After signing Mark Cavendish for the 2021 season, Dečuninck Quick-Step's Directeur Sportif Tom Steels wants the team to help the Manxman enjoy racing again, but does not expect too much from him He does not expect too much from him.

Speaking to Sporza (opens in new tab), Steels expressed his faith in Cavendish. He still has the ability to win races."

"Mark has been out of shape for a few years. At the sporting level, we have to rebuild step by step. I think the first step is to make sure he can enjoy racing again."

Since moving from Etixx-Quick-Step to Dimension Data and then to Bahrain McLaren, Cavendish has spent several years recovering from the Epstein-Barr virus, which was finally removed in 2019, but for the Tour de France He was controversially removed from the Dimension Data roster. He was also not selected for this year's Grand Tour and appeared to be retiring until Dečuninck-Quick-Step stepped in.

The team is able to get Cavendish back on track. 'We want him to think he's back on track physically. If he feels good on the bike, he can turn his attention to sprinting again. He still has the ability to win races. But his priority is to have fun on the road."

"Cavendish is still Cavendish. His character as a competitor is still there and he will find it with us. He can follow the ambitions of the team. The fact that there is a fight in every race will please him.

But the team is realistic about working with Cavendish; when he left the team in 2015, he was 30 and still winning Grand Tour stages, but at 35, his prime may be past. Steele remains realistic about his expectations and believes Cavendish can help the team's other sprinters, such as Tour de France green jersey winner Sam Bennett, Alvaro Hodeg, and, when he returns, Fabio Jacobsen.

"I don't expect Marc to win six races in the Tour," he said. 'There are a lot of other races to speed up and one more sprinter to take a chance on. He also brings a lot of experience. His specific views on sprinting will help riders like Bennett and Hodeg. He will enjoy having Jacobsen back."

Cavendish brings a lot of personality to the team.

"Everyone is looking forward to it," Steele knows.

"Mark is someone who always treats his colleagues well. He gets explosive at the end of a race, but an hour later he's very kind. Because of his personality, he always has something to contribute."

Cavendish tweeted out a video created by the team, saying, "To say I'm excited would be an understatement, I'm so proud to be joining my friends at Deceuninck-Quickstep again. There is no hiding how special the time spent there was, how special the people and atmosphere were, and how special the philosophy of the Flemish heart of pure racing is."