HTC-Columbia's Mark Cavendish will change his 2010 season start and begin in Ruta del Sol on February 21 due to an ongoing dental problem that has limited his training.

"We want to take all precautions and ensure that Mark has fully recovered and is able to get in some extra base training for the long season ahead of him," says Team Manager Rolf Aldag. "His season goals remain the same and he is looking forward to performing as planned in major Spring races like Milan-San Remo and Flanders before his focus shifts toward the stage racing."