Sir Chris Hoy backing miraculous Mark Cavendish return ahead of Tour de France 2024

Sir Chris Hoy believes Mark Cavendish will mount one final comeback and break the Tour de France stage wins record in 2024.

The 38-year-old, seemingly stranded on 35 stage wins and level with Eddy Merckx, 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, speaking at an event at Cumbernauld Centurions – a BMX Club near Glasgow – to celebrate how National Lottery players have transformed cycling in the UK, with more than £143 million invested since National Lottery funding began.

“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 8 in Bordeaux before a crash forced him to abandon.

Questions of a potential comeback in 2024 were ruled as off limits by Cavendish in a new Netflix documentary, Never Enough, that charts the twilight of his career.

“I wouldn’t put it past Cav,” added 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 anymore 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.”