LONDON (Reuters) - Road race world champion Mark Cavendish wants to return to the track for Britain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the cyclist said on Saturday.

"I watched the guys last night and saw the team spirit and how they've grown as a unit and I said, 'I want to be a part of that again,'" Cavendish told Sky Sports News.

"The road race won't suit me in 2016. It's not going to be a flat race around Rio, so I'd really like to push for a 2016 spot on the track."

Britain have won three gold medals on the track at the London Olympics and one on the road through Bradley Wiggins, who won the time trial after Cavendish failed to win the road race.

Cavendish started his career on the track, winning the madison with Rob Hayles at the 2005 world championships, before switching to road cycling.

The Manx man, however, switched back to the track again to win the madison world title with Bradley Wiggins in 2008, although the pair failed to claim a medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Going into the Beijing Games, he had claimed the first of his 23 Tour de France stage wins.

"The training with track cycling is very hard. It's very institutionalized with drills, drills, drills. But that's what you've got to do in most sports to win Olympic gold," he said.

"I've spoken with the coaches about it. I'd love to be part of a team and the team pursuit."

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Matt Falloon)