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Cav and 'brother' Wiggins ready to dominate Tour

Mark Cavendish won the Road World Championships in September © PA Photos

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World champion Mark Cavendish believes he and Bradley Wiggins are "like brothers" and is confident they can dominate the Tour de France together at Team Sky.

Much has been made of Cavendish's impending switch to Sky, which will see the reigning Tour sprint king in the same team as Wiggins - who has become accustomed to being the focal point of the team's attack on the general classification each year.

The pair were believed to have a frosty relationship - with Cavendish refusing to speak to his compatriot for a period after the Beijing Olympics, angry at Wiggins who he felt cost him a medal in the two-man Madison event - but Cavendish is now looking forward to a successful partnership, especially after they worked together so effectively at the World Championships in September to propel the Manx rider to road race gold.

"I was the only one who came home without a medal (in 2008), but me and Brad ... we're like brothers," Cavendish told The Mirror. "Sometimes brothers don't talk to each other for a while, they might have a tiff.

"But we're probably closer than ever now because we'll be pushing each other to get results next year for Team Sky on the Tour de France, or Team GB at the Olympics."

Critics have wondered how Team Sky will balance Cavendish's sprint ambitions with Wiggins' general classification hopes but the Manx rider has no fears, adding: "I don't think it's too greedy to aim for Brad being on the podium in Paris in the same race as me winning another Green Jersey. T-Mobile did it in the nineties, and on paper Team Sky are stronger."

Victory at the World Championships in Copenhagen saw the 26-year-old become the first British rider since Tom Simpson in 1965 to claim the fabled rainbow jersey, after being led heroically by Wiggins and David Millar - among others - before unleashing a customary sprint finish.

He believes the manner of the victory was as impressive as the final result, and is certain Team GB have put down a real marker ahead of London 2012.

"It was a three-year plan. We had the best bunch of British riders there has ever been. And the eight guys rode incredibly. We controlled the world champs from start to finish in a way no one had ever seen before," he said.

"Sometimes I ask why it's an individual award. If I could take these bands (on the rainbow jersey) and give the other lads one each I would. It's how it is. But for a British rider, after 46 years, it is an incredible thing.

"We showed the world we can control the championships; not just win, but control how the whole race panned out. That's quite a dominating thing to have. Psychologically, the other teams now know the rules."

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