Mark Cavendish’s career has taken him all over the world, from Rio de Janeiro to Melbourne, from the Arctic circle to South Africa. But not, it turns out, to one of the great breeding grounds for cycling’s mountain goats, Colombia.
That changed recently when he arrived in South America for the Tour Colombia, which begins on Tuesday, a six-day race returning to the calendar after a four-year hiatus. It is the start of Cavendish’s more unusual route towards his ultimate goal this summer, like every year, winning at the Tour de France.
“I can’t believe it after so many years, but it’s my first time in Colombia,” Cavendish said ahead of the race, speaking by Lake Sochagota three hours north of the capital, Bogota. “We spent a week in Medellin which was incredible, and then we came up here to Paipa [where the race starts]. The only problem was I couldn’t breathe for two weeks. But now I understand why riders from Colombia just play with us when they come down to sea level.”
Cavendish has been undergoing an intense three weeks of altitude training in Colombia. He will be judged on the sprints at the Tour de France as he tries to clinch one more stage win – his 35th – and break clear of the Tour “Of course, I always think about the Tour de France,” he said on Monday. “I’ve always thought about the Tour de France in my whole career.
But that doesn’t mean you take the rest of the races easy. As a sprinter especially, you’re marked on your wins. Second, third, fourth or fifth doesn’t matter, you’re rated by your wins, so it’s always important to win throughout. And both on a physical and mental point, the motivation you get from victories early in the year can carry you through to July.”