Mark Cavendish loses faith
Mark Cavendish has always been known for his outspoken confidence, and in the build-up to the World Championships, he didn't let his supporters down in that department. But now that the British sprinter has seen the course for himself, he has backtracked
on his confidence.
“This is perhaps a bit too tough. Until now I hadn’t seen the circuit with my own eyes, I’d just heard a few whispered details. On that basis, I considered the rainbow jersey feasible, now that I’ve seen it for myself I have revised my opinion; this will
be slightly too tough for me.”
Cavendish has been criticized in the past for his arrogant attitude, but it isn't a trait that is new to the top sprinters in professional cycling. The Isle of Man rider is a former track world champion and the current career record-holder in sprint stage
wins at the Tour de France, despite only being 25 years old. The attitude comes with the territory.
"All this month my legs have felt hard, like they're made of steel," said Cavendish to British paper
Independent on Sunday. "It's like last year before I won Milan-San Remo; you just know when you've got good form, you don't do your legs any muscle damage with a hard ride, you can feel them getting stronger. And that's what's happening now."
The sprinter will be a rider on a three-man team, along with British cyclists Jeremy Hunt and David Millar. There is a remote possibility that Cavendish’s comments will see him relegated to a support rider position, with Millar as team leader. This would
relieve the pressure on Cavendish to stick with the peloton over the climbs, which is not his strong suit. For the sprinter to have a chance at the title, a bunch sprint is more-or-less the only option, but all reports suggest that a breakaway is just as likely
in Geelong.
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