Cavendish ‘excited’ for Tour de Yorkshire
MARK Cavendish will join Chris Froome on the start-line of the Tour de Yorkshire next week as he returns to the race for a second straight year.
The 33-year-old Manxman has been named in Team Dimension Data’s six-man squad for the four-day race, which starts in Doncaster on Thursday.
While Froome will focus on the general classification in Team Sky’s new guise of Team Ineos, Cavendish will hope to battle the likes of Katusha-Alpecin’s Marcel Kittel and Dan McLay - who will race for Great Britain - in the anticipated sprint Heath, G.Proctor (9) Crosland Heath. 10.20 P.O.Flynn (12) Outlane, M.Clark (18) Crosland Heath, E.Pearson (16) Crosland Heath. 10.30 D.Mitcheson (14) Bradley Hall, J.Clay (13) Crosland Heath, D.Delooze (19) Crosland Heath. 10.40 I.Wallis (8) Crosland Heath, R.Pearson (21) Bradley Park
HUDDERSFIELD’S Rochelle Morris finished on 15-over par after the opening two rounds of the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.
Playing in her first Ladies European Tour event for six years, Morris carded a first-round 83 followed by a 78.
Ahead of the event, Morris was keen to experience life back on the main tour.
She said: “I am embarking on my first main tour outing for six years. I played this exact same event – The Lalla Meryem Cup – at the age of 17 after winning the Faldo series European Final.
“I’m very excited to play again with a much better game and lots more experience under my belt. de France stage wins to his name, is without a victory in any race since last February after a long battle with the Epstein-Barr virus, but took encouragement from a third place on stage three of the Tour of Turkey last week.
With his focus firmly on proving his fitness for the Tour de France in July, where Cavendish is hoping to edge closer to Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 stage wins, he will be racing on some familiar roads.
Cavendish’s mother hails from Harrogate, which features on stage two from Barnsley to Bedale as riders tackle the circuit which will
“I will be teeing it up alongside the likes of Laura Davies which is obviously exciting.
“Dad will be on the bag in Morocco and we will play our own game and see where that takes us but I can’t wait to get out there.
“This event is also played alongside the Men’s European tour ; we share the same facilities etc which is great for bringing the games together.” form the finish of the world championships in September.
“I’m really excited to be heading back to the Tour de Yorkshire along with my Dimension Data for Qhubeka team-mates to race in one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Cavendish said.
“I really enjoyed the tough but beautiful parcours last year as I rode the race for the first time, and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for us in the 2019 edition.
“It always blows my mind to see the incredible support of the fans. With some of my family in Yorkshire, it makes it so special and I can’t wait to see them all again.”