Cavendish ready to get back in saddle

Mark Cavendish will make his return to racing after injury at the Tour de Yorkshire next month.

Cavendish has not raced since crashing in the final stages of MilanSan Remo last month when he broke a rib and sustained an ankle injury.

The 34-year-old Isle of Man rider subsequently missed the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia.

But Cavendish will race in Yorkshire from May 3-6 and step up his preparation for this year’s Tour de France, in which he will start within four of matching Eddy Merck’s record of 34 stage wins.

“I’m delighted to have recovered sufficiently from my injuries at Milan-San Remo to be back racing sooner than I initially thought and what better way to do that than at what could be described as a home race for me, the Tour de Yorkshire,” Cavendish told the Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka website.

“My mother’s from Harrogate and obviously the last time I raced things didn’t go that great (for me) in the 2014 Tour de France; but one thing I do remember is the incredible crowds and I know that the Tour de Yorkshire always provides.

“It’s the first time that I’ve raced the Tour de Yorkshire and I’m extremely excited.”

It has also been confirmed that Belgian rider Serge Pauwels will defend the title he won last year.