Mark Cavendish confirms spring racing schedule, including Milan-San Remo

Mark Cavendish has confirmed his early season racing schedule, including a return to Milan-San Remo.

The Brit has partnered up with his old mentor Rod Ellingworth at Bahrain-McLaren for 2020 as he strives to put the struggles of recent seasons behind him.

Cavendish, 34, will open his season at the new Tour of Saudi Arabia in early February to kick off a three-week racing block in the Middle East.

He will also ride Milan-San Remo this year, before heading on to the cobbled Classics.

Cavendish will be looking to return to the Tour de France this season, after he was dropped from the Tour squad by Dimension Data last year.

A spokesperson for Bahrain-McLaren said: “Our performance staff will decide about his next part of the season (also about the Tour de France) upon his performance and condition. The goal is to win some stages.”

“Mark is in this moment at the training camp in Altea in Spain. He is training hard and he is very much motivated to perform well in the coming season.”

After the Tour of Saudi Arabia, Cavendish will race in the Tour of Oman and the UAE Tour – all strong proving grounds for the sprinters – before heading back to Europe for Tirreno-Adriatico in March.

Milan-San Remo will be the biggest race of Cavendish’s early season schedule, as a Monument designed for the sprinters and a race Cavendish won back in 2009.

According to Bahrain-McLaren he will then go on to the cobbled Classics.

In recent seasons, Cavendish has struggled to reach his best after struggling through illness and crashes, but he hopes to be reinvigorated by the move to Bahrain.

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Former Team Sky and British Cycling coach Rod Ellingworth has taken over as team principal at Bahrain-McLaren, which prompted Cavendish’s transfer from Dimension Data.

Ellingworth and Cavendish have a long history of success, starting at the British Cycling Academy and on to their World Championship victory in 2011.