Cycling superstar Mark Cavendish set for World Cup track meeting in Hong Kong
British rider, a multi-stage winner in the Tour de France, will use the event as part of his build-up to the Rio Olympics
British cycling star Mark Cavendish is set to become one of the top attractions at Hong Kong's inaugural World Cup track meeting in January.
Cavendish, a multi-stage winner at the Tour de France, has put his hand up for competing at Tseung Kwan O as he returns to the track in his first major race in his build-up towards Rio de Janeiro, according to Cyclingnews and the UCI World Cup series.
This is definitely good news to us.[Mark] Cavendish is one of sport's household names and his presence will not only provide top quality competition but also attract fans
In Hong Kong, Cavendish will race the omnium, one of the five events on the Olympic track programmes, according to the British team's head of performance, Shane Sutton.
Chairman of the Hong Kong Cycling Association Leung Hung-tak welcomed the news, saying it would be a great opportunity to watch the 31-year-old in action.
"The UCI has yet to provide us with the participants' list as only the opening round of this season's World Cup series has been completed," said Leung. "The second round will not start until next month while Hong Kong will be the third and last round.
"But this is definitely good news to us. Cavendish is one of sport's household names and his presence will not only provide top quality competition but also attract fans."
The association will spend close to HK$10 million on hosting the World Cup, with the budget mainly coming from sponsorship and government funding. But Leung still hoped more people could come to watch the event on January 16-17.