Briton's Mark Cavendish targets a Tour of California return after breaking ribs

Briton's fastest sprinter Mark Cavendish has his sights on returning to racing in May in California after a series of dramatic crashes

Mark Cavendish, who is looking to win his 31st stage at the Tour de France, is hoping to return to racing for the Amgen Tour of California between 13 and 19 May after a series of crashes that culminated in a dramatic spill at Milan-San Remo that left the Manxman with a fractured rib.

“I’d like at least to make California. That’s another six weeks away, so I should be all right,” the 2011 World Road Race Champion told the press.

Mark Cavendish is a 10 times stage winner at the Amgen Tour of California, winning stages in 2009, 2010, 1014, 2015 and 2016 and is one of his favorite races.

“I don’t know how my fitness will be but I should be all right. At least if I can come back by then I should be all right for the Tour.”

Cavendish has so far only managed one hour on his home trainer.

Along with the Milan-San Remo crash, his spring build-up had been ruined by falls at the Abu Dhabi Tour, where he suffered concussion, and the Tirreno Adriatico stage race, where he fractured another rib.

“I’m pretty happy to be back on the turbo trainer after a crash like that. I’ve been riding through the pain to do it.”

At Milan-San Remo Cavendish flew through the air after colliding with a traffic bollard 10km from the finish, with the race at its most intense. “I know that roundabout – it’s quite a famous point in San Remo, a bit of a pinch point, there were just too many guys being pinched. I knew I was going down before I hit it so I was able to brace myself for it so it could actually have been a lot worse. It didn’t feel great but I’m lucky with the injuries I’ve got, I’m pretty fortunate.”

VIDEO: Mark Cavendish suffers another terrible crash at Milan-SanRemo

Mark Cavendish suffered another terrible crash in the final 20 kms of Milan San Remo hitting an unmarshalled bollard at high speed

As the pace started to increase before the final climbs, Cavendish like many before him, tries to avoid a yellow bollard, but due to the speed and lack of a marshal, he plows straight into the barrier at full speed, and is catapulted through the air, in horrific scenes.

He was seen lying in the road in agony. The crash also brought down a number of other riders, including two riders from Cofidis and one from Lotto-Soudal. Cofidis' Anthony Turgis and Guillaume Bonnafond were caught up in the crash with Cavendish. Turgis suffered a broken collarbone while Bonnafond finished the race with multiple contusions.