It has long been rumoured that Mark Cavendish planned to skip this year's Giro d'Italia to stay fresh for his big objective, the Tour de France. His Omega Pharma-Quick Step team has now confirmed that he will indeed miss the Italian race as he heads to the Tour of California instead.

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has announced the program of Mark Cavendish for the coming weeks. As previously communicated, the British Champion will ride the Tour of Turkey at the end of April. He will then ride the AMGEN Tour of California and the Tour de Suisse prior to the Tour de France.

"As everybody knows, my big goal this year is the Tour de France," Cavendish said. "Especially as it starts in my native country. My program is shaped for that moment.

"This year I will skip the Giro d'Italia. I'm saddened as it's a race that has given me great satisfaction in the past. I have great memories and victories, even last year. But, with the Tour de France as my main objective this year, we had to make some choices.

"I'm sure passing through the Tour of Turkey, and a great, well organized race like Tour of California will get me in shape and ready for the Tour de Suisse, which will be my final tune-up for the Tour de France."

"With the sickness Mark had, we had to reshape his calendar a little bit," Sport and Development Manager Rolf Aldag said. "It's a shame because Mark showed how strong he was at Milano-Sanremo. He could have taken advantage of his condition during the period immediately after that race. But, it is what is is, and now we have rebuilt the best approach for Cavendish heading into the Tour.

"Cav is now training in Italy and will be back at Tour of Turkey with a good, strong team around him. With Tour of Turkey we will open the second part of his season, that culminates with the Tour de France.”