Mark Cavendish's contract renewal with Deceuninck - Quick-Step is nearly over the line, according to team boss Patrick Lefevere, with wages and bonuses agreed between the two parties.
The final point to be ironed out is Cavendish's desire for a role within the team following his eventual retirement from cycling.
"The only point of discussion is what Mark can do after his career," Lefevere said in his weekly column in Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.
“We have now reached an agreement on wages and bonuses. The only point of contention is what Mark can do after his career. He himself would like to remain involved with our team and for me that is certainly negotiable."
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Lefevere reveals that the sum Cavendish wanted to be paid will be spread in payments over two years, but that the sprinter's true desire is to continue working with the team after he stops racing, and Lefevere says it's up to the 36-year-old to figure out what it is he wants to do.
“What Mark wanted to earn this year, we could spread over two years. But anyway, he doesn't just want to cash in on a ceremonial function," Lefevere explained. "Mark wants to do something that has meaning. What exactly I would like to let him introduce himself. In my experience, all riders today want to be performance managers, but the problem is that they often take themselves too much as the reference. What worked for you may not necessarily work for someone else.
"Mark is someone for whom doors open. In that role, he can certainly be of value to our team, although I also say: my main sponsors are fixed until 2027. The secondary sponsors also for two or three years. We don't have much space there. This year we have not been able to sufficiently figure out Mark's idea [for after his retirement]. He rode on a minimum contract [this year] and did not think that was part of the deal, which I can hardly blame him. We will also clear the air on that next week."
With Cavendish competing for Great Britain at the UCI Road World Championships in Flanders next weekend, he will meet with Lefevere to figure out these finer details before a new contract is announced to the public.
