World road race champion Mark Cavendish has been declared fit to make his debut for British cycling outfit Team Sky in the opening stage of the Tour of Qatar.
The 26-year-old failed to take part in a training ride on Saturday after falling ill on his flight from London but was announced as ready on Sunday morning.
"We're all delighted Mark has been able to battle back from the bug," said the team's sports director Steven de Jongh.
Cavendish won two stages of the event in 2009 and De Jongh is hoping his presence can be a boost to the rest of the eight-man squad.
"It will be a real boost to the rest of the guys to know that he'll be starting," De Jongh added.
"Our medical team have done a fantastic job in looking after him and Mark has followed their advice to the letter. Clearly, he's not going to be at his best in the next few days but we're hoping he'll get stronger with every passing stage."
Cavendish, along with the world road race title, claimed the green jersey in last year's Tour de France for winning the most stages in the famous French race.
Pascal Lemesre
