Cavendish says Worlds course is too difficult
Manx rider changes mind after riding on route
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) has stated that the world championships circuit is more difficult than he had previously anticipated. The Manxman tested the cours🅺e over the weekend and admitted that he may have to lower his expectations significantly ahead of next Sunday’s road race.
“The course is certainly too difficult for me,” Cavendish told RTBF. “I hadn’t ♎seen the circuit myself be🌺fore now.
“According to what people had been telling me beforehand the rainbow jersey was a possibility, but now th🔯at I’ve been able to check it out for൲ myself, I’ll have to revise my ambitions.”
Cavendish had been bullish about his chances up until the weekend, telling the Sunday Independent, "I'm not going into i𝕴t thinking 'I♔'m going to win this'... but there's a chance.”
The sprinter arrives in Australia after a fine Vuelta a España, where he won three stages and the points classification an🉐d, as his victory at the 2009 Milan-San Remo demonstrated, he is more than capable of contesting a sprint finish at the end of a 260km race.
Opinion on the nature of the Geelong course continues to be varied. While Cavendish’s sprint rivals Oscar Freire (Spain), Tyler Farrar (USA), Thor Hushovd (Norway) and André Greipel (Germany) will all be present and hoping for a bunch finish, Pa🌱olo Bettini did no🍬t name a recognized sprinter to his Italian squad.
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Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010,ﷺ reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of , published by Gill Books.