Every day sees Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) take small steps towards a complete recovery even though he doesn’t feel fully fit yet.

“Yesterday I felt slightly better than I did on Sunday,” Cavendish told Tuttobiciweb.it. “Unfortunately I had to take antibiotics last week to cure a bout of bronchitis and I didn’t complete the cure until Sunday. I’m improving even though I haven’t reached my peak condition yet. We’ll take it one day at a time. Today we face a stern task in which I hope to be able to assist the team. Then, starting tomorrow, we’ll set our sights on ... higher things.”