"It doesn't mean we're not going to win later on in the season" - Michael Mørkøv not bothered about losing sprint in Tour Colombia

When Michael Mørkøv joined up with Mark Cavendish in Astana Qazaqstan ahead of this season, he probably didn't have in mind sprinting in 2.500m altitude against largely continental field. Even more so the defeat in stage one did hurt a bit. However the experienced Dane is confident that his Manxman is in a very good shape and a big victory is not just a distant dream for the two.

"We didn't set it up like we hoped, we started a bit too early," Mørkøv told Cyclingnews after first stage. "Maybe it was a bit of nerves, the first race of the season. It was also a new configuration for the team. In the end, it was disappointing not to win the race because I really think we had the team and Mark had the sprint to win."

"We are here to prepare for the season, to be the best possible prepared for the Tour de France in the summer," Mørkøv said. "Of course, when you've been here for three weeks, you want to come home with a victory too, and that's what we hoped for yesterday. But if that doesn't happen, it doesn't mean we're not going to win later on in the season."

"My personal opinion is that he's racing because he loves to race, and chasing another victory in the Tour de France is just an excuse to keep racing," Mørkøv smiled. "That's actually what I really admire about Mark, he's one of the guys who loves competing. He absolutely loves it, whether it's a smaller race or the Tour de France."