Swift is green with envy over Cavendish’s French success

Cavendish stood on the podium garbed in the sprinters’ green jersey in Paris on Sunday after winning five stages of the famous race and the points classification.

Yorkshireman Swift, 23, achieved his more modest goal of just finishing the Tour de France on his first attempt.

But after crossing the line sixth on a stage Cavendish won into Montpellier last week and leading a breakaway on Sunday to the intermediate sprint checkpoint in the French capital, the Rotherham rider has a taste for fame and glory.

“In the future I definitely want to be going for the green jersey,” said the Team Sky rider. “It’s a goal.”

And although he faded on Sunday and ultimately finished more then three hours down on yellow jersey winner Cadel Evans, Swift relished the opportunity to compete in the gruelling three-week test of endurance.

“I want a fourth week now,” said Swift.

“The whole race has been incredible.

“The plan (on Sunday) was to go out there and have fun. It was the first break of the day, I tried it and it worked.

“I felt good, the atmosphere was amazing and I couldn’t feel any pain in my legs at all.

“Eventually they (the peloton) caught up with us and the lactic acid turns your legs to jelly.

“It would have been great to carry on and get the win but that’s bike racing.”

Next for Cavendish is the Olympic road race test event on August 14, when he will race over the course in which he hopes to win Britain’s first Games gold in London on July 28 next year.

He is likely to ride in the year’s third Grand Tour, the Vuelta a Espana, in defence of his points title and in preparation for the September 25 World Championships in Copenhagen.

In Denmark, he will seek to become the second British male after Doncaster’s Tommy Simpson in 1965 to win the world road race title.

Who he will defend the green jersey for next year remains unknown with his contract up at the end of the year with Highroad, and Team Sky reportedly interested.

Bob Stapleton, the American owner of Cavendish’s current squad, is keen to retain the services of the Briton.

Stapleton said: “We’re really proud of our association with Mark.

“We feel a deep connection to him, we’d love to see that continue and we’re going to do our best to make that happen.”