Cavendish switches to Sky
Tour de France green jersey winner Mark Cavendish will ride for Team Sky in 2012, the British squad announced on Wednesday.
The Isle of Man rider, who won five stages on last year's Tour, has been recruited from HTC-Highroad along with Bernhard Eisel, Danny Pate and Kanstantsin Siutsou, four of eight new additions in the 28-man roster.
Cavendish will be one of 10 British cyclists in the Sky team along with Criterium du Dauphine winner and three-time Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome – who finished second, one place ahead of Wiggins, in last year's Vuelta in Spain - Geraint Thomas, Jeremy Hunt, Peter Kennaugh, Alex Dowsett, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Ben Swift.
Team principal Dave Brailsford said: "With Mark Cavendish joining riders like Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Edvald Boasson Hagen, we have a hugely talented squad of riders with proven ability at the very highest level of our sport."
Cavendish added: "I could not be more excited about the coming season. In many ways it has felt like coming home, by joining Team Sky.
"I've grown up with many of the riders and management and they have shown in just two years how far they have come."