One of the most exciting young talents in world cycling, Mark Cavendish forced his way into T-Mobile's Tour de France line-up with a run of results that made him impossible to ignore.

The 22-year-old sprinter will be withdrawn before the mountains but has every chance of adding to his remarkable haul of six wins in his first pro season.

Belgian great Johan Museeuw has already identified the Manx-born Cavendish as a rider who could lift the sport's profile in this country.

Victory in the predicted bunch sprint in Canterbury on Sunday would be a great first step.