by Our Sports Desk

Mark Cavendish was focused on himself yesterday, amid doubts over the condition of his sprint rival Marcel Kittel.

Cavendish, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday, has more wins (14) this season than Kittel has completed race days (12) due to an illness.

German Kittel has won four stages at each of the last two Tours de France, including the opening stage in the 2013 and 2014 editions, to overtake Cavendish as the leading sprinter in the sport’s premier event.

But the Manxman, who has 25 Tour stage wins to his name, is confident of being in peak condition when the race begins on July 4 in Utrecht, insisting that his detractors have prematurely written him off when he has raced when below his best.

Cavendish said: “It’s always been about my condition and where I am in July. No-one else.

“There’s been absolutely no details on what’s wrong (with Kittel).

“I’ve had three viruses this year (but) I think the key is going and racing. I’ve always done that.

“Maybe it leaves me open to criticism. You’ve got to remember that every time I lose a race, people start saying it’s the end of me. Every single time.

“That’s because I go and race. If I don’t go and race, I don’t lose a race. I don’t win as much but I never lose a race.

“The fact I do go and race as soon as I’m not lying in bed any more, I leave myself open. But that’s what gets me better.”

Cavendish won four stages of the Tour of California earlier this month and arrived back in London from the United States on Thursday morning, the day of his 30th birthday. He hopes age is not catching up with him.

“I couldn’t sleep on the plane. Whenever I had a free half-hour I was napping. I hope it’s just jetlag,” he said.

Cavendish aims to build on his impressive opening to the season.

“I’m super happy. The team’s really gelled together this year,” he added.

“It’s not just me having success, across all different aspects: time-trials, classics, sprints, small stage races. I’m really happy about it.

“I’ve got the Tour de Suisse coming up and I’d like to win a couple of stages there and then go and be successful in the Tour de France.

“I’m where I want to be, the team’s where it wants to be, so we’re working to be more successful.”

The Tour is not the only target, with Cavendish eyeing a possible tilt at reclaiming the Road World Championships title he won in 2011 in Copenhagen.

He stopped off to assess the course for September’s race in Richmond, Virginia on his way home from California this week.

“It’s not going to be a direct bunch sprint like it was in Denmark,” Cavendish said.

“But it’s a nice course where it will suit the Great Britain team well. For sure, it’s a course that I could be there in the final.”