British Continental team Saint Piran attempts to sig Mark Cavendish - "It would be absolutely great for UK domestic sport"

Ricci Pascoe the general manager UCI Continental team Saint Piran has expressed a desire to bring Mark Cavendish to the team for their mutual benefit as both rider and team look to find a place at the 2023 Tour de France.

Bringing the current British National Champion to the British team would be a major coup for Pascoe but speaking to Cycling Weekly, the Saint Piran boss explained why it's more than just a pipe dream. "Mark is obviously a WorldTour level rider. If there were zero options, and he just wanted to race, he could start racing for us on 28 February and a WorldTour team could still sign him on 30 May.”

As the cycling transfer window nears its close, the Manx Missile remains a free agent despite initially signing a deal with B&B Hotels - KTM. However, after the collapse of that team, Cavendish is now one of a number of riders left in limbo, not knowing where their future lies.

Would Cavendish, one of the biggest names in the cycling world, take the chance to ride for Saint Piran even if only on a temporary basis? Pascoe believes it's a possibility. “Cavendish is a bike rider first and foremost and we’re all in the sport because we’re bike fans," he said. "It would be absolutely great for UK domestic sport, as well as being great for us as a team too."