British sprinter Mark Cavendish has done all he can to try and ensure he makes it to the finish of the Tour de France in Paris for the first time.

Cavendish won four stages in last year's race but his poor climbing skills have hampered him in big stage races in the past.

"Of course the team are here to help me to Paris but I also hope to make the job easier for them as much as I can," he told journalists in Monaco on Friday, the eve of the Tour's start.

"I've always trained in the mountains ahead of the Tour but I'm leaner this year and it should make it easier.

"It's my job to win stages but what I want above all is to reach Paris because I haven't done it yet," he added.

Should he reach his goal, the Team Columbia sprinter, winner of three stages in May's Giro d'Italia, would stand a good chance of taking the green jersey for the points classification.

His main rivals are last year's points winner Oscar Freire of Spain and Belgium's Tom Boonen, who was finally allowed to enter the Tour on Friday after organisers initially ruled him out following an out-of-competition test for cocaine.

"Boonen's return is good news for me as it will ease a lot of the pressure that was on the team," Cavendish said.

"He's a great sprinter but there are countless riders who can win stages on this Tour," the 24-year-old added.

Freire warned the Briton the green jersey required more than just stage victories.

"Cavendish won four stages last year and I only had one but I won the green jersey. To win the points classification, it's more important to finish second twice than to win once," he said.

(Editing by Alison Wildey)