Cavendish boosts Tour hopes as Cummings seals national double

Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France participation is looking more likely after a dramatic national road race on his native Isle of Man yesterday, won by Steve Cummings.

Cavendish’s Dimension Data team-mate Cummings added the road-race title to the time-trial crown he won last Thursday, capping a spectacular return from a fractured collarbone, sternum and scapula sustained in a crash during April’s Tour of the Basque country.

The 36-year-old managed to overhaul a four-man breakaway group of Ian Bibby (JLT Condor), Ben Swift (UAE Team Emirates), Chris Lawless (Axeon Hagens Berman CT) and Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky), launching a solo attack as the race entered its final stages.

Cavendish was officially blackflagged with 14kilometres remaining, as the race commissaires were worried about riders getting lapped. But it was a solid effort from the 32-year-old, who is making his return after glandular fever. If he goes to the Tour, Cavendish will be seeking to edge closer to Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 stage wins. He is currently on 30. A decision is expected in the next couple of days.

One man who will be going is Cummings, who became the first man to achieve the road race and time-trial double since David Millar in 2007. The Wirral-born rider described yesterday’s race as “the worst of his life” but added: “It’s nice to be back doing what I do.”

Earlier, Lizzie Deignan overhauled the long-time leader, Elinor Barker, to secure her fourth National Road Race title. The Boelsdolmans rider caught Barker (Matrix Pro Cycling) with less than 2km left of the 103.7km course.