News Round-up: Astana Qazaqstan sign Michael Mørkøv as Mark Cavendish aims at 2024 return

Cavendish snaps up old lead-out man, plus another victory for Jasper Philipsen and more departures at Jumbo-Visma

17:00, Wednesday 4th October 2023

Matilda Price

Racing News Editor

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Michael Mørkøv helped Mark Cavendish to four stage wins at the 2021 Tour de France

On a quiet day of racing during perhaps the busiest week of the late season, attention was not on the Il Lombardia build-up today but on Mark Cavendish, who announced his intention to postpone his retirement and chase a Tour de France stage victory in 2024. That news was accompanied by the arrival of Michael Mørkøv and his former coach at his team as Astana Qazaqstan dominated Wednesday’s headlines.

Outside of Cavendish, there was another win for Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert is set to lose his long-term coach in the Primož Roglič and Jumbo-Visma uncoupling, and one of the home favourites is in doubt ahead of the race of the falling leaves this weekend.

Astana Qazaqstan sign Michael Mørkøv as Mark Cavendish’s key lead-out man for 2024

Not long after announcing that Mark Cavendish would extend his career for another year to target one last Tour de France, Astana Qazaqstan confirmed the long-reported rumour that top lead-out man Michael Mørkøv will reunite with the Manxman as he chases his 2024 sprinting goals.

Mørkøv and Cavendish were formerly teammates at Deceuninck-Quick Step (now Soudal Quick-Step), with the Dane helping his sprinter to several big victories, including being the key factor in most of Cavendish’s renaissance victories at the 2021 Tour de France.

“I am really excited to join Astana Qazaqstan Team in 2024, it is a team which lives a huge development, and I am honoured to come there in the right moment,” Mørkøv said in a press release issued by his future team. “And, of course, I am happy to reunite with my former teammate Mark Cavendish to chase the new victories for him but also for Astana.”

As well as a big boost for Cavendish and Astana, Mørkøv is also another big-name departure from Soudal Quick-Step as merger rumours and concerns about the team and riders’ future continue to swirl.

Astana also confirmed that Cavendish’s former coach, Vasilis Anastopoulos, will join the team as head of performance, with clear signs of how a squad and structure are being built around the 38-year-old next season.

“When Alexander Vinokourov presented to me his vision for the future and asked me to be part of it, I didn’t hesitate to seize the opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the team and producing outstanding results,” Anastopoulos said.

Jasper Philipsen wins Elfstedenrace to add to impressive victory tally

Jasper Philipsen celebrated win number 15 at the Elfstedenrace

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) continues to stake his claim as 2023’s best male sprinter as his impressive form continues into the latter part of the season. The Belgian took his latest win today in the Netherlands, sprinting to victory in the Elfstedenrace.

The pan-flat, 200km race concluded in a reduced bunch sprint, where Philipsen outpowered Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) and Davide Bomboi (TDT-Unibet). This is the 25-year-old’s 15th victory in 2023, and his fourth in the last month.

Though the sprinting field is not as stacked as it has been for some of Philipsen’s victories this season, it was a hard day of racing in the Netherlands and not an easy victory for Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Philipsen will now head to the Tour of Türkiye, where has a chance to add one or more extra tallies to his 2023 results sheet. He’ll be up against the likes of Mark Cavendish and Álvaro Hodeg.

Find the full results here.

Wout van Aert’s long-term coach set to follow Primož Roglič to Bora-Hansgrohe

The prospective shake-up around Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step is extending to not only the riders but the staff too, with Wout van Aert set to lose his coach as he follows Primož Roglič to Bora-Hansgrohe.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Jumbo-Visma’s Marc Lamberts, who has coached both Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič for several seasons, is set to follow the Slovenian in his reported move to Bora-Hansgrohe, leaving Van Aert to find a new coach in the new set-up at the Dutch squad.

Van Aert and Lamberts have been working together for 12 seasons, and so it may prove a significant loss to the Belgian if the move goes ahead. It would, however, see Lamberts reunited with Cian Uijtdebroeks, whom he coached as a junior.

Details around the possible Visma-Soudal merger and what it might mean for all the riders and staff are still relatively sparse, but various changes are emerging, with Lamberts’ departure the latest change expected to come from this situation.

Il Lombardia in doubt for Giulio Ciccone after crash

Giulio Ciccone in action during the Giro dell'Emilia

There are doubts over Giulio Ciccone’s (Lidl-Trek) chances at Il Lombardia after the Italian crashed heavily on Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday.

Ciccone crashed out in the latter stages of Tuesday’s race, and was taken to hospital for checks, which his Lidl-Trek team confirmed had not revealed any fractures, but that the 28-year-old was in pain after suffering “severe contusions”.

“Medical checks following Ciccone’s crash at Tre Valli Varesine have ruled out any fractures. Giulio underwent a total-body CT scan that didn’t show any evidence of bone fracture or other serious injury,” a statement from the team read.

“However, due to the severe contusion suffered, Cicco continues to experience severe pain in the pelvic and lumbar area. He was discharged from hospital.

“Further assessment of his condition and a decision on his participation at Il Lombardia will be made in the coming days.”

As a big Italian star and a rider who has previously shone in the autumn Classics, Ciccone would have been a favourite for Il Lombardia on Sunday, but his chances of doing well or even starting look to be fading.