2011 World Champion Mark Cavendish has said he was feeling more confident about the 2016 Worlds than he was going into Copenhagen five years ago. Now though, after a recent illness, he admits his confidence has taken a knock.

"It has affected my top-end power. Four days in bed and five or six days off training is less than ideal. Before I was ill, I had more confidence than I did going into Copenhagen with my form, and the strength that we have as a team," he told a handful of press, including Cyclingnews, on Friday evening.

"It has knocked my confidence, being sick, but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that we could win. But I was pretty convinced that we had the best opportunity a few weeks ago. The form is ok, we've got to have a try, and I'm lucky that I've got the strongest team in the race."

Cavendish says he expects the wind to play a role, although he doesn’t think it will be full echelons and a really select group going to the line in Doha.

"I think [the wind] will play a factor. I don't think that it will create a small group going to the finish, but I think that it will create groups that will come back together. What group you're in may decide how fatigued you are in the final sprint."