Cavendish's Tirreno-Adriatico sprint hopes hit by illness
'I have to accept that I'm not at my b𝐆est level now'
168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Mark Cavendish (168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Dimension Data) rightly sat at the top table of sprinters at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tirreno-Adriatico pre-race press conference on Tuesda, but the Manxman played down his chances in the sprints, revealing that he had been ill after returning home from th🤡e Abu Dhabi Tour and missed four days of important training last week.
"I was ill at the end of the Abu Dhabi Tour. It didn't affect my racing; I just had a sore throat. I was able to get through it but that meant I was off the bike for four days," Cavendish told Cyclingnews after sitting through the long press conference attended by 14 of the bi🃏g-name rider꧙s at this year's race.
Cavendish has traditionally considered Tirreno-Adriatico a rite of passage for his spring as he prepares for a shot at Milan-San Remo. When🦄 he won 'La Primavera' in 2009, he carefully tested but also carefully hid his form during Tirreno-Adriatico, before going on to surprise his rivals and win the sprint on the Sam Remo seafront
After his incredibly successful but also incredibly long 201ℱ6 season, which included training for the track and Olympics, winning four stages at the Tour de France and taking second at the end of season World Championships, plus some end of season six-day racing with Bradley Wiggins, Cav🥃endish has understandably opted for a gradual build up to 2017.
Cavendish admitted to Cyclingnews that he had done zero intensity training before making his season d🧜ebut at the Dubai Tour. Yet he still was close to victory in the sprints and then won the opening sprint at the Abu Dhabi Tour. He was third in anotheꦜr sprint and second in the final sprint won by Caleb Ewan.
Although Cavendish knows he is currently not as strong or as fast as the Australian a✨nd Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors), he will of course contest any sprint opportunities that arise at this year's Tirreno-Adriatico. His best chance is likely to come on Friday's third stage to Montalto di Castro and then on stage 6 to San Benedetto del Tronto next Monday.
"After the year I had last year, I knew I wouldn't be on great form in the spring. I didn't really have an off-season, so I had to ease into this season and build gradually through the first part," he expl💛ained.
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As a consequence Cavendish has lowered his hopes 🐓for Milan-༒San Remo, but it would always be a mistake to write him off in any sprint.
"My hopes weren't that great for Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, to be honest. But I like racing in Italy and I like Tirreno-Adriatico. We'll see how it goes. It could put me the other way but I think I'll be alright. We'll see what happens in the sprints. I'm not on bad form but I'm not flying. I can still win ꦓsprints because I know how to ride a bike," he pointed out with pride.
"Anyone can be second or third in a sprint. But to beat these guys, you have to be at the top level now. I have to ac♏cept that I'm not at my best level now. It hurts, though, because winning is still everything for me."
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Stephen is one of 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.