Cavendish confirmed for Tour de Yorkshire following injury lay off

Cavendish broke his ribs in when he crashed during stage one of the Tirreno-Adriatico before somersaulting over his handlebars after hitting a traffic bollard at the Milan-San Remo one-day classic, hurting his ankle.

The injuries forced his withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games, where he would have represented the Isle of Man in the men's road race on the Gold Coast.

"I'm delighted to be back racing sooner than I initially thought," said the 32-year-old.

"It's the first time that I've raced the Tour de Yorkshire and I'm extremely excited - my mother's from Harrogate.

"Obviously the last time I raced things didn't go that great in the 2014 Tour de France," he added, recalling a nasty crash in the first stage of the Grand Depart hosted by Yorkshire, where he dislocated his collarbone.

"But one thing I do remember is the incredible crowds and I know that the Tour de Yorkshire always provides.

"Results-wise; I'm not sure where my form will be actually only having had a couple of weeks back on the bike but I'll just be absorbing the atmosphere in one of the most beautiful places in the world."

The Tour de Yorkshire takes place from May 3-6, and is a legacy of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart hosted by Yorkshire where Cavendish sustained his collarbone injury.

Sir Gary Verity, the Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive who brought the Tour de France to England, spoke of his excitement to see the 30-time Tour de France stage winner in action.

"His crash in Italy looked really serious but he's such a tough, tenacious character and we're thrilled he's been able to make such a speedy recovery," he said.

"I'm sure Mark will have his eyes on at least two of the stages on this year's route and we can't wait to see him launch his trademark sprint.

"It's not every day you get to see a sportsman of his stature competing on home roads, and we're certain he'll receive a hero's welcome."

Other big names at the Tour include Serge Pauwels, Cavendish's Team Dimension Data teammate who will be looking to defend his title.

Stage one goes from Beverley to Doncaster, before stage two travels from Barnsley to Ilkley.

Stage three is from Richmond to Scarborough, with the finale going from Halifax and finishing in Leeds.

Sportsbeat 2018