British rider adds event to Paris-Tours

Originally expected to make his racing debut in the rainbow jersey on October 9th in Paris-Tours, Mark Cavendish will now don the fabled tunic three days earlier in Paris-Bourges.



The news was reported today by l’Equipe and has subsequently been confirmed to VeloNation by the HTC Highroad team.



A team spokesperson has said that he will do both Paris-Bourges and Paris-Tours. There has been no clarification as yet if any other races are on his schedule prior to the end of the season. The Briton isn’t part of the team heading to the Tour of Beijing



The HTC Highroad rider triumphed in Sunday’s road race championships, benefiting from the focussed work of the British team and beating Matt Goss (Australia) and Andre Greipel (Germany) in a mass sprint to the line.



It is the latest triumph in a remarkable career, joining his twenty Tour de France stage wins, his victory in the Green Jersey competition plus his Milan-Sanremo triumph.



Paris-Bourges will see him become the first Elite male British rider to race in the rainbow jersey since Tom Simpson in 1965.



Cavendish is finishing up period of several years racing as part of the HTC Highroad team. He is widely predicted to be heading to Sky Procycling for 2012, but no confirmation has yet been given.