Cavendish and Columbia-HTC train in Lanzarote

• Tuesday, 15 December 2009
• Nigel Wynn
• 1 Comments

Mark Cavendish, Columbia HTC training, Lanzarote Dec 2009

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Mark Cavendish joined his Columbia-HTC team-mates last week for the squad's first get together ahead of the 2010 racing season.

Cavendish flew out to the Spanish island of Lanzarote for a pre-season get together to get their new Scott team bikes fitted, work out the racing schedule for the year ahead and go for a spin.

"It's really great to have all of the guys together for the first time," said Columbia-HTC team manager Rolf Aldag.

"We have 11 new riders on the roster and it's a good chance for them all to get to know each other and for the new guys to learn how we do things on this team."

After the team meeting, Cavendish came back to the UK to appear at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in Sheffield on Sunday night.

Cavendish started 84 days of racing in the 2009 season, and took 23 wins - surpassing his total of 17 victories in 2008. The Manxman finished the season with more victories than any other rider.

Several key members of the 2009 squad have left to join other teams for 2010, most notably Ghent-Wevelgem and Tour of Britain winner Edvald Boasson Hagen to Team Sky and Cavendish's key lead-out man George Hincapie, who has joined the BMC Racing Team with world champion Cadel Evans.

Columbia-HTC will kick off its racing season at the opening event of the 2010 ProTour, the Tour Down Under in Australia from January 19-24.

Columbia-HTC 2010
Michael Albasini [SWI]
Lars Bak [DEN]
Mark Cavendish [GBR]
Gert Dockx [BEL]
Bernhard Eisel [AUT]
Jan Ghyselinck [BEL]
Mathew Goss [AUS]
Bert Grabsch [GER]
André Greipel [GER]
Patrick Gretsch [GER]
Rasmus Guldhammer [DEN]
Adam Hansen [AUS]
Leigh Howard [AUS]
Craig Lewis [USA]
Tony Martin [GER]
Maxime Montfort [BEL]
Marco Pinotti [ITA]
Frantisek Rabon [CZE]
Mark Renshaw [AUS]
Vicente Reynes [SPA]
Michael Rogers [AUS]
Hayden Roulston [NZL]
Alex Saramotin [LAT]
Marcel Seiberg [GER]
Kanstantsin Sivtsov [BLR]
Tejay Van Garderen [USA]
Martin Velits [SLO]
Peter Velits [SLO] 

Mark Cavendish enjoying some winter sun in Lanzarote. Photos: Club La Santa

Related links
Cavendish misses out on BBC award
Edvald Boasson Hagen heads to Team Sky
BMC signs Ballan and Hincapie