Tom Steels, one of the lead management figures at Deceuninck-QuickStep, has said he believes Mark Cavendish can still win races but believes he will be a crucial figure in helping Irish sprinter Sam Bennett.
Steels added the team did not expect
Cavendish to win multiple stages at the Tour de France, adding the emphasis
would be on getting him to feel fit and healthy on the bike again and enjoying
racing.
Once that juncture was reaches, Steels
said Cavendish could still win races but he believed he had much more to add,
saying Bennett, Álvaro José Hodeg and Fabio Jakobsen would all make
gains resulting from the British rider’s presence in the team.
“In the years that he was with us, we have been able to work very well together and also won a lot. Mark is a figure that you enjoy,” Steels told Sporza in reference to Cavendish previously riding with the team from 2013 to 2015.
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“I am really looking forward to working with him again, even though of course it is no longer the Cavendish of the past."
However, Steels added while Cavendish had had some "lesser years" he still may win races.
"On a sporting level, we will have to rebuild step by step. I think that in the first place we have to ensure that he can enjoy racing again.
"We want to give him the feeling
that he is physically back to normal. If he feels good on the bike, we can
watch the sprints again. I have no doubt that he still has the capacity to win
races. But fun on the road is the number one priority.
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"Cavendish remains Cavendish: that competitive character is still there and he will also find it with us. He can go along with the ambitions of the team. The fact that there is a fight in every game will please him. He will always participate there."
Steels continued: "We don't expect Mark to win 6 stages in the Tour. There are a lot of other races to get up to speed and then we have an extra sprinter, which gives us more opportunities.
“He also brings a lot of experience.
His specific view of sprinting can help guys like Bennett or Hodeg. When
Jakobsen comes back, he'll enjoy it too.
"Everyone is looking forward to
it. Mark is someone who has always been good to his colleagues. He can be
explosive after the race, but very sweet an hour later. Because of his
personality he will always contribute something."
The latest part of Cavendish’s career has been largely
wiped out by Epstein-Barr virus and he rode on a one-year contract with Bahrain
McLaren last year.
His last victory came 2½ years ago at Dubai Tour; a very
long winless period for a man who has been so prolific through his career.
As well as taking 30 Tour de France stages he has also
claimed 15 stages at the Giro d’Italia, won Milan Sanremo, taken three stages
at the Vuelta, 10 stages at the Tour of California and the GC at Dubai Tour and
twice at the Tour of Qatar, among many other victories.
He has also won the world road race championships and has been world champion on the track three times.
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