A classic and seamless design for the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl rider
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Cavendish in his new kit(Image credit: Sprint Cycling Agency)
Cavendish goes for black shorts and white socks(Image credit: Getty Images)
Cavendish meets the Tour de Pologne organisers(Image credit: Sprint Cycling Agency)
Cavendish back in the white British champion's jersey(Image credit: Sprint Cycling Agency)
Cavendish at the teams presentation(Image credit: Sprint Cycling Agency)
Mark Cavendish never got the chance to wear it – and perhaps make history in it – at the Tour de France, but he pulled on his new British national champion's jersey at the Tour de Pologne this weekend.
The Manxman won the British title, the second of his career, at the end of June and used both his performance and the resulting special jersey as a final bargaining chip for selection for the Tour, where he was hoping to beat Eddy Merckx's all-time record of stage wins.
However, QuickStep-AlphaVinyl chose Fabio Jakobsen as their sprinter for the French Grand Tour, leaving Cavendish to re-design a summer that kicks off again with the Tour de Pologne on Saturday.
Cavendish turned up to Friday evening's teams presentation decked out in his new kit. He and the team have opted for a white jersey with red and blue bands across the middle to match the colours of the UK flag.
The design is very much in keeping with the traditional look of British road racing champion's jerseys over the years. Cavendish has opted to pair his jersey with black shorts.
Given QuickStep's standard-issue jersey is a combination of blue, white and red, the design is a seamless extension, with no colour clashes against any sponsor logos.
The kit is very similar to the one Cavendish wore during his previous time as national champion between 2013 and 2014, which came during his first stint at the QuickStep team. The one constant is the rainbow trim on the sleeves and neck to mark his status as a former world champion.
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Cavendish races in the kit for the first time on Saturday's opening stage at the Tour de Pologne, with the first bunch sprint opportunity expected on Sunday. Following the seven-stage race, Cavendish will return to the UK for the Commonwealth Games road race, where he'll wear the colours of his native Isle of Man.
Cavendish will wear the kit for the rest of the season but will be sporting a new design in the new year as he's set to leave QuickStep-AlphaVinyl. The 37-year-old is keen to race for another two years and is currently in negotiations with a number of teams.
Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.
