Mark Cavendish backed for Tour de France before Rio 2016

By Andy Charles

Image: Mark Cavendish's most recent road win came in California in May

British Cycling head coach Iain Dyer is happy for Mark Cavendish to ride in the Tour de France before heading off to the Olympic Games.

Cavendish is keen to add to his 26 stage wins in France, with the race kicking off in Normandy on July 2, and should he make it through to the end of the race he would have less than three weeks to prepare for Rio.

The 'Manx Missile', who now rides for Dimension Data, wants to ride in the race and make it to the finish in Paris, and Dyer feels it will not be a hindrance to his preparation for a track return in the omnium event.

Mark Cavendish is one of the 26 cyclists who will be competing at the Rio Olympics for Team GB

Cavendish said: "I aim to go to Paris and I will see what happens.

"Don't get me wrong, last year the last few days were so crazy-hard and I was in bed for four days afterwards. I can't really afford that before the Olympics so we'll take every day as it comes. But I don't have a plan to stop the tour."

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Asked if Cavendish can do both, Dyer said: "Without question - if you look at Cav's form throughout the winter and the process he's gone through to be competitive in the omnium and gain selection.

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Image: Cavendish will ride the Tour de France before heading to the Olympics where he is part of GB's track team

"Cav basically thrives off being really fit and sharp and he is better off on the track as a function of that. The last month or two in training has been a really graphic illustration of that connection."

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