<p>Mark Cavendish believes his HTC-Highroad team has three chances to win this week at the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race. The first chance comes tomorrow in Marina di Carrara, Italy: the opening stage, a team time trial.</p><p>
</p><p>
Two years ago, the team won the team time trial at the Giro d'Italia and put Cavendish in the leader's pink jersey. Cavendish remembers well.</p><p>
</p><p>
"We have a strong team, a lot of the riders that were riding then. We are up for it, it's a perfect distance for our team," he said.</p><p>
</p><p>
The stage is 16.8 kilometres and dead-flat, starting and ending in Marina di Carrara on Italy's west coast.</p><p>
</p><p>
"We tried our new [Specialized] bikes, the bikes are really good, and we have a really good ambiance in the team, which is important for a team time trial. The course is good, we looked at it today. We will try it at effort tomorrow morning when the roads are closed and then we wil judge how well we can do."</p><p>
</p><p>
Cavendish held the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia in 2009 for two days. He wants to do something similar tomorrow, having a chance to wear the leader's jersey for the following two sprint stages, on Thursday and Friday.</p><p>
</p><p>
"My team is strong in the team time trial. Rival teams? No idea. We will concentrate on our performance, that is the most we can do," added Cavendish.</p><p>
</p><p>
"This year, the Tirreno-Adriatico is great, there are two or three stages available for our team."</p><p>
</p><p>
After Friday's stage, Cavendish will further hone his form in the following four days. The race ends on Tuesday, four days ahead of Milano-Sanremo. He won the one-day classic two years ago in his debut appearance and feels Tirreno-Adriatico is the right preparation race.</p><p>
</p><p>
"After Friday, there are two stages of 240 kilometres, it's perfect, there are a lot of climbs. It's perfect to get resilience and that top-end form for Sanremo.</p><p>
</p><p>
"Tirreno has been my preparation for the last two yeas, it's perfect.</p><p>
</p><p>
"The past [Sanremo] winners are proof, the last one not to race Tirreno beforehand was Laurent Jalabert, I think. [It was Andrei Tchmil who in 1999 - ed.]. I'm not the only one who finds it the best preparation."</p>
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</p><p>
Two years ago, the team won the team time trial at the Giro d'Italia and put Cavendish in the leader's pink jersey. Cavendish remembers well.</p><p>
</p><p>
"We have a strong team, a lot of the riders that were riding then. We are up for it, it's a perfect distance for our team," he said.</p><p>
</p><p>
The stage is 16.8 kilometres and dead-flat, starting and ending in Marina di Carrara on Italy's west coast.</p><p>
</p><p>
"We tried our new [Specialized] bikes, the bikes are really good, and we have a really good ambiance in the team, which is important for a team time trial. The course is good, we looked at it today. We will try it at effort tomorrow morning when the roads are closed and then we wil judge how well we can do."</p><p>
</p><p>
Cavendish held the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia in 2009 for two days. He wants to do something similar tomorrow, having a chance to wear the leader's jersey for the following two sprint stages, on Thursday and Friday.</p><p>
</p><p>
"My team is strong in the team time trial. Rival teams? No idea. We will concentrate on our performance, that is the most we can do," added Cavendish.</p><p>
</p><p>
"This year, the Tirreno-Adriatico is great, there are two or three stages available for our team."</p><p>
</p><p>
After Friday's stage, Cavendish will further hone his form in the following four days. The race ends on Tuesday, four days ahead of Milano-Sanremo. He won the one-day classic two years ago in his debut appearance and feels Tirreno-Adriatico is the right preparation race.</p><p>
</p><p>
"After Friday, there are two stages of 240 kilometres, it's perfect, there are a lot of climbs. It's perfect to get resilience and that top-end form for Sanremo.</p><p>
</p><p>
"Tirreno has been my preparation for the last two yeas, it's perfect.</p><p>
</p><p>
"The past [Sanremo] winners are proof, the last one not to race Tirreno beforehand was Laurent Jalabert, I think. [It was Andrei Tchmil who in 1999 - ed.]. I'm not the only one who finds it the best preparation."</p>
More...