British sprinter Mark Cavendish is not an automatic selection for this year’s Tour de France, according to his team boss Rod Ellingworth.

The 35- year-old is second in the all-time list of most stage victories at the Tour having picked up 30 victories between 2008 and 2016.

But his last two seasons have been devastated by illness and injury, most notably as a result of the Epstein-Barr virus.

And with all major cycling races - including the Tour - postponed until the autumn due to the coronavirus pandemic - Ellingworth is aware he has very little to judge the Manx Missile’s form on.

Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "He doesn't have automatic selection and he doesn't want it. He doesn't want it just handed to him. But we made an agreement that if he was winning races that would be enough to go to the Tour.

"Unfortunately that changes, and with so little racing beforehand it cuts his chances of being able to prove he's back at a decent level.

"Technically he's one of the best sprinters in the world, and if he's got the form he's proved many times he can do it with or without a lead-out train.

"Mark brings a lot of value to the team, just in terms of his mindset and his goal-setting."

Cavendish needs four more stage victories to equal Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 wins at the iconic three-week stage race.

The Tour has been pushed back two months and is now scheduled to begin in Nice on August 29.