Mark Cavendish is Recovering Quickly from Shoulder Surgery
- but Could Still Miss September's World Championships
- Cavendish crashed out of the opening stage of Tour de France in Harrogate
- He was back cycling in Carcassone in France on Sunday
- The 29-year-old says he 'wasn't pain free' riding but he 'was okay'
- Manxman will not rush his recovery and pulled out of the Commonwealths
- World Championships take place 21-28 September in Ponferrade, Spain
- Cavendish won the road race world title in 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark
Daily Mail UK, 22 July 2014
Mark Cavendish may have had his Tour de France ruined after only one day in the saddle but he is making a quicker-than-expected recovery from shoulder surgery.
The Manxman may still miss the World Championships in September, but he is determined to be back racing as soon as possible.
Cavendish crashed out of the opening stage of the Tour as the race headed into Harrogate, his mother's home town, depriving him of the chance to wear the race leader's yellow jersey for the first time.
Bed bound: Mark Cavendish says he is recovering well from his shoulder surgery and has started cycling again
Down and out: Cavendish had to pull out of the Tour de France after injuring his shoulder during stage one
Battling on: Cavendish got back on his bike to finish the first stage but couldn't continue his tour
He has already ruled himself out of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but he returned to the bike on Sunday at Carcassone in France.
However, the Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider knows there is still a long way to go before he will be fully fit and he will not yet commit the the World Championships in September.
The 29-year-old told Sky Sports:
'I did my first ride on the road yesterday (Sunday). I wasn't pain free but I was okay.
'I'm just a bit weak on my right arm. My surgeon Len Fong has done an incredible job and I've been working with my physio Phil Jones on the Isle of Man.
Carnage: The sprinter says he knew something was wrong as soon as he hit the ground
My fault: Cavendish has taken the blame for causing the crash as he tried to get in position for the sprint
'I've been in the hyperbaric (oxygen therapy) chamber in the Isle of Man which seems to have speeded-up my recovery more than I thought, so I think I can start to train, but the problem is if I crash it would damage the shoulder.
'I had a grade four ligament tear which was worse than we expected in the first few days but I've had great people around me with my rehab and we'll be talking with the team in the next few days to see what my programme is.'
The
UCI Road World Championships take place in Ponferrada in Spain between 21 and 28 September and Cavendish does not yet know if he will be fit enough to compete for Great Britain.
Champion: Cavendish world the road race world title in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2011
Conquering the world: Cavendish wore the world champion's rainbow jersey throughout the 2012 season
Cavendish won the road race world title in 2011 in Copenhagen, Denmark, but he is unsure if he will be able to attempt to retain it this year.
He said: 'I don't know how long I'm going to be before I start racing.
'I just got back on the road on my bike yesterday. Obviously I can't be competing seriously until I can be guaranteed there's no more shoulder damage.
'I'm in a great situation with the support I've had from my team and I have to finish the season strong to honour my team and honour the faith they've had in me.
'I want to do that properly, I don't want to be just riding around, and worse I don't want to crash and damage my shoulder even further.'
Determined: Cavendish is hoping to be able to try to regain his World Championship title he won back in 2011
VIDEO
Injured Cavendish Quits Tour: