Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) has confirmed his participation in this year’s Giro d’Italia, where he will target stage wins and hopes to take the iconic maglia rosa in the race’s first week. The sprinter from the Isle of Man, who now lives in the Italian region of Tuscany, announced the news today at a special press conference of the race at Bar Italia, in London’s Soho district.
“I reside in Italy now,” said Cavendish, “I love the country, I love the races that they have like the Giro d’Italia and the passion they have for racing. I’ve had some great success in the Giro d’Italia before and other races in Italy, like Milan-Sanremo in 2009, and they’re still some of my fondest memories.
“So it’s always great to go back and race there and that starts [on Saturday] near my home at the Strade Bianche, then obviously Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-Sanremo and then the Giro, which – if anybody’s looked – it’s a beautiful Giro this year.”
The Manx sprinter has had a good deal of success in the Giro d’Italia, having taken five stages in his two appearances in the race; he took two in his first appearance in 2008, which helped establish him as a member of the sprinting elite, and followed up with three more in 2009.
“It starts with a team time trial again,” he explained, “we were able to win the team time trial in 2009 and get the maglia rosa, which was incredible; and I won three stages there. It was a totally successful Giro for me.
“It’s on my programme for this year and to go and get some results would be incredible again.”
With a very hilly course in this year’s race, opportunities for Cavendish will be few and far between and he will have to make the most of any opportunities that arise; unsurprisingly he has identified the days where he will have the best chance of victory.
“There’s four definite stages,” he said, “and then there’s maybe another one that could be a sprint. First of all – last time we were at the Giro in 2009, we won the team time trial in Lido di Venezia, and there were two sprint stages after that.
“They’re all pretty much in the first half; the first one is the first road day after the team time trial. There’s another one then, but ten we’re looking more down in Livorno; it’s got a climb in it but it should be a sprint and obviously in Tuscany. [There should be] a big battle between me and [Alessandro] Petacchi, the two Tuscan-residing sprinters, and that’ll be quite important for me.
“There’s two more: stage 8 and stage 12, and we’ll be looking for that; but we’ve got a strong team there and we’ll be looking for a lot more than just stage wins.”
Cavendish’s 2011 season has not gone to plan at all; serious crashes in both the Tour Down Under and the Tour of Qatar have seen him contest far fewer sprints to date, and his solitary win so far has come on stage 6 of the Tour of Oman. Ever self-confident though, the Manxman insists that he’s still on target for and attempt at his second Milano-Sanremo in just under three weeks time.
“It hasn’t knocked my confidence and my form is where I want it to be,” he confirmed.
Although he will ride the Giro, the biggest prizes in Cavendish’s season will come in July at the Tour de France and September at the World Championships, with the Copenhagen course being suitable for sprinters. To build up for Copenhagen, Cavendish will start the Vuelta a España to build his form for his bid for the rainbow jersey; meaning that he currently plans to start all three Grand Tours this year.
“It’s on my programme,” he said.
A beautiful, historical Giro, but tough for a sprinter
The press conference, which presented the Giro as “the toughest race in the World’s most beautiful place”, was attended by the race’s top men, including race director Angelo Zomegnan and RCS Sport managing director Michele Acquarone.
As well as the announcement of Cavendish’s participation, the occasion was used to introduce the race to the UK’s mainstream media.
“Every year we will touch some special cities,” explained Zomegnan, “some special places in Italy; first of all we will touch the towns of memoria. Italy is [approaching] its 150th anniversary, and when we will start from Torino; and when we will arrive in Milano; in three weeks; four weekends; 3500km, we will put all the world in touch with the Italian story.
“We will touch the cities of memoria: Torino, the first capital,” he added, “Quarto dei Mille, where Garibaldi started to go to the south, Livorno, we will have a special in Sicily on the Etna, our Mont Ventoux.
“I think it is better than Mont Ventoux,” he smiled, “you are [by] the sea. Then after that we have ten days in the mountains."
With a very tough final week, and with Cavendish’s main targets of the season coming at the Tour de France and the Copenhagen World Championships in October, the Manxman is unlikely to finish the Corsa Rosa; while there, though, he hopes to make his presence felt, as he did in 2007 and 2009.