Mark Cavendish leaves Team Sky

Mark Cavendish has left Team Sky to join Omega Pharma-Quick Step on a three-year contract.

Since the conclusion of the Tour de France, it has been widely rumoured that Cavendish had wanted to leave Team Sky and a number of teams had been in contention for his signature.

However, it has been announced that Omega Pharma-Quick Step have won the race to sign Cavendish and the 27-year-old will be joining up with a team that includes some of the staff that helped him win the Tour de France's green jersey.

Cavendish has won 23 stages of the Tour de France, which puts him in fourth place in the all-time list of stage winners.