Mark Cavendish says he feels "like a cyclist again" in his new life at Bahrain McLaren. The British sprinter made his debut with his new team at last week's Tour of Saudi Arabia and told Het Nieuwsblad that he is now immune to the criticism he has faced over the past few years.

According to the Belgian newspaper, he said, "All that crap in magazines and on Twitter, it doesn't hurt me."

The criticism stems from the fact that Cavendish, who won 30 stages of the Tour de France, has the Epstein-Barr virus and has not won a race in two years.

"If I am criticized today because I can't win anymore, it mainly shows that I have won a lot in the past," Cavendish said. 95 percent of cyclists never win a race."

The 34-year-old Cavendish did not get back to his winning ways in the Tour of Saudi Arabia, instead working under sprinter Phil Bauhaus, who won two stages and the overall.

"The feeling of winning again is great," Cavendish said, dismissing the notion that personal glory is all that matters.

"It's every cyclist's role to make sure the team wins. Usually this means sprinting, but it doesn't mean you don't know what to do or enjoy doing in another role. Work is work. By the way, I once rode the mountains to beat (Bradley) Wiggins in the Tour de France. It's not the first time."

In what could be interpreted as a subtle dig at Dimension Data, which he was a member of from 2016 to 2019, he added: "I'm not a fan of the way they do things. In recent years it was clearly different. With Bahrain McLaren, I am once again in a team that can dictate the course of a race. That gives me confidence."

Cavendish claims to be fully fit again. The Epstein-Barr virus will always be present in his system, but it is no longer "active" and does not interfere with his training or racing.

"It's hard to say if I feel the same as I did three years ago; three years is a long time. But I feel like a cyclist again."

"I can go deeper again, I can train better again. But that was the same last year. What I'm especially happy about is that there are still intelligent people in the sport who understand that I still have the ability to continue being a professional cyclist. Like Rod (Ellingworth, director of Bahrain McLaren). Many of my so called friends have abandoned me. He is different. I owe him a lot."

Cavendish was reluctant to say when and where victory would return, saying the "most important thing" was to "feel good" again.

Asked if he would be satisfied with any results this year, he replied: "No."

Asked if his ambition to surpass Eddy Merckx's record of 34 Tour de France stage wins was still alive, he replied: "Not yet. July is still far away. Right now I'm happy with where I am."