Mark Cavendish to aim for Olympic gold in Omnium at Rio 2016?

Mark Cavendish is reportedly considering racing in the Omnium at Rio 2016 as he seeks what till now has proven to be an elusive Olympic medal.

The 29-year-old is currently racing the Six Days of Ghent with his Omega Pharma-Quick Step team mate, Iljo Keisse.

Cavendish, who is racing on the track this winter to help get back to full fitness after crashing out of the Tour de France in July, said his presence in Ghent had “nothing to do with Rio.”

But Telegraph Sport, without citing sources, says he is believed to be “looking seriously” at competing in the six-event Omnium there. with the road race course unlikely to suit him.

Changes to the format, with the event ending with a points race rather than a time trial, plus a revised scoring system are said to make the format more attractive to him.

Cavendish rode in the Madison – no longer an Olympic event – alongside Bradley Wiggins at Beijing in 2008. Wiggins had already won two gold medals there, while Cavendish cut short his participation in the Tour de France to head to China.

Despite being the reigning world champions, however, the pair finished ninth, leaving Cavendish as the only British track cyclist at those Games not to win a medal.

He also missed out on an Olympic medal at London 2012 despite starting the road race as a strong favourite. Team GB controlled most of the race, but were unable to pull back a strong attacking group that got away on the final climb of Box Hill.

Speaking on Monday after a practice session at Ghent’s 't Kuipke velodrome, Cavendish insisted he had not yet made his mind up about whether to compete in Rio.

He said: “I’ve no idea yet. My short-term goal is returning to be dominant at the Tour de France. That is kind of taking up all of my focus right now.”

Cavendish insisted he needed minimal time to get used to riding in a velodrome again.

“That comes back easy,” he said. “I could start training one week before the Olympics – if I didn’t have to qualify for it – and do pretty well.”

Speaking of the Ghent meeting, which he has raced at twice before, he said: “Iljo is a star here. He’s from Ghent. He is my team-mate, my friend and it makes sense to ride here this year. My season ended pretty early.”

Cavendish, competing with the reluctant permission of team manager Patrick Lefevere who banned him from riding the even last year, added that the shoulder he injured in a crash on the opening day of the Tour de France is now “100 per cent.”

After yesterday’s opening session Cavendish and Keisse, a five-time winner of the event, lie fourth overall.