(AFP) – British rider Mark Cavendish will make his return from injury at next month's Tour de Yorkshire.

Cavendish has not raced since crashing in the final stages of Milan-San  Remo last month when he broke a rib and sustained an ankle injury, forcing him to miss the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The 32-year-old will use the Tour de Yorkshire, from May 3-6, as part of his preparations for the Tour de France, which he will start four stages wins from matching Eddy Merck's record of 34.

"I'm delighted to have recovered sufficiently from my injuries at Milan-San  Remo to be back racing sooner than I initially thought and what better way to do that than at what could be described as a home race for me," Cavendish told the Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka website.

"My mother's from Harrogate and obviously the last time I raced things didn't go that great in the 2014 Tour de France (which started in Yorkshire)  but one thing I do remember is the incredible crowds and I know that the Tour  de Yorkshire always provides."

Another Dimension Data rider, Serge Pauwels, will return to Yorkshire to defend the title he won in 2017.

"It's one of my favorite races, not only because I won it last year but because the course suits me and there is always a great ambiance from the
passionate spectators" said the Belgian.