Mark Cavendish will make 2021 Deceuninck - Quick-Step debut this week
The British sprinter will race with his old team in a Spanish one-day race


Mark Cavendish will make his 2021 Deceuninck - Quick-Step debut this week in Spain at the Clasica de Almeria.
British sprinting star Cavendish has rejoined his old team having previously raced for Quick-Step in 2013-15 and will be back in action on Sunday (February 14).
The Clasica de Almeria in the Andalusia region of Spain traditionally favours the sprinters and is a race where Cavendish has had his own success, winning the 2015 edition during his first spell with Quick-Step.
Cavendish, 35, said: “Like every rider in these times I am excited to get the season underway. We are fortunate that the races can go ahead and I’m even more excited to pull on the jersey of the Wolfpack once again and race with the boys. The fact it will happen at an event which brings back a lot of beautiful memories makes it even more special.”
Deceuninck - Quick-Step will have a number of options in their squad for this weekend, as Alvaro Hodeg is another strong sprinter.
The rest of the team will consist of Florian Sénéchal, Tim Declerq, Stijn Steels, Jannik Steimle, and Bert Van Lerberghe.
With 183km to cover from Puebla de Vicar to Ruquetas del Mar the racing could favour a team with multiple sprint options.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The course also features four categorised climbs in the middle section, including a tough 5.7km, 4.6 per cent gradient second category ascent at 40km into the day.
Deceuninck – Quick-Step sports director Wilfried Peeters said: “Almeria is for all our riders at the start the first appointment of the year.
“It’s a very beautiful race that usually ends with a sprint. We have two guys who can be up there, Mark and Alvaro, and we will decide during the race what we will do. Tim, Stijn, Jannik, Florian and Bert carry a lot of experience and make it a strong line-up, capable of being prominent in both breakaways and final, so we’re looking forward to Sunday”
Deceuninck - Quick-Step squad for Clasica de Almeria 2021
Mark Cavendish (GBR)
Tim Declercq (BEL)
Alvaro Jose Hodeg Chagui (COL)
Florian Sénéchal (FRA)
Stijn Steels (BEL)
Jannik Steimle (GER)
Bert Van Lerberghe (BEL)
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
FDJ-Suez, SD Worx-Protime, Lidl-Trek confirmed for Tour of Britain Women as strong list of teams announced
18 teams set to take part in four-day WorldTour stage race
By Tom Thewlis
-
Cyclists could face life sentences for killing pedestrians if new law passed in England and Wales
Reckless cycling currently carries a maximum two-year jail term
By Tom Thewlis
-
Could Caleb Ewan be Ineos Grenadiers' first Tour de France sprinter since Mark Cavendish? 'That's my goal'
"All I can do is try to win as much as possible and prove that I deserve to be there," says Australian
By Tom Davidson
-
'Finally, you broke the world record' - Inside reaction to Mark Cavendish's historic Tour de France revealed
Astana Qazaqstan have released Project 35, a documentary which shows the journey to triumph
By Adam Becket
-
'I haven’t entirely committed to what I’m doing' - Mark Cavendish refuses to rule out racing more, but will run a marathon next year
The Tour de France stage win record holder says that his plan is to head into cycling management
By Adam Becket
-
Mark Cavendish to conclude professional cycling career in Singapore
Tour de France stage win record holder to bring curtain down on racing career at ASO end of season criteriums in Asia
By Tom Thewlis
-
Mark Cavendish set to end his career at Tour de France Singapore Criterium
Event will be Cavendish's final appearance for Astana Qazaqstan after he won a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage in July
By Tom Thewlis
-
'I've lived everyone’s dream': Mark Cavendish hints at snap retirement after last ever Tour de France stage
The Manx Missile is the 2024 Tour's lanterne rouge
By Chris Marshall-Bell
-
'I'm so tired': Emotional Mark Cavendish thanks teammates after surviving Tour de France time cut
The Briton is just two days away from finishing the Tour de France for an eighth time
By Chris Marshall-Bell
-
Mark Cavendish makes time limit on stage 19 - and four other tales of riders who survived the Tour de France cut-off
Brit finishes with more than five minutes to spare on Isola 2000
By Tom Davidson