Tour de France 2019: Team Dimension Data reveal reason why Mark Cavendish has not been selected

Team Dimension Data have reissued their statement regarding their rider line-up for the Tour de France, addressing the omission of 30-time stage winner Mark Cavendish after he was surprisingly left out of the eight-man team on Tuesday.

Cavendish will miss the Tour this year for the first time since 2016, having not been deemed to be one of the riders “best suited to meet the team’s objectives” even though he is the second most-successful rider in history in terms of Tour de France stage wins, behind Eddy Merckx’s record of 34.

What was more surprising though was the fact that Team Dimension Data made no reference to Cavendish in the lengthy statement, leading to a team spokesman eventually addressing the reasons why the 34-year-old has been left out.

“Selection for our Tour squad was a highly competitive process and one in which a panel weighed up the options provided to us not only by Mark but indeed all of our riders,” said a spokesman.

“As you’d expect among a selection panel, there were a number of different preferences of the final squad make up with our team principal, Douglas Ryder, making the final decision on it. This selection is one the team believes will be best suited to meet the goals set out for the race.”

Edvald Boasson Hagen, Stephen Cummings, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Michael Valgren, Roman Kreuziger, Giacomo Nizzolo, Ben King and Lars Bak make up the team ahead of Cavendish, with both Van Rensburg and Nizzolo taking on the sprint responsibilities and Cummings the only Briton remaining in the South African team.

Cavendish has been struggling with the Epstein-Barr virus for the past two years, having been diagnosed in 2017 and only cleared of the illness in May this year, but his did achieve a third place finish on stage three of the Tour of Turkey in April to suggest he was starting to rediscover his form.

In the initial statement, team principal Doug Ryder claimed that the aims ahead for the team did not leave room for the Manxman to make the cut.

“Really excited to announce this great group of riders who we feel will be the best suited to meet the team’s objectives we have set out for this year’s Tour de France,” team principal Ryder said. “It’s a tough course but one that we’d like to be competitive in every stage, while at the same time continuing with our goal of changing lives through bicycles.”

Cavendish competed in the Tour of Slovenia last month and then finished 22nd at the British National Championships road race on Sunday.

In 2011, Cavendish became the first Briton to win the green jersey at the Tour after finishing with five stage victories.

His absence leaves just six British cyclists in this year’s Tour, with Cummings joined by the Yates brothers, Adam and Simon – who ride for the Michaelton-Scott team, as well as defending champion Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe (both Team Ineos) and Team Katusha Alpecin’s Alex Dowsett.