The 2016 season will be a busy one for ambitious Mark Cavendish as he is set to tackle the Tour de France, the Olympics and the World Championships, and some of his competitors, e.g. Bradley Wiggins and Elia Viviani, have aired their concerns that the Manxman might be aiming to do too much in taking on all three races with the objective of achieving glory in all of them.

No doubt Cavendish’s problems are enhanced by the different nature of the various disciplines, but Dimension Data team manager Doug

Ryder has confidence in the sprinter’s ability to manage the challenges awaiting him. “It’s always difficult, especially with the disciplines and some of the focuses that he has. It’s not only endurance he requires but incredible speed, and it takes a special individual to do that,” Ryder told Cyclingnews.com.

“He has to look at the dates and the timing and what he needs to do but doing what he’s trying to do is not easy for sure. Looking at him and how positive his outlook is, that’s half of the battle won. If you believe that you can do something and it is possible, then it is possible. He’s got such a strong mind, and he’s so willing to give it a go that it is half the battle won.”

So far Cavendish has already been alternating between the track and road. He is scheduled to ride the Track World Championships at the start of March, although he is still to officially make the call on whether or not he will be present. Ryder didn’t elaborate on whether his new sprinting ace will be in London but he’s convinced that Cavendish will iron out any obstacles.

“I think he’s experienced enough to know what he needs to do and what his body wants,” said Ryder. “British Cycling is full of incredibly smart people who have done this before. I know Heiko [Salzwedel] well and Shane [Sutton – British Cycling’s head coach], and I know that they will be advising him in the right way because it is important for them. They look at his data and his numbers and will know what he needs to do. Those guys have said it is complicated, and it is for sure, but if Cavendish really wants to give it a go then I wouldn’t want to stand in his way. He is pretty determined, incredibly determined and that’s what we love about him. I haven’t met many guys like him.”

On the road Cavendish’s form has been on the rise over the past weeks at the Dubai Tour and Tour of Qatar. He finished second behind Marcel Kittel in Dubai but walked away with a stage win and the overall victory in Qatar, although his success in Qatar came courtesy of the misfortune of his teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen.