Cavendish: Sky's the limit

Mark Cavendish.
12 April 2012

Mark Cavendish believes Team Sky have the wherewithal to win both the green and yellow jerseys at the Tour de France.

The 26-year-old recently joined the British team from HTC-Highroad, where he won the Tour's green jersey last year, a move that sees Cavendish link up with several former team-mates and friends, including three-time Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins.

There have been suggestions the team will struggle to maintain Cavendish's attempt to retain the green jersey as well as Wiggins' yellow jersey hopes, although the former on Wednesday dismissed such suggestions, saying of the feat not achieved since 1996: "I would not be here if I did not think it was possible."

He added: "We have some of the best bike riders in the world at Sky and definitely the best in the world for doing that double-ended approach. For me it is fine. I will go in and make sure I am in the best condition I can be in and have confidence in my team-mates that we can all work together and be successful.

"I am not in this to be successful myself. I am not in this to have guys helping me to achieve everything I want. I am here to be part of something successful."

This year is huge for British cycling, with the final stage of the Tour de France just days before the London 2012 road race, and Cavendish, who won the Olympic test event last August, is eyeing a tilt at glory in both.

"It is going to be a massive July," he said. "I am motivated for the Tour de France and the Olympics, but both for completely separate reasons.

"As a professional bike rider and contracted athlete with sponsors to please and money to earn, the Tour de France is the biggest thing I can do.

"The Tour de France is the big stage in cycling and one the biggest shows on the planet.

"It is important to be successful there but, in terms of being a British athlete with the Olympics meaning so much to a British person, to pull on that national jersey and do something to represent your country at your home Games makes it equally big, if not bigger, but just on a different level."

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