Cav not Edding to Le Tour

MARK CAVENDISH has been excluded from the Tour de France – leaving him stranded on 34 career stage wins, level with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.

The Manx Missile (above) was left out of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s squad for Le Tour, which begins in Copenhagen on Friday – denying him a shot at immortality and defending the Green Jersey he won last year.

Cavendish, 37, won his second British National Road race title on Sunday, but he has had to settle for being named as a first reserve on standby in Denmark.

He said: “You can see my condition, that I’m good enough to do the Tour.

“I know if I went, I’d win a stage. I feel so much better than last year.”