Cavendish praised for Tour heroics by cycling coach Ellington

The 23-year-old from the Isle of Man won four sprint stages, a new record for a British rider, but will now turn his attentions to the Games in Beijing. 

Ellingworth said : 'He has raised the bar and everybody has something to aim for now.

Cavendish celebrates his fourth Tour stage win in Nimes

'Everybody has raced or trained with him regularly and they know that although he is a very special sprinting talent he has achieved success through hard work and graft. 

'There are no short cuts in cycling and Cav has endured plenty of tough days before coming through.  

'One stage win was on the cards after his great form in the Giro, but I will admit that four wins was beyond all expectations,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

Ellingworth also urged Cavendish to watch his diet as he begins the recovery process from gruelling Tour ahead of his Olympic preparations.  

He added: 'Mark will feel like celebrating his fantastic achievement but right now is when he must be very careful.  

'He must rest up - which means just going for a light daily spin on flat roads for a couple of hours - get lots of sleep, but above all, be vigilant in what he eats.  

'The weight has been melting off him on this Tour, you wouldn't want him any lighter or else he would lose all his power - but riders with Mark's metabolism can pile on a stone or more in a week when they stop.  

'You go from riding flat out for five or six hours a day in hot weather in the world's hardest bike race, burning 10,000 to 15,000 calories a day, to virtually doing nothing while you give your body time to recover.  

'It is a process that has to happen but it is a little fraught.'