While Marcel Kittel has already kicked off his 2015 season in the most predictable way and apparently does not fear any pressure coming with lining-up at the the WorldTour race already in January, the Etixx-Quick Step duo of his archrival Mark Cavendish and world champion Michał Kwiatkowski prefer a slightly different approach. Attending to the Tour de San Luis pre-race press conference, both riders were praising a tranquility the Argentinian event provides them with, before the quick-witted sprinter surprised everyone with his sparkling logic...

There is no doubt that two calendar opening events held in the Southern Hemisphere – Tour Down Under and Tour de San Luis, provide both riders and spectators with entirely different emotions. While racing in Australia means facing a lot of pressure, high expectations and in-form local cyclists from the very beginning, quiet Argentinian 2.1 category event is an entirely different story.

Etixx-Quick Step captains for the Tour de San Luis praised an opportunity to enjoy an easy, pressure-free start to the new season very highly.

“First and foremost Argentina and San Luis is a beautiful place with beautiful people and we’re always really welcome here,” Cavendish said during the official pre-race press conference held in the Vista Hotel.

“On a professional note, it’s a lot more relaxed and [organiser] Giovanni [Lombardi] does an incredible job of keeping the pressure away from the big riders. The Tour Down Under is a WorldTour race and you have to be in big form in January, and it would be difficult to KEEP that going until July. So here it’s a little bit more relaxed.”

His younger team-mate and current world champion agreed with him.

“There’s hard racing at the Tour Down Under but it’s more relaxed here and you can approach the season much easier.”

The official pre-race press conference held in a very relaxed atmosphere had an absolutely unpredictable turn, though, as Cavendish shocked journalists with his sharp riposte while asked whether he is 100 percent certain if all professional riders are currently clean..

“Can you tell me 100 percent that one of these journalists isn’t f**king your wife?” Cavendish responded, quick-witted as always.

“Where there’s money to be gained, there’ll be the odd dickhead who cheats but cycling is miles ahead of other sports when it comes to testing,” he explained. “I hope everyone’s correct but with human nature, you can never be certain. But the positive that I can take is that if someone is cheating, he will be caught.”