Mark Cavendish satisfied with Astana's work and comes close to Scheldeprijs win: "It's about more than a result"

Mark Cavendish has seen a last-minute opportunity to race at World Tour level with Astana Qazaqstan Team but it's been a move that so far hadn't brought much benefit. Today however at the Scheldeprijs, Cavendish came close to a win for the first time this season.

"Nice. It's a nice podium to share and we rode and sprinted as a team," Cavendish said in a post-race interview. "It's about more than a result, we especially want this team to function. And the teammates were very good. I'm happy. We knew everyone would be fresh and it would be a dangerous final. We wanted to be early in the front, because in this race you can take everything or lose everything. I already have a lot of miles in my legs, hey. I raced here with Gleb Syritsa. He was 6 years old when I won here for the first time in 2007."

Cavendish had already finished third on the opening day of the UAE Tour at the time performing in the crosswinds, but was far from taking the win as Tim Merlier and Caleb Ewan battled it out. In the previous and following weeks there wasn't much to show for as the Manxman struggled with positioning and hasn't contested a sprint since the UAE.

He's taken part in several races in the meantime, but today the pan-flat roads of the Scheldeprijs suited him. The Kazakh team were among the top team in the closing kilometers and Cavendish himself had a kick in the end, coming very close to the win - seemingly in the lead at one point - but crossing the line in a tight third place. It is however his best performance of the season, and he hopes to carry that form into the upcoming Giro d'Italia.