Mark Cavendish has said that he is not feeling the pressure ahead of his Olympic road race despite entering as favourite.
The 'Manx Missile' represents Great Britain's first chance of gold on Saturday morning, when he will aim to repeat his win in last year's test event.
"In terms of pressure, the idea of me being the first British gold medallist doesn't weigh on my mind," Cavendish told The Mirror.
"I am proud to pull on my jersey, I am proud to be British, I am proud to represent my flag. If you can get the whole team off to a good start, you want to be part of that. I want to go and be part of a successful team.
"I want to be part of this country that we are, this little island, and go and just smash it. I want to be part of that. That's what makes me proud."
Cavendish did not win gold in Beijing four years ago.
