After months of speculation (and a Cyclo drum-roll, please) Mark Cavendish has finally announced that he has signed with Team Sky. The decision of his current team, HTC Highroad, to fold at the end of the 2011 season after losing their headline sponsor sparked protracted debate about just where the 26-year-old ‘Manx Missile’ might set his future sights and with such a spectacular year of racing under his wheels – culminating in September with him becoming the first male world road race champion for 46 years – his stock had certainly skyrocketed. Cav’s signing will see him riding alongside fellow Brits Geraint Thomas, Ben Swift, Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins in what could prove to be a pivotal year for British cycling.
Commenting on the signing Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, said: “Mark is the greatest sprinter of his generation and is well on his way to becoming the greatest of all time. He is a rider of exceptional talent who has proved his pedigree at the very highest level of our sport…Mark is a born winner and what excites me most is the attitude he brings to all the teams he rides for. We want to inspire more fans to get into cycling and I can think of no one better to help us do that.” Bradley Wiggins added: “I think I speak for everyone in the squad when I say that we’re all delighted to have Cav joining us at Team Sky. He is the best sprinter in the world and has an energy and passion for cycling that is infectious.”
