Britain’s Mark Cavendish is the “exceptional sprinter” of all-time and can “definitely” ruin the record for Tour de France degree wins, says his Dimension Data team-mate, Bernie Eisel. Cavendish, 33, is four shy of Eddy Merckx’s all-time document of 34 Tour de France stage wins. However, he has struggled with Epstein Barr Virus and withdrew from the Paris-Nice in advance this month.

The document is what drives him and why he is still in the game,” stated Eisel. Speaking to the BBC’s BeSpoke Podcast, Eisel said: “If we appearance lower back, he has won possibly one hundred fifty races and 30 degrees inside the Tour, [he is] a world champion on the track, on the street, and quite a great deal received a level on each excursion obtainable and won one-day races. “He does not just do it anymore. However, he is chasing that file. Of route, that creates a variety of strain, but he’s managing it.

In August 2018, Cavendish announced he might take a duration of total relaxation from cycling as he regarded to conquer EBV – which causes glandular fever. He returned to action at the Vuelta a San Juan and the UAE Tour earlier this 12 months but pulled out of the Paris-Nice after days after which he missed Milan-San Remo. On Wednesday, his team informed Cyclingnews they “did not understand” while he could next race.

For me, if we talk about guys like [Cavendish], Chris Froome and the opposite guys who have received races and come returned every 12 months, repeat it each year, I have the most important admire for them,” said Austrian Eisel, who remaining April had surgery on a mind hemorrhage he sustained in an accident. “The guys who nevertheless preserve triumphing, this is splendid. There is only a handful every decade who can try this. “I think if we look lower back at Cav, he has been doing it for almost 15 years, in individual teams, one-of-a-kind line-ups. “I assume together with [Dimension Data team-mate] Mark Renshaw; they are the excellent lead-out man and nice sprinter together.”