Mark Cavendish admitted that the Tour de France is his main goal for this season in Astana Kazakstan, but he dismissed talk of focusing on setting a new stage victory record, saying that he wants his children to love the sport as much as he does He said he hopes to inspire.

Astana Kazakstan's interest in signing Cavendish began in mid-December, when team manager Alexandre Vinokurov admitted to Cycling News that he had called Cavendish after the B&B Hotels project fell through Since then.

Details of the final deal were lengthy, but Astana Kazakstan confirmed the deal with Cavendish on Tuesday. Cavendish told L'Equipe that his return to the Tour de France was an important part of his discussions with team manager Alexandre Vinokurov.

"Everyone knows that I have made a career out of the Tour. I love racing in the Tour, so if I could participate again, I would ......."

[9 Cavendish told a French sports newspaper in his first interview in months.

Cavendish will no doubt fight to break the record with his 35th stage win at the Tour de France in July, but if he does set a new record, he will not retire after the Tour. But if he does set a new record, he will not retire after the Tour.

"All this talk about records is outside speculation, not from me. After all, I have had a long career and I have been very lucky," Cavendish said.

"I grew a lot as a person during that time. I had children and I realized that my goal was to inspire people. My kids admire not only my results, but also the success of other riders. So if I can do my small part to help other kids experience the same things my kids did, I will continue as long as I can."[13

Cavendish quickly reached an agreement with Vinokourov, who promised to give him a chance without the pressure of winning. Cavendish won four stages and the green jersey at the 2021 Tour de France with Quick Step, but was not selected for the 2022 Tour de France and his contract was not extended.

"The most important thing was that Vino spoke to me really optimistically. There was nothing to negotiate. I didn't have to prove myself or "qualify," Cavendish explained.

"The hardest part of the last few years was not winning, not having the opportunity to win. Vino set goals with me. We agreed on everything."

Cavendish has endured a difficult few months. Last summer he and former teammate Jérôme Pinault signed on to lead the B&B Hotels team, but no sponsorship was forthcoming and the team failed to register with the UCI and disbanded in December.

Cavendish also had to endure the ordeal of thieves who broke into his home and threatened him and his family.

"I haven't given an interview in months. Everything written about me is speculation, which always irritates me," the 37-year-old said.

"I've been going through a lot in my personal life lately. I'm worried about my family's safety and I thank Vino and the Astana team for giving me time to focus on that. That just shows the atmosphere and mentality of this team. It's really great."

"The Paris [B&B Hotels] project was not what I expected, but you can't just sit back and feel sorry for yourself. It taught me that life is about just getting back out there and moving forward. The call from Vino was a little unexpected, but a wonderful surprise.

"I'm super happy right now. The team made me feel very welcome. It's nice to have everything start all over again.