Cavendish omitted from Tour de France squad

Mark Cavendish will not race at the Tour de France for a second consecutive year after being left out of Bahrain-McLaren’s eightman squad.

Cavendish, 35, is second all-time on the list of Tour stage winners with 30 victories, the last of which came in 2016.

Last year, Cavendish – pictured – was controversially left out of Team Dimension Data’s squad after fighting his way back from the effects of the Epstein-Barr virus, leading to a breakdown in his relationship with the team.

Cavendish left to join his former coach Rod Ellingworth at Bahrain-McLaren in the winter with the hopes of reigniting his career, but instead the truncated season has left him with few opportunities to race.

Now Cavendish has once again been left out of the Tour, with Bahrain-McLaren instead selecting a team designed to support the yellow jersey ambitions of Spaniard Mikel Landa.

Team Principal Ellingworth said: “The Tour de France is the biggest moment of the year in cycling and I’m proud to say the entire team has done a great job getting us Tour ready; we are where we need to be, and I’m optimistic about what we can achieve.

“This year’s parcours is very well suited to Mikel, and his form is strong.”

The Tour, rescheduled due to the pandemic, begins next Saturday in Nice.

Meanwhile Team Ineos have announced the signing of Adam Yates from next season, bolstering their British contingent in a week when Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas were left out of the squad for the Tour .

The 28-year-old will join on a two-year deal from Mitchelton-Scott, the Australianregistered team where he has raced alongside his twin brother Simon since the pair turned professional in 2014.

“The prospect of riding for a British team is one that I am extremely excited about,” Yates said.

“I’ve witnessed the rise of cycling in the UK during my career and I think this has been spurred on by the success of British riders and this team.”

Picture: Shutterstock.