Robbie McEwen on Mark Cavendish: "I won't be shocked if he wins a stage"

Mark Cavendish has not shown much form ahead of the Giro d'Italia, but veterans within the peloton deposit hope in him. After Alberto Contador said it, Robbie McEwen agrees that the Manx Missile can't be excluded from the bunch sprints.

“Everyone's going keep an eye on Cavendish, of course. They're waiting for his first win of the season. He was quite good at the Scheldeprijs a few weeks ago, where he finished on the podium," McEwen told Eurosport. "I think he can ride it certainly. Whether he can win is the million dollar question. I don't know. But one thing I know for certain, is I wouldn't make a bet against him.”

The Astana Qazaqstan Team rider finished third in the sprinter's classic a month ago, a promising result, however one that did not have continuation. In the climbs he's been having lot of problems, but noticeably he's also largely been absent from the sprints he could fight for throughout the season, indicating difficulties in the final kilometers.

“I don't think he's been rope a dope, I think he's just been slowly building because I think with not having a team through the winter - that throws a massive spanner in the works," the Australiana argues. "You’re ducking and weaving, trying to get organised, it really does affect your training and mindset. I wasn't surprised that he wasn't able to come out swinging in the first couple of months, but then he showed some decent form in Scheldeprijs."

Here at the Giro, despite having a modest sprinter field, the lack of a leadout will prove to be an extra challenge for Cavendish to navigate in the fast finishes. In the opening two weeks, where he's expected to be in the race, he will however have several opportunities.

“Off the back of that, I would expect him to be at a decent level to be competitive on the flat stages. As I said before, it's not a stacked field of sprinters at the Giro so I won't be shocked if he wins a stage," McEwen concluded.