Cavendish back on the track in training for the Ghent Six
Mark Cavendish prepared for November’s Ghent Six-Day with Omega Pharma - Quick-Step teammate Iljo Keisse over the weekend in Belgium.
The British rider may have one eye on the Rio 2016 Olympics as he turns his attentions, at least in the short term, to the track. An Olympic gold is the stand-out missing feature in his otherwise incredible palmarès.
"I haven't ridden in six or seven years, but we'll give our best," Cavendish said. "I want to be in the best condition possible and do Iljo and the team proud.
“Track racing is different and something to get used to. It's different technique and you use muscles that you don't necessarily use on the road."
Cavendish and Belgium’s Keisse, a five-time Ghent Six-Day winner, trained at the bigger Eddy Merckx velodrome outside of town. They spent time riding behind the derny with Tom Steels to adapt their muscles to the track.
"I'm incredibly lucky. This year we've got a legend in the six-days world on the track with Iljo. He'll get to start in his home of Ghent," Cavendish continued.
"Ghent is also known as a British six-day, because so many fans come over. I've done it twice before, it's really the hardest one. But I'm in good company with Iljo. He's incredibly focused and he keeps me focused. To me I never like to go into the race without trying to win. Iljo has won here so many times and for sure we want to do well."
The Ghent Six-Day takes place next month, November 18 to 23, on a 167-metre track in the city's centre. Bradley Wiggins won with Matthew Gilmore in 2003. He partnered with Cavendish in 2007 and placed 10th.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Cavendish and Wiggins also won the 2008 Worlds gold medal in the Madison. They went to the Beijing Olympics that year and placed ninth.
After switching to the road, Cavendish has had little time for track racing. He won 25 stages and green points jersey at the Tour de France, the road Worlds and Milan-San Remo.
Last year, team Omega Pharma General Manager Patrick Lefevere prevented Cavendish from racing the Ghent Six-Day. "We pay him to perform on the road, and he must fully concentrate on that," Lefevere told Belgium's Sporza TV at the time.
The race fits into Cavendish's off-season schedule this year after a crash in the Tour de France on day one, where he separated his right shoulder, prevented him from racing much.
"I like to ride the Gent Six-Days," Cavendish said. "Last year, I had a long season, but this year my season ended pretty early. So, it made sense to start with the six-days and give me short-term focus in anticipation of next year."
Mark Cavendish: Tour de France crash 'could have been worse'
British sprint star Mark Cavendish philosophical over Tour de France exit as a result of crash
Mark Cavendish to race at the Ghent Six
Manxman returns to iconic track event for the first time since 2007.
GB team pursuiters take gold on day two of European Track Championships
Both men's and women's squads are victorious in Guadeloupe for the fourth time in the last five Championships.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
'I used to be a bricklayer - I took a pay cut to become a cyclist': Brian Holm on his time in the peloton
The former Danish pro and well known sports director tells Cycling Weekly about his early days in cycling, including when he proved his school teachers wrong
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Arnaud De Lie diagnosed with Lyme disease after pulling out of Spring Classics
Antibodies for disease found in Belgian rider’s blood
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It was surreal' - Mark Cavendish turns up at local Isle of Man race, finishes 29th
The Manxman, a big supporter of his home scene, pinned on race numbers last weekend
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Mark Cavendish has a run-in with police dogs
The Brit was sniffed out at the UAE Tour, and reacted as all of us would
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Mark Cavendish takes mid-race selfie with fan
It was photo time at the Tour Colombia in another wild week on social media
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mark Cavendish robbery: Police say ‘net is closing in’ on final suspect linked to violent raid
Essex police say time is running out for George Goddard who is wanted in connection with the attack on the Cavendish family home
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish robbery: third man found guilty of robbing family at knife-point
27-year-old Jo Jobson due to be sentenced on Wednesday for his part in armed robbery of Cavendish and his wife, Peta, at their home in Essex in November 2021
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tweets of the week: Lotte Kopecky gets merry, Mark Cavendish’s ideal Tour de France route, and a special pizza cutter
It's time for our weekly round-up of the best social media posts
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Further suspect arrested and charged over knife-point robbery of Mark Cavendish and family
26-year-old Jo Jobson charged with two counts of robbery for his part in break in at Cavendish’s home
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Mark Cavendish
From working in a bank to breaking records on the Champs-Élysées
By Tom Thewlis Published