Mark Cavendish is ready to attack Eddy Merckx’s record to win his 35th stage at Tour de France. After a complicated spring dotted with injuries, the sprinter from Astana Qazaqstan he returned to racing at the Tour of Turkey and a few days later at the Tour of Hungary he also achieved his second victory of the season after a stage at the Tour of Colombia in February. Two weeks before the start of the Grande Boucle, the coach of the Isle of Man runner, Vasilis Anastopoulosspoke about the condition of his runner and what will be the big objective during the three weeks of the French race.
“Spring was not an easy period for us and for the team – explains the Greek a Veil – It seemed to us that all the good work done in the winter was lost. This definitely had an impact on morale. Mark needs to feel the confidence to be able to do his best. Today Mark is well, very happy and very motivated. The victory in Hungary was very important. It was a big injection of confidence, for the team and also for the confidence that everyone has in him.”
The 39-year-old will be joined at the Grande Boucle by Mikael Morkov, Cees Bol And Davide Ballerini who will only have the task of ensuring that in the sprint stages their captain is in the positions that count in the final. Alongside Cannonball there will also be his historic last man Mark Renshawwho will follow the team in the flagship of the Kazakh team, almost entirely dedicated to its cause during the three French weeks.
“We had an excellent training camp with the whole team in the Sierra Nevada – continues the Greek trainer – All the riders of the sprint train were present and worked well. We don’t make comparisons with Philipsen or the others, we won’t think about their level. But I am convinced that if Mark reaches the level we are used to and expect, then he will have a great chance at the Tour.”
These days the native of Douglas is involved in the Tour of Switzerland, a race in which the opportunities for the sprinters are totally absent, but which will serve to put uphill kilometers in his legs in preparation for the efforts of the transalpine GT: “The Tour is extremely hard this year – concludes the former Greek runner – There are a lot of climbs, even in the first two stages. Mark will have to be ready to suffer. His goal is not just to win a stage, but also to finish the Tour. To do that he needs kilometers of climbing in his legs.”
“I don’t want to give percentages or make predictions – adds Anastopoulos – I can’t say that the stage victory is 60.70% or who knows. But I know that he has found the right path again and that he and the whole team are focused on this goal at the Tour de France. If it arrives healthy and in the condition we expect, anything is possible.”
