely interrupted by an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus, and despite being in good health, the 30-time Tour de France stage winner has not won a race since the start of 2018.

The biggest question facing Cavendish is whether the change of environment and improved sprinting environment in the Lefebvre-led team can wake him from his slumber. It's still early days, but Lefevere is cautious about whether the returning Cavendish will be able to regain his full strength.

"I don't know. We have to see what condition he is in. When he comes to Spain, we will do some tests and see what his level is. We still have the numbers from when he left. We'll see what we can do to make him better," Rufevia said.

"He has a long and sad story about Epstein-Barr and various indefinites. He now has an opportunity that no one else wanted to give him, but for me it's starting from scratch. We buy his experience, but to be clear, he is not a trainer. He is not a performance manager or a directeur sportif.

"He is the best sprinter of his generation, so he can give tips to youngsters like Alvaro Hodeg, Fabio Jacobson (who was almost the best sprinter in the world) and Sam Bennett. In a situation like this, Mark can be useful and if he can win another race, that would be great."

It is also premature for Lefebvre to start dreaming about the possibility of Cavendish closing in on Eddy Merckx's record of 34 Tour de France stage wins. Cavendish is not even guaranteed to compete in next year's Tour and has been left out of the team for the past two consecutive seasons.

With Sam Bennett on the team and the Irishman the defending champion in the battle for the green jersey, Cavendish's chances seem unlikely at this point, but both rider and team will be taking baby steps over the winter to find a path that suits their abilities. The player and the team will be looking for a path that fits their abilities as they take baby steps during the winter months.

"I am too old to dream," said Lefebvre.

"We haven't promised him anything. He comes in a little late and we have lost the early races like the Tour Down Under. We will build a good program and bring him to a satisfactory level first.

Lefebvre has rebuilt his career in the past. Most recently, he helped Philippe Gilbert win monuments like the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and turned around the fortunes of Marcel Kittel, who moved to Quick Step to replace Cavendish in 2016.

"If I can do this, I'm a wonder boy," Lefebvre said. 'I've brought back a lot of riders. I remember Kittel. He couldn't do anything with the previous team. I brought back Richard Vilanc and Gilbert. He was strong, but he couldn't find the motivation before coming here.

"Still, there is a big difference between selling yourself and performing. But there is still a big difference between selling yourself and performing. But don't ask me today if he can beat this or that, call me in three months and I'll tell you."

One of the riders who will remain in Lefebvre next year is João Almeida.

Joao Almeida, the Giro d'Italia sensation, was rumored last week to be moving to UAE team Emirates, despite the fact that he has a contract with Lefebvre for the next 12 months. The Belgian rider was bullish about honoring his contract.

"First of all, I have to read the bullshit that you guys have written. But he has a contract and it's outrageous to let it go," said Lefebvre.

"I spoke to his manager and he didn't want to talk about next year or the future. He didn't want any bonuses or anything, and then a few months later he says the UAE wants him."

"They deserve a penalty because you can't talk to a rider who is under contract. If as a rider you are under contract for 2022, that is unfair. Because how can he perform when he has already decided to leave the team? He will certainly stay, but if they are willing to pay him $2 million, then maybe we can talk."