After missing out at the Games in Beijing in 2008 and in London four years later, the Dimension Data rider has one realistic chance of adding an Olympic medal to his palmares before hanging up his bike. Having combined road and track training for the past months, Cavendish is looking to translate his excellent Tour form into success at the tracks in Rio.

“On a mental point of view I’m on a bit of a high from the Tour. Not away in the clouds high and it’s not like I’m going on a piss up for a week after the Tour de France but I know that the work I’ve put in is working. I know the work I have put in has been beneficial. What we have set out to do this year is played out. It gives you positive feelings for the next goals you have,” Cavendish told Cyclingnews.

Cavendish’s goals for the current season are ambitious, to say the least, as he looks to add an Olympic gold medal and then a world title on the road in Qatar to a successful Tour de France. This year’s Tour de France was arguably his best ever, with four stage victories and the first yellow jersey of his distinguished career. 

Departure explained

Cavendish also took time to look back on the Tour and explain his departure from that race.

“If I’m honest, during the Pyrenees I thought I might get to Montpellier. I was dead in the Pyrenees. That week, as I always do on a Grand Tour, I always step up in the second week. I have done my whole career. I just kept going and kept going. The last two days, on the Sunday and Monday I was tired. I knew I was making a detrimental effect. I stayed for the rest day and went for a ride. If I’d gone out and I was floating, I would’ve carried on but I came back and I was tired. I couldn’t push high power. Everyone’s the same. It’s when your body starts going catabolic that’s not beneficial for the track.”

Now it is important for Cavendish, who may also ride in the team pursuit besides the omnium, is transferring his road legs to the boards once more. He has made improvements after each previous transition and is well up on where he was during the World Championships back in February when he finished sixth in the Omnium event.

‘It’s not easy but I’ve been managing that all year. This is about making every single pedal rev count,” he said with determination. The thing is I do not know how deep I went in the Tour, how much I used up my… How much of my fast twitch fibres are used up, I cannot quickly get them active again on the track. I have only been on the track one day now. I’m getting straight on after here and see how it is.”