It was crowded and a hard positioning before the end of the third stage, 201 flat kilometers between Kaposvar and Balatonfüred on Lake Balaton.
General manager Mathieu van der Poel tried to find a gap but was trapped and had to slow down and roll in as the 17th cyclist.
- It was all right.
We have so many more chances in the stages ahead, says van der Poel who was impressed by Cavendish's performance.
- After seeing him in the Tour de France last year, we knew he could still win stages.
Has 53 stage wins in the three-week races
Instead, it was Cavendish who once again got the headlines.
He has a record number of 34 stage wins in the Tour de France, 16 in Girot and three in Vueltan (around Spain).
- Many claim that Cavendish is the best sprinter of all time, says Eurosport's expert Anders Adamson.
Tobias Ludvigsson took on the job as an assistant rider for his stable FDJ and managed to four km left.
He finished 55th - with the same time as Cavendish.
After the three initial stages in Hungary (for the first time), Girot has a rest day tomorrow before returning to Italy and the first tough stage on Tuesday with the finish line up at the volcano Etna in Sicily.