MARK Cavendish will reignite his bid to overcome biking legend Eddy Merckx's document 34 Tour de France stage wins after overcoming glandular fever.

The Manx Missile has missed three months of the season due to the debilitating bug, however he just lately returned to racing.

Sprinter Cavendish gained three levels eventually yr's Tour and has been battling to get again to health.

He entered the nationwide street race championships on Sunday however completed outdoors the time restrict.

The 32-yr-previous admitted he shouldn’t be going into the race at one hundred per cent however hopes to discover his legs in the course of the race.

He stated: "As has been extensively reported, it’s been a troublesome few months for me on the again of the sickness that set me again earlier on within the season.

"Regardless of this setback and my lack of race time I’ve labored extremely onerous each to guarantee I might firstly recuperate from the sickness as nicely as then aiming to construct my health up as a lot as attainable so as to begin the Tour.

"If I’m being completely trustworthy, had this not been the Tour de France we might have collectively taken a unique strategy with regards to my inclusion however I really feel that I owe it to myself, the staff, our sponsors and most significantly to the Tour itself given its historical past and the whole lot that it stands for – as properly as the emotional attachment I’ve for it – to give it my greatest and to put all the things I’ve in to making an attempt to assist the workforce.

"As well as, I additionally really feel an incredible sense of delight to be supporting Qhubeka and our Bicycles Change Lives marketing campaign, and am eager to increase as a lot consciousness as attainable for what’s such an unimaginable trigger on the Tour."

British champ Steve Cummings will even ride the Tour for Dimension Knowledge, whereas Chris Froome begins as favorite for Staff Sky.