MARK CAVENDISH hopes to bounce back from his Harrogate horror last year by returning to winning ways at the Tour de France.

The 30-year-old Manxman has 25 stage wins to his name as he begins his ninth Tour today but failed to add to the total in 2014 after crashing out on the first stage between Leeds and his mother's home town of Harrogate.

"I was in incredible form and to sit at home and watch the race wasn't easy," Cavendish said.

"We've looked at trying to come into the Tour de France in the same form I was in last year.

"I knew if I could do the same kind of lead-up to this year's Tour then I'd be in similar condition."

Cavendish is out of contract with Etixx-QuickStep at the end of the year and the Tour could be pivotal in determining what the future holds.

His hopes of adding to his tally improved when Marcel Kittel, whose win in Harrogate was one of eight stage successes in the last two years, was not selected by his Giant-Alpecin team following an illness-plagued season.

Only Eddy Merckx, with 34, and Bernard Hinault, with 28, are ahead of Cavendish in the rankings of Tour stage wins.

The Briton won four in 2008, six in 2009, five in 2010 and 2011 and three and two in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and might expect to climb above Hinault, a five-time Tour winner.

"I'd like to add more than one stage," Cavendish added.