Mark Cavendish to compete in Tour of Britain

Mark Cavendish has said that this year's Tour of Britain course will help him prepare for next month's UCI World Championships.

The Etixx-QuickStep rider is competing in the race for the eighth time, and the 10-time stage winner has admitted that he is delighted to have been selected for the event.

The 30-year-old is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "I'm excited to ride the Tour of Britain. It's my home tour and it's always something special to ride in front of your national crowd. It's already my eighth time at the race and year-by-year, I can see how cycling is growing in this nation.

"We are at the start to try to be successful as we were last year. We have a strong team and we are ready to race. This year the course is extremely difficult. It will be also a good final preparation for the UCI World Championships in Richmond."

The race will take place between September 6 and September 13.