Mark Cavendish is looking for a contract for next season. But the British rider is also focusing on the next Olympic Games. In an interview with Cyclingnews, he explains that he would like to do the Tour de France in 2016, but that he alse wants to win an Olympic medal. 

National coach Shayne Sutton told Cyclingnews that Cavendish can do both and that he would "love to see" the rider try and force his way into the team pursuit. "Cav and I have had a discussion with the coaches and we would love it if he put his hand up and wanted to fight for a team pursuit spot. "He’s very special. He can go so fast and he’s won everything across the board. His palmares is one of the best out there and I honestly believe that if he was to apply himself he would be a definitive candidate but that’s a decision that Mark has to make himself. We don’t want to push people into corners."

Until now, Cavendish has mostly talked about doing the omnium but he faces stiff competition from Ed Clancy. According to Sutton, Cavendish is a strong candidate for a selection in the pursuit team. "Ed is in the driving seat, he’s very special and Mark knows that he has his work cut out there. They’ve already had a few head to heads and there’s not a lot in it and that’s good but they know that if they go to Rio they’ll be going there on evidence," Sutton explained. "We’ll take the best bike riders. Some of the times Mark has been running in training have been so fast and I’ve said it for the last three years that if there are two guy who can come back to the track and do this job, it’s Wiggins and Cavendish."