Bradley Wiggins has spoken of the "ultimate dream" of two British cyclists winning the coveted yellow and green jerseys in the same Tour de France race and suggested it has become a strong possibility - but not necessarily this year.
While the 30-year-old triple Olympic pursuit champion, who finished a remarkable fourth overall in his debut Tour last year, is confident that he can fare so much better twelve months on that he is a genuine contender to become the first British cyclist in history to finish in the top three overall, and maybe even win the Tour and the yellow jersey, he has cast doubts over Mark Cavendish's goal to be the sprint king this year, head the final points total and claim the green jersey, which would be the first jersey claimed by any British rider since Robert Millar became the king of the mountains in 1984 and won the polka dot jersey.
"Cav's not as fit as he'd like to be because of the problems he's faced this season," Wiggins explained. "Cav under par will still win a stage or two but he'd see that as a failure. You can never write the man off, but it will be difficult."
Cavendish has had a series of problems on and off the bike this year, including a major mouth infection following dental surgery that delayed his training by weeks, the jailing of his brother for drugs offences, his withdrawal from the HTC Columbia team after celebrating a stage win in the Tour of Romandie by a two-fingered salute, and a multiple crash in the Tour of Switzerland which he not only was blamed for, but provoked a muted rider protest the following day.
The 25-year-old is still confident that he can win the green jersey and match or better his remarkable feat of winning six stages to add to the four claimed in 2009 but believes the barriers for Wiggins are too high to surmount. Wiggins' feat in finishing fourth last year was "outstanding" but Cavendish can only see one winner this year, and it is not his fellow Briton. "I can't see anyone beating last year's winner, Alberto Contador, and that includes Brad," said Cavendish. "Contador should win the Tour for the next two, three or maybe even four years."
And so the stage is set. On Saturday the most compelling Tour de France, from a British point of view, in its 97-year history begins with a nine kilometre prologue race in the South of Rotterdam. Ahead will lie 20 stages, 3,642 kms and just two rest days until the surviving peloton hurtle down the Champs Elyssess in Paris four weeks today.
Twelve months ago Wiggins, a six-time Olympic medallist who has a penchant for Paul Weller, guitars and boxing, rocked up to the Tour and astonished everyone with a final placing of fourth with little to no preparation. Fast forward a year and the nine-man line-up that makes up the newly-created Team Sky under the watchful eye of Team Principal Dave Brailsford is all about delivering Wiggins to the podium.
"Everything points to a better performance this year," insisted Wiggins, who has spent the past week on reconnaissance duty to familiarise himself with crucial stages of the Tour such as Bordeaux.
"Last year was a surprise to everyone but now I have much more self-belief, I know exactly what I have to do, I have the right team behind me, and I know the route blind-folded. Physically I know I can win the Tour de France. Mentally the Tour, despite the physical hardship, is a lot easier than being on the start line of an Olympic final knowing you have four minutes to win gold or muck up, with no second chances. My experiences winning Olympic titles have made me one of the mentally strongest riders on the Tour.
"I'll need some luck along the way, and no crashes, and there are some strong other contenders including COntador who has to be the favourite, but I am ready and, despite some in the peloton believing I could be a one-Tour wonder, I think it could be a very big Tour for me.
"If I could finish on the podium, or even win the yellow jersey, and Cav wins the green jersey, it would be the ultimate dream for British cycling, but it probably won't happen this year because we'd both need to be on top of our game, but I do believe it can and will happen in the next few years. We're both members of the very small group of riders who can win those jerseys."
Over in Camp Cavendish the mood is also confident, despite the testing last few months. "Physically I'm in great shape, mentally I've taken some knocks," the Manxman admitted. "But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. There are nine possible sprints I could win, and eight in one Tour is the record. I'm going for the green jersey this year, for sure, and if I don't win it I'll see it as a failure.
"It's been my hardest season but people have to realise I've sacrificed wins in order to focus completely on the Tour. I'm still the same kid who just loves to get on his bike and ride and when I've got myself into trouble it's invariably been because I've controlled my emotions for four hours on a bike until I've crossed the finish line and then it's all come out. I'm a different bloke at home, or even once I've calmed down and my heartbeat's returned to a normal rate. Forget what's happened this year to me. It's all about the next few weeks and I'm incredibly focussed."
Add to this the sight of Spain's Contador going for a second, successive Tour win with his team, Astana, and a third in total, the prospect of an in-form Lance Armstrong gunning for a staggering eighth overall win in what could well be the 38-year-old's last appearance at the Tour de France, plus the expected strong challenges from the likes of Italy's Giro d'Italia winner last month, Ivan Basso, Luxemburg's Andy Schleck, runner up last year, and Australia's Cadel Evans, second in 2007 and 2008, and the Tour promises to serve up a fascinating battle of mind and body with maybe - just maybe - a jersey of some colour for a British cyclist.
