Sir Bradley Wiggins says he hopes Mark Cavendish gets a “just reward” after returning to winning ways.
British sprinting star Cavendish made an emotional return to the top step of the podium at the Tour of Turkey last month, dominating the sprint stages after a three-year drought.
Wiggins, a former team-mate of Cavendish both on the road and the track, celebrated Cavendish’s along with much of the cycling world, saying “it’s where he should be.”
The retired Tour de France winner Wiggins, now a pundit for GCN, told Cycling Weekly: “What a contrast to [Cavendish] crying at the end Ghent-Wevelgem last year.
"It's where he should be, seeing that smile back on his face.
“Yes it's only the Tour of Turkey but Cav's a winner. And whatever the race, just seeing him throwing his arms onto the air is superb.
“I just hope he gets the just reward for the work he's put in because that's the result of a lot of hard work and sacrifice and challenges along the way.”
Cavendish has battled through a tough few years in the peloton, struggling with illness, injury, and the threat of early retirement at the end of 2020 as he struggled to find a new contract.
But after leaving Bahrain-McLaren after just one season to join his old team Deceuninck - Quick-Step, it didn’t take long for Cavendish to hit the top step, winning stage two in Turkey and following up with three more victories, coming away with 50 per cent of the stages.
Prior to that race, Cavendish hadn’t won since February 2018 when he won a stage of the Dubai Tour.
On why Cavendish may have struggled for victories in recent seasons, Wiggins said: “The first thing that goes as you get older is your speed really, there's a lot of young fast bike riders coming through the last few years, I don't think he's also been in the right team.
“I think he's back at somewhere where he feels comfortable and home at Quick-Step. He just looks a happier athlete and when you're happy, that tends to be reflected in your performances.”
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Wiggins is currently offering up his expertise for GCN during the Giro d’italia.
With GCN+ you can watch every km of the Giro live and ad free. For more details visit https://welcome.globalcyclingnetwork.com/giro.
Fans can enjoy the racing with expert analysis from the likes of Wiggins, Sean Kelly and Brian Smith.
