"I don't know to what extent we are on schedule for the Tour de France" - Cees Bol hesitant over Cavendish's chances of record breaking stage win

Having made the move from Team DSM to Astana Qazaqstan Team over the off-season, Cees Bol has been used mainly as a leadout man for Mark Cavendish, a role he says he is enjoying despite the lack of wins claimed.

"It's all new, but that's refreshing. You have to get to know everyone again," Bol tells In de Leidestrui when asked how he is settling in to life at his new team. "Astana is also partly Italian and there is a real cycling culture there. The language is therefore different, although everyone does their very best to speak English as well. That communication goes well, especially with Mark."

As mentioned, Bol and Cavendish are yet to successfully achieve victory yet this season, although a third placed finish by the Manx Missile at Scheldeprijs does show signs of the progress being made. "Of course we would have preferred to have won more. We are confident, so there is no doubt whatsoever in that respect," Bol explains.

"If the personal form is a bit better, you will also find each other more easily. In the UAE Tour, for example, it went very well in the fan stage. Then we kind of went off course to course during the spring and both got sick. That makes it even more difficult," he continues. "I don't know to what extent we are on schedule for the Tour de France."