Manx Missile Mark Cavendish unfazed by 'ignorant' Tour expectations

The 26-year-old from the Isle of Man, who has been linked with a move to Team Sky in 2012, at the end of his contract with HTC-Highroad, has won 15 Tour stages in three years and is aiming to win the points classification's green jersey in Paris on 24 July.

Ahead of the Tour start today, Cavendish said: "I'm going to concentrate as ever on me and the team doing our own jobs, which is crossing the line first.

"It doesn't matter who is in second, third and fourth as long as we try to win. The way to win the green jersey is to win a lot of stages. I'll try to do both.

"I'm going well. It is a tougher Tour this year - the intermediate stages and the flat stages are tougher than they have been. I'm lighter than last year, which is what you have to be. I lose a bit of top-end speed but I'll get to the finish in better condition."

Today's 191-kilometre opening stage in the Vendee region of western France from Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouettes Les Herbiers features an uphill finish and favours top one-day racers like Philippe Gilbert, Fabian Cancellara and Thor Hushovd.

Cavendish believes it is possible he will be in contention for the stage win - and with it the race leader's yellow jersey - but some of his HTC-Highroad team-mates are better suited for the stage. That includes Australian Tour debutant Matt Goss, who in March won the Milan-San Remo classic.

Rather than feeling threatened by Goss' presence on the team, which could dilute his own chances of success, Cavendish is pleased. He added: "He's a different sprinter to me. It adds to the strength of our team. Stages where I necessarily won't get to the finish, Matt Goss will get to the finish."

Asked whether Cavendish would support Goss if his team-mate took the point's classification's maillot vert, the Manxman said: "Of course I would. That's a given. Like you see with our team we just want to win. It doesn't matter who crosses the line first, we just want to win."

And that includes the possibility Cavendish - the fastest sprinter in road cycling - could be seen leading out Goss later in the Tour.

The options of Goss and Cavendish mean HTC-Highroad, often seen leading the peloton and dictating the bunch finishes in the last three years, are yet to determine the final order for their lead-out train. Cavendish said: "We'll change depending on the style of the run-in and who's up for that day. We'll have to adapt to each stage as it comes."

The presence of Cavendish and Goss in one team demonstrates the strength of HTC-Highroad, but despite being the most successful team in the sport, the American squad could disband if a new headline sponsor is not found before the Tour.Cavendish is rumoured to have already agreed a move to the British-run Team Sky, who again focus their attentions on Bradley Wiggins this month, but refused to answer questions on whether the uncertainty over the future of HTC-Highroad would impact on this year's Tour.

The Briton is unsure how the change to the points classification system, which puts greater emphasis on the intermediate sprints, will impact on his bid for the green jersey. He anticipates there will be four sprint finishes and a possible three further chances for him to take victory - including today - but concedes the route is a tough one.

He added: "I shouldn't expect the Tour de France to be designed for me to win sprints. It's not that different to 2008 and I won a couple of stages in the first week."

And Cavendish maintains that he is unfazed by the expectation placed on him to extend his multiple successes in the Tour after four stage wins in 2008, six in 2009 and five in 2010.

He added: "I always set my own standards and goals, that's how I work. I don't let outside expectation dictate how I ride. I set targets and try and achieve those targets.

"I can tell you now the ignorance of some people is going to be if I don't win four, five stages, it's going to be a failure.

"That's ignorant. To win four, five stages, that's not a normal thing. That's an incredible thing to do. You have to be happy as always with one stage of the Tour de France. One stage of the Tour de France can make a rider's career. To come here every year and target one stage is really the most realistic thing."

Team Sky leader Wiggins is confident he can improve on his most prestigious career victory but is cautious over talk of becoming the first Briton on the podium in Paris.

The 31-year-old Londoner, who finished fourth in the 2009 Tour, won traditional warm-up the Dauphine Libere in early June as he bids to make amends for his 24th place in Team Sky's debut Tour last July. "I feel I'm in a better place now than I was in the Dauphine," said Wiggins. "The Dauphine was a huge win but all my preparations have been for the Tour de France."

Wiggins insisted he wanted to "get back to the same heights as 2009" when he equalled the best finish by a Briton in cycling's premier race - matching Robert Millar's 1984 result when the Scot also claimed the King of the Mountains title - but stopped short of stating ambitions for a top-three place.

He added: "I don't think I have mentioned podium once all season.

"Everyone is throwing the podium around but I don't think the podium is necessarily a marker of success in this Tour de France for me so I think it's not about convincing anyone."

Team Sky's colours will change from their usual blue to green for the Tour as part of a the Sky Rainforest Rescue campaign.But Wiggins, one of the team's nine riders, will wear the British champion's white, red and blue jersey following his triumph in Northumberland last weekend - another indicator of his supreme form.

He said: "I have done what I have done up to now, the results speak for themselves.

"The next three weeks is about us going through this process day in, day out and then maybe having this talk in Paris.

"It's good that people are asking these questions but the fact you are asking these questions speak for themselves."