Mark Cavendish has had a very successful first year with Omega Pharma-Quick Step and the Brit has repeatedly claimed to feel better than ever before in his new team. In his book At Speed, he does, however, hit out at sports director Wilfried Peeters whom he accuses of lacking confidence in his star sprinter.

Mark Cavendish had a difficult year at Team Sky where he was mostly left to fend for himself in the bunch sprints as his team was more focused on GC success than bunch sprints. In a recently published excerpt from his newly released book At Speed, he revealed how he had a strained relationship with Sky sports director Sean Yates at the 2012 Tour de France.

Cavendish decided to leave the team to ride for Omega Pharma-Quick Step in 2013 and that proved to be a wise decision. While he failed to win as many stages in the Tour de France as usual - mostly because of the emergence of Marcel Kittel - he still won 18 races and received what appeared to be complete backing from his teammates.

However, all was not harmony in the past season. In the book, Cavendish complains about a lack of confidence from sports director Wilfried Peeters. According to the British sprinter, the Belgian was reluctant to work for sprint finishes in races where he had Cavendish at his disposal.

In excerpts published by Het Nieuwsblad, Cavendish describes an episode from this year's Milan-Sanremo. With the climb of Le Manie having been taken out of the shortened race due to bad weather, Cavendish had a great chance to repeat his 2009 win in the Italian classic. He was still well-placed in the main group when his teammate Sylvain Chavanel attacked and joined a strong escape.

Cavendish explains how Peeters encouraged Chavanel to work harder in the breakaway despite Cavendish being ready to sprint in the main group. The Frenchman's group stayed away to the finish after being joined by a few more riders but could only manage 4th in the sprint. Cavendish saw it as a sign that Peeters lacked confidence in his abilities.

Cavendish complains that things didn't get better in the remainder of the spring. Time after time he had the feeling that the team would rather have a breakaway staying away to the finish than a bunch sprint. He complained to manager Patrick Lefevre and his trusted sports director Brian Holm and both told him that things would become better after the spring classics.

In general, Cavendish complains about the cycling culture in Belgium. According to the Manxman, the Belgian riders find it hard to look beyond the classics period, and he claims that the Belgian riders have difficulties committing 100% to a bunch sprint.

Contacted by Het Nieuwsblad, Peeters refused that he lacked confidence in his star sprinter.

"I don't think there is a lack of confidence," he said. "We often sprint with Mark, also in the spring. Mark works primarily with Brian Holm."

In 2014, Cavendish will once again focus on the Tour de France and has decided to skip the Giro d'Italia. With an additional climb in the finale, Milan-Sanremo will not be an objective for the Manxman.