Mark Cavendish: I must deliver in London to win an Olympic medal

While he has 26 Tour de France stage wins to his name, Cavendish has suffered Olympic heartbreak on two occasions – on the track at Beijing 2008 and on the road in at London 2012.

The 30-year-old is set to make his first appearance at the Track Cycling World Championships since 2009 in London and is happy to pile the pressure on himself ahead of targeting his ultimate goal in Brazil.

"If I can’t get a result at the worlds I can’t at the Olympics so I have a lot to focus on," he told British Cycling.

“I just want to win an Olympic medal. If I had won one already I don’t know if I would be here, and I probably wouldn’t be putting so much into it. The medal is the only thing that is missing from me as a bike rider.

“I’ve been on the road since the Hong Kong world cup in January so I know my endurance is better, but I wouldn’t be doing the worlds if I didn’t think I could get a result there.

“We had a conversation the other day about the worlds, and I was saying almost half of the worlds I’ve been to I’ve won something, so I never just go and cruise around. I’m always motivated to win and I know what it means to be selected for your country.”

The 2011 world road champion, who won the Tour of Qatar in February, is set to compete in the omnium and Madison, along with Bradley Wiggins, in London this week – and he’s as fiercely determined as ever.

“Cycling is a job, but it is more than that to us. Without that you wouldn’t be striving to win, and for the team to win, you need to be born with a winning mentality,” Cavendish continued.

“I have always wanted to be the best at everything, needless to say it hasn’t always been the case, and I still love just riding my bike, but the winning is that added incentive.

“I’m a professional cyclist so I wouldn’t say I’m excited to be wearing the GB kit, but I’m definitely proud, because I’ve always been proud to represent my country.”

This really is as crucial for Cavendish as he says with the omnium representing his hopes of claiming an elusive Olympic medal. With the Madison no longer being an Olympic event, his partnership with Wiggins will not provide him with a back-up should his omnium efforts not go as planned, so he must deliver in London ahead of his ultimate challenge in Rio.