Cavendish, who won this race in 2013, is not the only world-class rider to have signed up for the championships, with Hannah Barnes, Lizzie Deignan, Alex Dowsett and Peter Kennaugh, another local boy, among the big names on the provisional start list.
In the men’s road race, Adam Blythe will defend the title he won last year, beating Cavendish in a sprint, while former champion Kennaugh features in a strong Team Sky line-up of Jonathan Dibben, Owain Doull, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Tao Geoghegan Hart, who won the under-23 title in 2016.
The women’s race will see 2015 world road champion Deignan try to win a fourth national title but defending champion Barnes and her sister Alice will be trying to stop her.
Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s director of cycling said, “It’s fantastic to be able to announce a field of this quality for the National Road Championships.
“The calibre of the riders who’ll be taking to the start line speaks volumes for both the health of road racing in Great Britain and the draw of a championships taking place in such an iconic venue which is synonymous with our sport”
