2009 Milano-Sanremo winner Mark Cavendish says that Dimension Data will back Edvald Boasson Hagen in the season’s opening Monument as the Manxman isn’t quite sure of his form following the world track championships.

“With Edvald we have a strong contender. The team hasn’t been selected yet, but from the options we got, we will have a very strong team. This team won the race a few years ago. I know if we can try to win it this year, it won't be through any form of luck, it will be because we have a strong team,” Cavendish told reporters, including Cyclingnews, after the last stage of Tirreno-Adriatico.

“I don't know my form, I've come off the track. Tirreno-Adriatico is the first race back for me, but we have a strong team,” he said.

Cavendish has only finished in the front group at the race once since he won, in 2014. He says the race is really unpredictable and a large slice of luck is required to win.

“There's something different that happens every year. You never know the how the outcome will be. You have to go in and work with what you’ve got, and hopefully you have some luck on your side,” he said.

“You can really never tell with Milan-San Remo, that's the whole beauty of it. It doesn't matter which teams and riders are there, you never know until the last kilometre what the outcome will be, whether it's going to be a break or a bigger group for a sprint. The nature of San Remo, you are always keep guessing until the last kilometre.”