King Cav is facing Tour KO

MARK CAVENDISH won his second British National road race title – nine years after the first – but it may not be enough to earn him a Tour de France call-up this week.

The Manx missile (above) piled the pressure on QuickStep Alpha Vinyl to pick him for Le Tour, which starts on Friday, with his brilliant finish in Castle Douglas, Scotland.

But QuickStep are expected to hand their sprinter’s berth to Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen.

Cavendish said: “This win is pretty beautiful. My form is so much better than it was this time last year.

“I’ve trained as if I’m going on the Tour and my condition is as if I’m ready to go on the Tour.”