If Mark Cavendish is in top form today at the UCI World Championships road race, “he will win by 20 meters,” according to his HTC-Highroad directeur sportif Brian Holm. The main rival will be former teammate Andre Greipel of Germany.
Examining the British sprint leadout, Holm said, “With Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins and David Millar for Cavendish, it doesn't look bad.”
If he had to bet on someone other than Cavendish, “it would probably be Greipel,” he said. “The Germans are so strong with Danilo Hondo to lead the way for them. The Germans have a very good team with leadout for Greipel.
Holm noted, however, that the course makes the race unpredictable, as was shown when it was included in last year's Tour of Denmark. Hayden Roulston of HTC-Columbia won that stage.
“That is a very good example that it is not always as you expect. What he did was almost impossible. But it's harder than people think.”