MARK Cavendish has confirmed he will race in the Tour of Britain, which takes to the streets of Gwynedd and Conwy next month.

The sprinter, fresh from equalling Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour de France stage wins after four more victories this summer, will lead the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team at the event, which takes take place from September 5 to 12.

British Cycling has confirmed the fourth stage of its eight-stage flagship series will be held between Ceredigion and Llandudno - the 215km route will be the Tour of Britain’s Queen stage, deemed to be the hardest of the series, with the 9.8 per cent average climb to the finishing line at the top of the Great Orme on September 8.

Cavendish has won more stages of the modern Tour of Britain – 10 – than any other rider. This will be the 12th time he has competed in the race, having led it for two days during the 2007 edition.

“It is always an honour to race on the home roads of the Tour of Britain,” Cavendish said.

Cavendish has 34 Tour de France stage victories to his name Cavendish has 34 Tour de France stage victories to his name (Bradley Collyer/PA)

“It is a race where I have always enjoyed success and I am really looking forward to racing with what I know will be a strong Deceuninck-Quick-Step team.

“It has already been a special year for me and riding the Tour of Britain will be a great way to see so many of the people that have supported throughout.”

This year’s race begins in Cornwall on September 5 and includes a team time trial in Carmarthenshire (stage three), hill-top finish on the Great Orme, Llandudno (stage four) and a first finish in Edinburgh (stage seven).

Live coverage of the free-to-watch race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world, while it attracts a roadside audience of over 1.5 million spectators.

In North Wales, the route starts in Ceredigion, passing through Aberystwyth and Barmouth before moving along the B547, entering Llanwrst, Trefriw, Dolgarrog, Tal-y-bont and Baclaw before making its way up to Conwy.

The cyclists will come off Llanwrst Road and join Conway Road, which runs past Conwy Castle, and over the River Conwy and A55 expressway, before moving through Llandudno Junction via Conway Road before joining the A546 New Road.

Competitors will then tackle the residential areas of Llandudno Junction and Deganwy, near Warren Drive and Ty Mawr Road, before rejoining the A546 on to Bryniau Road in Llandudno.

The Llandudno leg will take in Great Orme Road onto West Shore, Marine Drive, along the northern and eastern tips of Llandudno, Happy Valley Road, Tudno Street, Old Road, Abbey Road, Ty-Gwyn Road, and Bishop’s Quarry Road before finishing at the summit of the Great Orme.

The series, previously won by Dutch Olympian Mathieu van der Poel and reigning UCI World Road champion Julian Alaphilippe, was relaunched in 2004 after a five-year absence from the cycling calendar.

It is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, held annually across eight days in September. Other locations include Carmarthenshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Midlothian in south Scotland.

The 2021 champion will be crowned in Aberdeen on September 12.

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “We always pride ourselves on the quality of riders we attract, and the participation of Mark Cavendish in this year’s Tour of Britain will no doubt whet the appetite of the British public.

“He’s a true great of our sport – something he has proved once again throughout his unforgettable 2021 season – and I cannot wait to see him on the start line in Penzance.”