After just two wins in his last season at Giant-Alpecin, Marcel Kittel is ready to win again at Etixx-QuickStep. The talented German sprinter insists he is not Mark Cavendish’s replacement.

“I’ve been five years with my old team. It’s a long time but nobody said that it would be forever like this. I’m sad that it developed that way. It’s now a new challenge for me and I’m really happy with the way that things are going at the moment.”

After Cavendish left the Belgian team for Dimension Data in the offseason, Kittel arrived, but he insists he that is not a direct replacement for the Manxman.

“I think it’s not about comparing each other,” Kittel said. “It’s the same situation when a new sprinter comes up and he’s the new Kittel, Cavendish or Greipel. You’re just yourself and you go your own way and that’s the same way. I’m not a replacement for Cavendish. The team is also the team and has its own character. I want to make everything fit as much as possible.”