"Although we don’t have a train, I know I have the confidence of my team around me" - Mark Cavendish hopeful of winning at Giro d'Italia
Cycling
Mark Cavendish has been revealed as the headliner for the Astana Qazaqstan Team at the Giro d'Italia. The team has decided not to provide him with a leadout and instead focus on breakaways, however there is still confidence that he'll be able to perform.
"The Giro d’Italia is a race that I enjoy and has a special place in my heart. The nature of the course makes it unpredictable for how many sprint opportunities there are, but I’m looking forward to trying to add to my 16 stage wins," Cavendish said in a press release issued by the team answering several questions.
The Manxman rode well in the crosswinds on the opening day of the UAE Tour, and then had a promising third spot at Schedleprijs. Otherwise he was absent from all sprints he could target this year, as the team tried out several riders in support of him. The decision was made that none of those riders would ride the Giro, and instead the team is packed with puncheurs and not a single rider who is used to being in the front on the sprint stages.
"Like a high percentage of the peloton and the world in general, staying healthy continues to be something we have to pay particular attention to. I’ve had a couple of sickness bugs this year, but fortunately nothing too severe," he continues. "Missing days of training or racing is never ideal, but I’ll always try to make the most of where I’m at."
This will be Cavendish's first Grand Tour with Astana. He's not expected to make it all the way into Rome but in the opening two weeks there will be a few opportunities for the pure sprinters, where he can find an opening to capture what would be his 17th win.
"I’m looking forward to my first Grand Tour with Astana Qazaqstan Team. Of course, we don’t have a sprint focused team like many others. But we have a very strong team for hunting for stage wins across the 21 days. And, of course, a good mix of talent and experience to make the most and have fun racing."
Asked about his lack of a leadout in the race, Cavendish responded: "Having a team not focused solely on the sprints relieves the pressure from my shoulders slightly, though of course I’m hungry to try and win. Although we don’t have a train, I know I have the confidence of my team around me in the flat days and I’ll do all I can to support my teammates in the other stages."
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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🇮🇹 QUOTES: @giroditalia @MarkCavendish answers the questions before start of the race: 📰👉bit.ly/44wxMm7 #Giro #AstanaQazaqstanTeam
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