Ongar’s Mark Cavendish will bid to defend his British National Road Championships title in Wales later this month.

Cavendish, 29, won last year’s championships in Glasgow and will look to complete back-to-back championship victories in Abergavenny on Sunday, June 29 as he continues his Tour de France build up.

The Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider, pictured, is joined by Sir Bradley Wiggins, who revealed this week he was unlikely to compete in the Tour de France.

In the women’s race, 2013 winner and British Olympian Lizzie Armitstead will lead the field.

Victory will earn Cavendish the right to wear his blue and red striped jersey at next month’s Grand Tour, which begins on July 5 and goes through East London and West Essex two days later.

Cavendish's build-up to the 101st Tour de France has seen him win four stages on the Tour of Turkey, as well as claiming two fur