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Cavendish confirms he wants to leave Team Sky

Mark Cavendish has broken his silence over his Team Sky future © Getty Images

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Mark Cavendish has confirmed that he wants to leave Team Sky, but insists it will be an amicable split.

There has been much speculation over Cavendish's future since Bradley Wiggins' victory at the Tour de France - when Cavendish surrendered his hopes of winning the green jersey as Team Sky threw their resources at Wiggins' quest to become the first British winner of yellow.

Wiggins himself had admitted his team-mate should move on in order to progress his career, and Cavendish has now confirmed he wants to join a team which can provide him with full support as a sprinter.

"Winning the yellow jersey is the biggest thing in cycling, for me not to want a team and a company I love not to go and do the biggest thing would be wrong," he said.

"But obviously it restricts me and what I can do as a professional cyclist myself. I have got this ambition of winning as many stages in the Tour de France as I can and I want to be somewhere I can do that. We had ambitions that can't work out."

Cavendish insists he does not regret joining the British team and is proud of the role he played in Wiggins' historic Tour de France win, and he is hopeful he can leave Sky on good terms and is confident Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford will not stand in his way.

"I want the best for British cycling, it has grown so much and we had this idea that we could have this British superteam that could win stages and dominate," Cavendish said. "Dave sold me the idea last year but for some reason it hasn't worked out like that. It's difficult to do.

"If they want to go and do it again, why not? The yellow jersey is the biggest prize in sport, but Dave's stated ambitions are not really involving sprinters or a green jersey or stage wins so that puts me in a position where I am lost.

"Rather than kicking and screaming I hope we can come to an amicable solution and we can have the best for both parties.

"It's like a long distance relationship with a girl. Everything is great but you live apart and it can't work out. But you want to be friends and you would rather the best thing happens so that everything can remain good and that you can stay close.

"I've been very happy at Sky. I am still happy at Sky. It's the guys I grew up racing with, a management I grew up racing with. I don't want to compromise Sky and hopefully Sky won't compromise me.

"I've not said anything before, I've just heard things and read things. The Tour de France is the hardest sprint event in the world and it became apparent this year that you can't go in with a two-pronged attack. I was incredibly proud to be part of that team that won a yellow - that was big thing in my career, it will go down as possibly the biggest thing of my career.

"I've got a two-year contract with Sky and it will be interesting to see what Dave says. Hopefully he won't keep me suppressed down. I don't want to keep Sky suppressed down either. I've heard talk of a release fee but I've known Dave since I was 14 and I don't think he will do that. Hopefully we can find an amicable solution."

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