Cavendish on a diet for Olympics

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Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) on the podium in his rainbow band (Image credit: Sirotti)

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Mark Cavendish (Sky) remains points classification leader. (Image credit: Sirotti)

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World Champion Mark Cavendish secures his third stage of the Giro (Image credit: Sirotti)

The Olympic road race in London being a major goal for British sprinter Mark Cavendish, the Sky rider has started dieting early for the event. With a parcours not necessarily suited to the pure fast men, Cavendish has decided to lose weight by banning all sugars, according to Sporza.

Cavendish: I will finish the Tour de France

"I'm already four kilos lighter than my normal race weight," the world champion told the Belgian media. "I've stopped candy, soft drinks and ready meals. That's not easy: in the beginning I got tired very fast and I found it difficult. It was hard to adapt to it."

But the prospect of Box Hill, a short but sharp climb featured in the Olympic race course, made the Manxman continue his new diet. "The route is not bad, but it's not tailor-made to me either. That's why I'm dieting now. I'm adapting my life to it."

Losing some of his body fat will also help Cavendish in his quest to defend his green jersey at the Tour de France.