Mark Cavendish goes close in Giro d'Italia as Astana Qazaqstan unite again

Mark Cavendish (center) finished third on stage 11 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia
Mark Cavendish (center) finished third on stage 11 of the 2023 Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Getty Images)

Mark Cavendish went close to his first victory with Astana Qazaqstan at the Giro d'Italia in Tortona, finishing third in the sprint after his teammates again protected him and guided him through the rolling stage north from Tuscany.

On Tuesday, Astana Qazaqstan worked to ensure Cavendish got back to the peloton after the long rain-soaked climb in the Apennines only for the breakaway to stay away. On Wednesday, they helped Cavendish return to the peloton after the short but steep Passo della Castagnola with 40km to race and then positioned him well for the fast slightly downhill sprint.

Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.