"You throw him out the door and he comes in through the window" - Cyrille Guimard praises the spirit of Mark Cavendish

After multiple crashes and bits of bad luck, the 2023 Giro d'Italia looked like only being memorable for Mark Cavendish for his retirement announcement. On the final stage in Rome though, Cavendish rolled back the years, impressing Cyrille Guimard.

"Cavendish is a fighter," Guimard tells Cyclism'Actu in his post-Giro d'Italia column for the site. "You throw him out the door and he comes in through the window. After all, he's been climbing in through the window for 3 years now and he's still going strong."

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Cavendish had been written off by many, with his lack of success at the Giro being a key indication that the time was indeed right for the 'Manx Missile' to call it a day. His stunning stage win in front of the Colosseum however deserves plenty of plaudits according to Guimard.

"Today, he deserves respect, and when he feels he's going to win, there's nothing you can do. I think what he's doing is fantastic, and I take my hat off to him," he says. Attention now turns to the Tour de France for Cavendish as he has one last chance to break the legendary Eddy Merckx's historic stage win record.

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