You are right. It is speculation whether Cavendish would have lost Morkov's wheel in that turn because Cavendish was not there. The only evidence we have is that Cavendish has never lost Morkov's wheel. I looked at the turn again and, correct me if I'm wrong, it appears that Sagan is the one who took over Morkov's wheel. If Fabio wanted it, he would have had to fight Sagan for it -- no easy or fun task, but a necessary task in the life of a successful sprinter.
I'm not the only one who feels this way about Cavendish, by the way. You might check the Never Strays Far podcast where David Millar talks about this turn. The discussion with Peter Kennaugh reading Morkov's quote starts around 9:15.
Show NEVER STRAYS FAR, Ep NEVER STRAYS CAR: STAGE THREE. - Jul 3, 2022
podcasts.apple.com
Millar says: "Mark Cavendish doesn't lose a lead out guy. That's what consistency is."