Mark Cavendish’s fine early-season form has been put into perspective by his team manager at the Etixx-Quick-Step squad, Patrick Lefevere, who has said the sprinter will be judged on his performances in major events such as Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem.

Cavendish already has five victories, including the one-day Clásica de Almería, but, with his contract up for renewal later this year, Lefevere appeared keen to play down these early wins.

“He’s been winning a lot this year but things really start with Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem,” Lefevere told the website cyclingnews.com. “After that we’ll maybe start speaking but we can’t hide the fact that the Tour de France is also really important.”

Cavendish moved from Team Sky to Quick-Step on a three-year contract at the end of 2012 and has said he is keen to remain with the Belgian squad, who this year hired the lead-out specialist Mark Renshaw to support him along with other members of his train.

Lefevere added that how Cavendish matches up to the German Marcel Kittel, who has won eight stages in the past two Tours de France to Cavendish’s two, may also have an impact on negotiations.

“If Mark is beaten five times by Kittel then we’ll have another discussion,” Lefevere said. Cavendish won 25 Tour stages between 2008 and 2013 but crashed out on stage one last year. “He’s a really popular rider, he’s a star, but if you don’t win then your star starts to fade. We’re professionals, I’m a professional, he’s a professional and we have to sit down as grown-ups and speak. But it’s too early to speak about this.”

To add to the pressure, Quick-Step are looking closely at the Colombian Fernando Gaviria, who beat Cavendish twice in bunch sprints at Argentina’s Tour de San Luis in January. The 20-year-old, who was riding the omnium at the track world championships in Paris on Friday and Saturday, is to visit the squad’s academy in Belgium for tests next week.