Cavendish looks to test himself in Oman sprints

Mark Cavendish is looking to test himself against other sprinters at the Tour of Oman as he prepares for bigger races later in the season.

Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck QuickStep) is escorted through Stage 19 by teammates Tim Declerq, Davide Ballerini, Michael Morkov and Dries Devenyns. Source: Velo

The Tour of Oman is set to feature on SBS in 2022 from February 10-15, with daily highlights from the racing on SBS On Demand as the riders tackle the varied terrain of the by turns sprint-friendly and mountainous race.

Cavendish is fresh off a career renaissance in 2021, rediscovering winning ways behind the elite QuickStep Alpha Vinyl leadout train and taking his Tour de France tally to a record-equalling 34 stages.

The Manxman will return to competition at the Tour of Oman, with the sprinter’s rivals including Kaden Groves (BikeExchange-Jayco), Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) and Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates).

"I think everybody coming into a new season looks forward to starting to see their shape," Cavendish explained to the media in Oman.

"You don't really know. It doesn't matter how you're going until you compare yourself with the other people."

The 36-year-old will have the Iljo Keisse, Stijn Steels, and neo-pro Stan Van Tricht to support him in the sprints. The squad will have a split focus, with Fausto Masnada having ambitions for the overall win.

"We're here with a group that can come work okay, across all terrains," Cavendish said.

"[There are] possibly three sprint opportunities this year, but we have Masnada for the GC. It's a big climb up Green Mountain and you have to come prepared for all terrains, you know. It's not an easy a few days here.

Cavendish will likely not ride the Tour de France this year, with fellow QuickStep sprinter Fabio Jakobsen saying in an interview that Cavendish would instead ride the Giro. However, theirs is little to prevent a sprinter from riding both races, and Cavendish was even less likely to start the Tour last year.

"It's a brilliant preparation race for the bigger races coming up,” said Cavendish. “It's nice here in Oman – I've been here a few times and I enjoy the race. It's a beautiful place to ride."

The Tour of Oman is set to feature on SBS in 2022 from February 10-15, with daily highlights from the racing on SBS On Demand as the riders tackle the varied terrain of the by turns sprint-friendly and mountainous race.