Cavendish's pre-season has been hampered by problems with his teeth and told cyclingnews.com: "I haven't got any more problems now. I'm just behind on my training and feel like I usually do at the end of January or early February training-wise. I can't expect too much after the problems I've had with my teeth but I've got to take it how it is.
"My form's not the same as last year but I don't think I'm too bad. I'm a lot behind but I still studied the Sanremo route on Sunday and Monday, riding the last 100km of the race. I can't say I can win it but I'll still give it a go this year.
"I was in super, super form last year and perhaps paid the consequences at the end of the year, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. Of course to start Milan-Sanremo, my favourite one-day race, with number one on my back, and not with the idea that I can win like last year, that's not nice.
"But there are going to be many more years when I can go for it and I've got other big objectives this year. I've got the green jersey to aim for and to win at the Tour and then the world championships to aim for. So it's going to be a long season."
ISD Neri rider Grabovskyy built up a lead of four and a half minutes but was pulled back by the peleton with less than 15km to go of the 148km stage from Liverno to the fishing port of Rosignano Solvay.
The peleton was all together for the final lap which saw some steep climbs on narrow roads. All the sprinters including Tom Boonen struggled and left it too late to catch the four men at the front which included Milram's Linus Gerdemann who won the race ahead of Garcia and Breschel.
__________________________________________________________
The third stage of the Paris-Nice Classic was won by Peter Sagem with Ireland's Nicholas Roche (pictured below) in third. Jens Voigt leads the General Classification with David Millar fourth. 
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM