The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Cavendish has eye on Tokyo in bid for first Olympic gold
Mark Cavendish will have an eye on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo when he returns to the track this winter.
Cavendish will race alongside Olympic team pursuit champion Owain Doull at Phynova Six Day London next month as he switches attention away from the road in the coming weeks.
The move comes as the 34-year-old, who won omnium silver at the Rio Games three years ago, considers another tilt at winning a first Olympic gold.
“I think everybody would love to go to the Olympics,” Cavendish said.
“I love to represent my country, I’m proud to be British and I’m proud to represent the jersey of the flag I was born under.
“It’s always a massive honour for me. I’m incredibly patriotic and the pinnacle of that is at the Olympics. Who wouldn’t want to go? If I could go to throw the javelin I’d love to go.”
The Manxman has had preliminary discussions with British Cycling coaches about what he would need to do to make that a reality.
Any plans will be dependent on his next move on the road, with Cavendish’s contract with Team Dimension Data ending this winter.
Cavendish must also overcome what has been the toughest period of his road racing career.
A man who for so long made victory appear routine in winning 30 stages of the Tour de France is without a victory of any kind since February 2018 as he has battled the effects of the Epstein-Barr virus as well as a series of injuries.
SixDay, which takes place from October 22-27, will take Cavendish back to the Lee Valley VeloPark, scene of the last of his three career world titles on the track as he won the Madison alongside Sir Bradley Wiggins there in 2016.
“I enjoy it a lot more, that’s for sure,” Cavendish said of racing on the track versus the road.
“The pressure is never really off when you’re racing at home but I definitely enjoy racing on the track. It’s pure racing. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy road racing but the track, as a racer, is always exciting.”