Mark Cavendish "is smarter than everyone in the peloton" - Dylan Groenewegen prepares battle with Manxman at UAE Tour

Dylan Groenewegen has shown his speed with an early win at the Saudi Tour, and as the Dutchman remains in the Middle East for the UAE Tour, he looks forward to a sprint battle with Mark Cavendish.

“I think Mark knows what to do. He is smarter than everyone in the peloton. He can even win with bad legs," Groenewegen said in an interview with Velonews. "He can go in the slipstream and ride off other sprinters’ trains. That is his big talent, and then he is quick on the end.”

The seven-day stage-race will provide many opportunities for the fast men, with as much as four stages being suited to the fast men. The likes of Caleb Ewan, Sam Bennett and Tim Merlier will also be present in the race, but it is the Manxman that Groenewegen plants his sights on.

“For me he is the best sprinter ever, there is nobody better than him. It would be hard to do the same that he does, a big chapeau to him," he continued. “When he’s motivated he’s hard to beat. Last year at the Giro, he did some really good sprints. If we do not win, let’s hope that Mark is the winner. He is a big winner in the sport, and he is the best sprinter."

“I never had a big idol, but if there is somebody who I have big respect for me, it’s Mark. His motivation and attitude, he is so angry when he doesn’t win, and happy when he does win. For me, he is the big sprinter in cycling," the 29-year old states. In 2023 the two will continue at World Tour level and commanding their leadouts.

"For him, it’s more important that he can do the race than if he has a really strong team around him. There is no best sprinter anymore. There are a lot of good sprinters right now. When you have a big sprint, there are five or six riders who are there. It’s all at the same level, and we can all beat each other. It’s the small details that help you win or make you lose," he concluded.