Cycling: Omega Pharma pin Tour hopes on Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish

British sprint great Mark Cavendish will spearhead Belgian team Omega Pharma’s hopes for stage wins in the upcoming Tour de France after they announced their team line-up on Monday for the race that begins on June 29.

Cavendish, who has won 23 stages in the Tour since 2008, will rely on his faithful lieutenant Gert Steegmans to set him up for stage victories in the three week race.

The team’s target for the 28-year-old Isle of Man born Cavendish is a big one from the outset.

“One of the principal goals is for him to don the yellow jersey after the first stage,” said a team director.

Omega Pharma will also have high hopes that world time-trial champion Tony Martin will also collect stage wins in the time-trial legs.

“We have for sure one of the best teams,” said team manager Patrick Lefevere.

“Mark can count on a strong group built around him. For the team it will also be important to show their class at every opportunity.

“With seven stages set up for sprinters, a team time-trial and two individual time-trials, we can be prominent in half the stages in the Tour. And that is before you take into account the riders like Sylvain Chavanel and Niki Terpstra who are capable of playing a role in the stages with mid level climbs.”

Team

Mark Cavendish (GBR), Sylvain Chavanel (FRA), Michal Kwiatkowski (POL), Tony Martin (GER), Jerome Pineau (FRA), Gert Steegmans (BEL), Niki Terpstra (NED), Matteo Trentin (ITA), Peter Velits (SVK)

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