Mark Cavendish will join the competitive Bahrain McLaren team for Sunday's race in Gent-Wevelgem, Belgium, as a support rider, but the former Milan-San Remo winner will be in a leadership role next week in Suheldepri He is likely to play a leading role in next week's Scheldepri. The Ghent-Wevelgem team includes Dylan Theuns, Ivan Cortina, and Sonny Colbrelli, and Italian Theuns has two top-10 finishes in recent weeks, including fourth in Brabantspijl.

"I'm in great shape and I'm aiming for good results with my team. I am competing with a strong team and we have a good chance to succeed. Colbrelli said in a statement released by the team, "It will be fundamental to stay in front at key points in the race." [The remaining members of the team are Marco Haller, Marcel Sieberg, and Fred Wright.

"Our lineup is a mix of sprinters and classic men. There are three riders who can make the difference: Sonny Colbrelli, Dylan Tuns, and Ivan Cortina. They will have protection at all times during the race. The course heads to the coast and back inland, but there is a risk of crosswinds or headwinds that could split the pack. The Kemmelberg is a key point in the race and the gravel zones will put extra stress on the riders. We expect the peloton to decrease, but we will send our riders there and let them fight it out with a select group in the finale."

Cavendish has struggled with his results this season and will likely be in a support role at Ghent-Wevelgem. However, the team has announced that it will ride for the former road world champion at Scheldeprij on Wednesday, October 14.

Cavendish has won the Belgian one-day race three times, with his last victory coming in 2011; due to COVID-19 restrictions, the race will be 10 laps around the 17.4 km circuit around Schoten.

"I will be racing with Mark Cavendish, who has had great success there.

"Plus, it will be a sprinters' race," Hoffman said.