Mark Cavendish may have left QuickStep -Alpha Vinyl after two successful seasons but the British rider has long been linked to French ProContinental team B&B Hotels KTM next year as he tries to add at least one more Tour de France stage win to claim the all-time record at 35 victories.
However, after very detailed reports surfaced today in France about Cavendish - and a range of support riders - joining the French outfit, the team has issued a statement saying it denies all of the details that have been reported on.
'We will make no comment on what came out today in Ouest-France, except denying all this information," it said in a brief statement. "We will unveil every detail about the team's future on October 26th."
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Cavendish has made no secret of his wish to continue racing, having won four stages at the Tour last year and taken five wins this year, including a stage at the Giro and the British national road race championships.
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He has also said on social media he was currently in his off-season, with a big year planned for next year. Most recent reports have linked him to B&B Hotels KTM, with the speculation starting in July. In August the team's boss Jérôme Pineau said it was possible, though not certain, Cavendish could join the team.
Ouest-France today outlined very detailed plans, with Cavendish at their centre. The newspaper said the 37-year-old had reached an agreement to join the team and that other riders were being brought in to strengthen his bid to win at least one more stage at the Tour, including lead-out man Maximiliano Richeze who rode for UAE Team Emirates this years.
Other riders the French report said were joining the team included Cees Bol, who rode for Team DSM this year, outgoing Groupama-FDJ rider Ramon Sinkeldam (Groupama-FDJ) and Nick Schultz, who rode for Bike Exchange-Jayco in 2022. The report added the team would also have a women's squad and a development with new new sponsors and a budget of around €15 million for the full project for 2023.
