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Cavendish addition would help my Tour bid - Wiggins

Bradley Wiggins would welcome Mark Cavendish © PA Photos

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Bradley Wiggins believes the arrival of Mark Cavendish at Team Sky would help him avoid the sort of disappointing exit from the Tour de France he endured this year.

Wiggins was forced to abandon the Tour in its early stages after being caught up in a crash at the back of the peloton, an incident that resulted in a broken collarbone.

Now fully recovered and preparing to return in the forthcoming Vuelta a Espana, Wiggins concedes he spent much of his layoff agonising about the manner of his crash. With sprint king Cavendish looking for a new team after the recent closure of HTC-Highroad, Team Sky have been reported as strong contenders for his signature.

The differing strengths and ambitions of the two riders - Wiggins focuses on the Tour's general classification, while Cavendish is a perennial contender for the sprinters' green jersey - has led some to suggest they would be incompatible in the same team, but the multiple Olympic champion believes having the Manx rider alongside him would actually be of great benefit.

"I've had a lot of time to reflect on the Tour de France and things I could have done better," Wiggins said. "I kick myself for not riding on the front and not taking the Tour by the scruff of its neck.

"I'm going to stay out of trouble as much as possible, and if that means riding on the front then that's what I'll do.

"If Mark ends up coming to Sky it could be the best thing ever for next year's general classification because the sprinters' teams tend to ride on the front for most of the first week, and I could get a free ride when most of the crashes are happening."

Cavendish has previously said he knows which team he will join, but has declined to make any public comment until an agreement has been reached and all the paperwork has been completed. Wiggins insists he is also in the dark about the 26-year-old's intentions.

"He keeps his cards pretty close to his chest," he said. "It's no secret that the team would love to have him here."

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