Cavendish shrugs off Japan clashes after London victory

The 26-year-old lived up to his billing as London-Surrey Cycle Classic favourite by pulling ahead of Italy’s Sacha Modolo and Samuel Dumoulin in a bunch sprint finish on The Mall yesterday afternoon.

More than 100,000 are estimated to have lined the condensed 140km Olympic course, which passed through six London boroughs, four Royal Parks and a looped route around Box Hill in Surrey.

“The whole way round it was just full,” he said. “You could not stop to take a wee or anything.

“It is reminiscent of when the Tour de France came to London in 2007. The pros and the peloton still talk about that as the greatest Grand Depart they’ve ever had.

“Thanks to the crowd for being so incredible.

“Nobody would have thought there would be this support for cycling even 10 years ago.

“The fact we have got the Olympics here next year is one thing, but for the road cycling this is so important.”

Cavendish – fresh from taking the green jersey at the Tour de France – looked in fine fettle throughout, although he conceded that yesterday’s victory will not give any indications of how the Olympic race will go next year.

However, the Manxman fired a warning shot across the bows of any riders that try to disrupt his chance of Olympic success after clashing with Japanese cyclists.

When told that the Japanese team had complained about him, Cavendish retorted: “I will respond by saying I was complaining about two Japanese riders after the finish.

“The thing with the Japanese team today is that they are professional riders. It’s not like they are a team that has not ridden with professional riders. They are professional riders and you can ask many people but it takes a brave person to try and push me off my leadout man.

“Twice in the last 5km – both times Japanese riders – they tried to push me off my leadout man.

“If I stay solid, they are not big guys so they’re going to bounce off me. That’s what they did and they both went down.”