Mark Cavendish's rivals - we're looking at you, Marcel Kittel - take note. At the age of 28, the Manx Missile has announced that he's going to try something new; something that he "didn't have to do before": work on his sprint.

Given that his explosive exit velocity has seen Cavendish amass more grand tour stage wins than the combined palmares of every other British rider in history, you might think the news that he's finally about to start putting a bit of effort into it would give the new crop of sprinters cause for concern.

But in fact, it is Cavendish who is concerned. His new approach has been prompted by a fresh challenge from the ranks of his fellow pros, and the realisation that not only is a new generation snapping at his heels, but time itself is starting to take a toll.

Speaking in the Telegraph today, he revealed "I feel that I'm getting older," and whereas his self-belief has often appeared unshakeable, he now admits that, compared with years past, "I don't have the punch."

That doesn't mean to say Cavendish is going anywhere. Even as a young boy, Cavendish says his determination to conquer apparently impossible challenges was a hallmark trait of his personality. And, perhaps typically of a man who says his last IQ test showed him to be a genius, Cavendish's approach to this challenge involves leveraging his grey matter:

"For me, the sprint is like a calculation, a series of movements, a series of chess moves. Not thinking, not having to react. Just reacting. By the time we start the sprint, my heart rate is probably 20 or 30 beats slower than the other guys. So many cyclists train their bodies. They don't train their mind. I constantly do puzzle books. Smash through them. My iPad's full of them. Logic puzzles. Bridges. Slitherlink."

Intriguingly, Cavendish also revealed that he dabbles in online Scrabble against random opponents - and he admits to bringing the same competitive streak to word games as he does to the parcours: "if I lose that I'm as p----- off as if I lose a Tour de France stage."

The interview offers a fascinating insight into the character of this idiosyncratic champion. Cavendish reveals that he has a photographic memory that allows him to memorise every pothole and dustbin along a race course, and dispels the notion that he rides better when he's angry:

"Not so much angry: I've really learnt to control anger, it's a waste of energy. But when I've got a point to prove, that will still be the case. I've been relatively unchallenged until now, and now people are challenging my position as the most dominant sprinter in the world."

If the interview is any indicator then Cavendish's new book, out this week, will be well worth a read for his fans.

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