Patrick Lefebvre is on the fence about giving Mark Cavendish a new contract for the Tour de France and 2023 with the Quick Step-Alfa Vinyl team, but Bradley Wiggins told Cycling News at the Giro d'Italia that if he team manager, he said he would sign Cavendish.

"Until someone pulls Cavendish down from the top sprinters, we won't even have to discuss his future. It's clear he still deserves a place in the peloton," Wiggins told Cycling News.

"He still has stage wins in races like the Giro and Milan-Torino. If I were a team manager, I would want him on my team."

"I don't understand why Patrick Lefebvre doesn't tell Cav that he can sign a contract as long as he wants. But if Patrick Lefebvre won't give Cav a new contract, then Rod Ellingworth has to take him on at Ineos Grenadiers and give him a perfect send-off. Wouldn't you agree? Wiggins mischievously knew that his tongue-in-cheek remarks would cause controversy.

Lefebvre is now considering Cavendish's position in the 2023 Quick Step Alfa Vinyl to satisfy Soudal, the new Belgian title sponsor, following reports that Tim Mellier will join the team from Alpecin Phoenix The team is working on it. Fabio Jacobsen is also under contract for 2023, and Cavendish's contract ends this year.

The Quick-Step-Alfa Vinyl sprinter has not yet been confirmed for the Tour de France. Cavendish has been selected for the Giro d'Italia and Fabio Jacobsen is following his training and race plan for the Tour de France and will likely be selected if he proves in good shape and competitive in the coming weeks.

Like in 2021 when Sam Bennett was injured, Cavendish could still be selected and have a chance to challenge Eddy Merckx's stage win record. Quick Step Alpha Vinyl states that the best rider will be selected.

Cavendish understands the logic and complexity of the rider market and hopes to find the best possible contract in 2023 and 2024, whether with Quick Step Alpha Vinyl or elsewhere, SEG Cycling rider agent, hired Martin Berkhout.

He turned 37 on May 21 while competing in the Giro d'Italia, but recently told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he is confident he can compete for at least two more years.

Cavendish has 160 wins and will be fighting for victory when stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia finishes in Treviso on Thursday. He won his 100th career victory in Treviso in 2013 and showed he has the same sprinting skills and winning speed by winning stage 3 in Balatonfüredo. He was also third in Scalea and third in Cuneo.

"Cav is still winning. He won four stages in last year's Tour and the green points jersey. He's still at the top level," Wiggins said.

"Unfortunately, the way the Tour de France is raced makes it difficult for sprinters to compete in the Tour. It just goes to show how competitive this sport is.

Wiggins competes in the Giro d'Italia as part of Eurosport/GCN. He won Tour de France and Olympic gold in 2012, but retired in 2016 at age 36 after winning the Ghent Six with Cavendish in his last competitive race.

His farewell race came after the hacking group Fancy Bears exposed that he had received a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide while with Team Sky, including just before winning the 2012 Tour de France took place. Wiggins has always denied any wrongdoing, claiming he took the medication for allergy problems.

At the 2016 Ghent Six, Wiggins described Cavendish as his brother.

"We fight, we argue, but we know each other's strengths. We are fun to be with and we would do anything for each other," Wiggins said

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He now admires Cavendish's staying power and had a chat with Cavendish after the stage to Cogne.

"Cavendish has been running at the top for 15 years. Dating back to 2007, before the Tour de France Grand Depart in London, he had already won the Scheldepri and beaten Robbie McEwen. It's amazing," Wiggins told Cycling News. [The race and the sprints are driving him.

"That's why I think it's hard to replace what Mark gets out of cycling with something else, and that's why he keeps racing. In that sense, I was different. After winning the Tour de France, I wanted normal. Mark is different and he is a real winner, just like sprinters are," Wiggins continued.

"He could easily run another year and perhaps become like the British soccer player Ryan Giggs. Like Giggs, no one wants Cav to retire.