The duel between Olympic champion Mark Cavendish and Elia Viviani is a race within the race at the Ghent Six. In Rio, the Italian turned out to be the strongest and he is now proudly wearing golden shoes and a golden helmet. "I am blind," laughs Cavendish.

After three days, Cavendish is in third place with his partiner Bradley Wiggins. "I feel good, but when you come off the road, you cannot go as deep as the track rider. They certainly have an advantage in the first few days,” he tells Sporza.

"The first few days here have been very hard for me, but I'm not tired. The track riders who are now riding fast, quickly weaken somewhat. I will stay at the same level. I very much want to win here, but it is not easy. It is a tough week and you really have to fight every day to stay at the top.

"I really like it here. Unlike at the Tour of Flanders where the audience sees the riders for a brief moment, they can enjoy it all night. It's nice to see the people. It's been a long season and yet everyone is here. "

Is it, like in Rio, a fight against Elia Viviani? "I think so. He already looks good. I'm blinded by all that gold."

Viviani is proud of his gold medal and riders with a golden helmet, gold glasses and gold shoes in Ghent "That's the Italian style," he laughs in an interview with Sporza. "I would also like to have the same shape as in Rio, but unfortunately this is not so. My condition is good, but the first few days have been tough.

"After the Worlds I really just needed a break. I was so tired that I was on vacation. Now I have trained again for a week. So I'm not at my best, but hopefully I'm getting better and better. We need to attack in the last two days.

"I have to adjust to the track. Moreno De Pauw knows the track well so therefore he is faster here. A fight with Cavendish? He's strong. But I think Wiggins is the strongest. De Pauw and De Ketele are best team, but I can certainly not complain about Keisse.”