With 25 career stage victories to his name at the Tour de France, and the green jersey in 2011, Mark Cavendish has proved himself to be one of the race’s greatest sprinters.

And the 30-year-old is showing no signs of stopping yet, as he fights to bounce back from the disappointment of his race-ending stage one crash in Harrogate last year.

The crash meant he finished the year without a Grand Tour stage win for the first time since 2007, but he has roared back into form this year.

Overall victory at the Dubai Tour and 12 further sprint victories across the globe mark him as a clear favourite for the bunch sprints, particularly with rival Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) out with illness.

Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) will be among his biggest threats, while Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) will want to record a fourth straight green jersey win.

But with lead-out man Mark Renshaw at his side, Cavendish has proved he is unstoppable on his day and will look to prove he is back to his brilliant best.

Mark Cavendish at the Tour de France

2015 highlights: Tour de San Luis (one stage win), Dubai Tour (two stage wins, winner overall, points classification winner), Clasica de Almeria (winner), Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (winner), Tour of Turkey (three stage wins, points classification winner), Tour of California (four stage wins, points classification winner).

Tour de France participations: eight (2007-2014)
Best overall finish: 130th and green jersey winner (2011)
Stage wins: 25 (2008 (4), 2009 (6), 2010 (5), 2011 (5), 2012 (3), 2013 (2))

What to expect: When the races end with sprint finishes, Cavendish will be in the thick of it – tucked in behind Mark Renshaw’s before displaying the awesome acceleration that has brought him 43 Grand Tour career stage wins.