Mark Cavendish insisted that his sole motivation for continuing his professional career in the colors of Astana Kazakstan was not to claim full possession of the Tour de France stage victory record.

Cavendish, who spent the past two seasons with Quick Step before the team's demise in December, was scheduled to sign with B&B Hotels in 2023, but the 37-year-old has since found a place in Astana Kazakstan.

"I love my sport. I love this sport," Cavendish told La Gazzetta dello Sport (opens in new tab). |I'm a cyclist and I've always been a cyclist. Why wouldn't I continue?

"I think I have done enough for the sport. I think I've earned the right to finish when I want to finish and not have someone telling me when to stop."

Cavendish, who failed to impress in the group sprint at Follonica on the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, continues to look forward to winning in his new team colors. The Manxman explained that he was struck by illness a few days after returning from the UAE Tour.

"I got sick after the UAE tour and had a week of low training to recover," Cavendish said.

"I was feeling good and wanted to perform here in Tirreno and then Milan-Torino and Milan-San Remo. Now it's onwards, but the Giro and the Tour seem to be in my plans, so I'll make it a big summer."

Cavendish tied Eddy Merckx's record of 34 Tour wins in 2021, but missed a chance to hold that record alone when he was eliminated from Quick Step in last year's race. He plans to return to the Tour in July, but downplays the importance of achieving his 35th Tour victory.

"It doesn't change my life, but as long as I can be a professional bike rider and win, I will be a professional bike rider," Cavendish said.

"As a professional bike rider, you need goals and you need motivation. Of course I want to win every race, but the Tour was where I peaked every year. You don't go to the Tour to win one more race, you go to the Tour to win as many as you can."

Cavendish's former teammate Fabio Jacobsen won Tuesday's Tirreno-Adriatico, while Quick-Step replacement Tim Mellier won on the first day of Paris-Nice. 2023 to stay with the Patrick Lefebvre-led team Asked if he expected to remain with Patrick Lefebvre's team in 2023, Cavendish replied: "That's not for me to say. I am not the boss and I am happy at Astana.

Cavendish was also cautious about the collapse of B&B Hotels, run by former Quick Step teammate Jerome Pinault. Cavendish initially planned to have Cees Boll and Max Richeze form the lead-out train. Boll then moved to Cavendish in Astana, forcing Richeze to abandon his career.

"All I can do is consider myself lucky to have been a rider who was able to get another job," Cavendish said. Many riders, many staff, many people lost their jobs. All I can do is consider myself lucky to have come to a happy place."