Giro d'Italia rider galleries: Mark Cavendish

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Twelve stage wins at the Italian three-week race and two already notched-up in the opening week of the 2013 edition suggests that Mark Cavendish will walk away from the Giro d'Italia with a greater tally than what he had when entering the first rest day after nine days of racing.

After taking his second win, two years to the day Wouter Weylandt tragically died at the Giro, Cavendish paid tribute to the fallen rider on the podium. He later suggested that he was not yet in top condition but that his track record of converting bunch sprint contests into wins couldn't be much better.

"There have been two bunch sprint wins and I've won both. It couldn't be going better," said Cavendish.

"I'm not in top form yet. If I was then I'd have got over that climb [on Stage 5]," he added when referring to the final ascent into Matera where the Omega Pharma - Quick-Step sprinter was dropped.

Having voiced his concerns over his team's apparent inability to consistently set him up for bunch sprints in the earlier part of the year Cavendish had only praise for his Giro squad after taking his most recent win on Stage 6. With limited chances for the fastmen to shine at this year's race it's expected that Cavendish will not be wasting any opportunity to taste more of that sweet podium champagne.