Mark Cavendish has identified five sprint stages in the 2013 Giro d’Italia and hopes to pull on the maglia rosa for a third time after the opening stage on the streets of Napoli.
“There are a good five stages that will be sprints and especially the first stage,” said Cavendish, speaking after the 2013 route was announced in Milan.
The sprinter, who has previously worn the pink leader’s jersey in 2009 and 2011, added: “It’s a circuit race in Napoli and it’d be really nice to pull on the maglia rosa again.”
Giro race director Michele Acquarone revealed a balanced route, with three time trials and seven summit finishes, in a bid to attract the biggest names in the peloton, including Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, while providing a captivating spectacle for the fans.
“What we’ve tried to do is to not have just one race, but to have 21 different races within one race, so every stage is different for our audience,” said Acquarone. “The race is for every fan of cycling all around the world.”
Watch the video below for more reaction from Cavendish, Acquarone, defending champion Ryder Hesjedal, Alberto Contador, Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali.
