Even though almost three months have passed since a terrible crash prevented Mark Cavendish from claiming what was meant to be his dreamy stage victory in the Tour de France opening day, the Manxman reportedly still suffers from its consequences. Being forced to watch le Grande Boucle in TV for the first time in seven eight years, the 29-year old sprinter insisted that the experience made him more eager than ever to continue his professional career as long as possible.

Cavendish was diagnosed with sa dislocated AC-joint following his stage 1 crash during the spring into Harrogate. Even though almost three months have passed and the Omega Pharma – Quick Step has returned to competition at the Tour de l’Ain and Tour of Britain, he insists that it would take much longer time before he fully recovers.

“My shoulder’s not going to be all right for a few months yet,” he said in an interview with the Telegraph newspaper. “It still gives me a bit of gyp. I can’t lift too big a weight, which is going to be a bit of a problem this winter, but not too much.”

“What you have to remember it’s not like a computer game where if you crash out you start again next time. I had a grade four shoulder separation just a couple of months ago,” he explained.

On a positive note, Cavendish revealed that an experience of watching the Tour in TV for the first time since many seasons made him more motivated than ever to continue his professional career as long as possible.

“I really missed the Tour. I’ve done it every year since I turned pro in 2007. I don’t want to miss it again. If anything, this year has given me the inspiration to keep going as long as possible. You could say this year has pushed my career on a few more years.”

The 29-year old sprinter also explained that he has matured not only as a cyclist, but also as a person.

“I didn’t watch my crash for a while, I didn’t want to see it. In the past it would have been the end of my world. But my daughter, Delilah, she’s 2½, she put me right. She had this little nurse’s outfit, had the stethoscope out, wearing it the wrong way round over her head, and was going ‘daddy better’. I guarantee I recovered two weeks quicker because of that.”