"It's great to see that they're supporting him" - Chris Froome praises Astana Qazaqstan Team as Mark Cavendish returns for one final year

Mark Cavendish has postponed his retirement and will ride one final year in 2024 and make a last attempt to take a historic 35th Tour de France stage win. Another rider with no intention of retiring any time soon is Cavendish's former teammate, Chris Froome.

"It's great," Froome said in quotes collected by road.cc, praising Cavendish's employers for their trust in his friend. "I think he's in a really good place with Astana and it's great to see that they're supporting him in his bid to make even more history. Mark's a special character and he's got a special place in the story, the history of the sport."

The pair rode together for Team Sky in 2012 and appeared together for Great Britain on occasion. Recently, as Cavendish prepared for a return to racing at the Tour of Turkey and Froome at the Tour of Hainan, the went for a training ride together alongside INEOS Grenadiers' Cameron Wurf.

The big question mark over Cavendish's return is can the 'Manx Missile' take that historic 35th stage win? For Froome the answer is clear. "He's done so much already, he doesn't need to do any more, but I believe he will."