After two years of racing with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish has run his final race with the team ahead of a move elsewhere for 2023.
The 37-year-old concluded his stint with the Belgian squad at the Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen in Arendonk on Sunday, finishing runner-up to Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Deceunink), who is set to replace him at QuickStep next season.
Cavendish has picked up 15 wins during his second spell at the team, including the British national title, Milano-Torino, and stages at the Tour of Oman, the Giro d'Italia, and the UAE Tour this season.
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He couldn't bow out with another victory, though, narrowly missing out to Merlier at the end of Sunday's 174.7km race.
"I am disappointed not to win my last race with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl, but I am proud of the boys and the way they raced," Cavendish said afterwards.
"They were strong today, really committed, and gave me a good lead-out. I wanted to take the victory also for them, but it wasn't possible."
Cavendish has enjoyed a career resurgence over the past two seasons in his second stint at QuickStep, having previously ridden for the Belgian team between 2013 and 2015. He broke a three-year dry spell with four victories at the Tour of Turkey last spring and went on to complete his memorable comeback at the Tour de France, winning four stages and the points jersey to pull level with Eddy Merckx's career stage win record at 34.
He'll move on to pastures new for next season, though his future team has yet to be confirmed. After missing out on QuickStep's Tour selection this summer, Cavendish is understood to want a guaranteed spot at next year's Tour in order to take aim at stage win number 35.
Sunday's race also marked the end of a long career for Iljo Keisse, who turned pro with Chocolade Jacques back in 2005.
He's been part of the QuickStep setup since 2010 and calls time on his career with five wins on his palmarès, a stage at the 2015 Giro and a famous stage at the 2012 Tour of Turkey included.
Keisse, who turns 40 in December, said after the race that he's ready for a new chapter in his life and was happy to be retiring from racing. He will, however, take on the Six Days of Gent, an event he's won seven times before, in his hometown next month.
"It's an emotional day, but on the other hand I'm happy my career is over and I'm ready for a new chapter as this chapter definitely was long enough. I didn't have a super season this year, so that's why I'm quite ok with saying goodbye," he said.
"I am quite proud of the years in the team and all the recognition I get now from teammates and the other riders in the bunch. I still have the Six Days of Gent on my agenda and then a special event in November, and I'm already feeling emotional thinking about the latter taking place in 't Kuipke, as that will be my final competition and everyone who meant something for me will be there.
"Afterwards, I look forward to taking over the role of sports director. It will be something new, but I am confident it will work out."
