Cavendish to ride Revolution Series in Manchester

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Mark Cavendish will make his first track appearance of 2016 at the Revolution Series meet in Manchester on January 2, as he continues his push for the Olympic Games in Rio next summer. It will also be his first appearance as a Team Dimension Data rider. 

The British rider took part in the first event of the series in Derby back in August, in order to earn UCI points and keep his options open for riding track events through the winter and in the run-up to Rio. He earned enough points to qualify for the three UCI Track World Cup events, along with the World Championships in London next March, and now needs just 10 points, which equates to a very low finish, from one of those events in order to be officially eligible for Rio. 

Cavendish missed the first of the three World Cup meets - in Cali, Colombia in October - due to his shoulder surgery in September, while Great Britain took a youthful squad to the Cambridge, New Zealand meet last weekend. Cyclingnews revealed last month that Cavendish would ride the third and final event in Hong Kong, though it is not certain exactly which discipline he'll be lining up in. 

The Omnium appears to be his preference and he will be looking to stake a claim to the one Olympic spot available with a strong performance in Hong Kong, given the probable absence of Ed Clancy. Olympic bronze medalist, Clancy has been GB's preferred Omnium rider but has had to undergo surgery recently on a back injury, which may have opened the door somewhat for Cavendish. 

There is no Omnium on the agenda for the Revolution event in Manchester, but Cavendish could go for the points race or the scratch race. He is joined on the roster by the two most stellar names in GB's women's squad, in Laura Trott and Katie Archibald. Team Sky duo Elia Viviani and Peter Kennaugh are also riding, as are Team Wiggins riders Owain Doull and Andy Tennant, though the latter will be guesting for Team Pedalsure.