Following the announcement that HTC-Highroad will disband at the end of the season, sprinter Mark Cavendish announced on his website that he has decided which team he will ride for next and will make it public soon.
Former yellow jersey wearer at the Tour de France Chris Boardman spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside this week, saying Cavendish should take teammates Mark Renshaw and Bernie Eisel with him to his new team.
"It would be absolutely crazy for him to not take at least Renshaw," said Boardman.
"Cavendish on his own is still a formidable sprinter but he would not have had the volume of wins without the team behind him."
The 26 year old won his first green jersey in the Tour de France this year, along with five stage wins, taking his career total to twenty thus far. After every victory, he waits for his team at the finish line and is always the first to thank them, making it clear that victory would not be possible without them.
"[He should take] probably Renshaw and Eisel because there was a number of stages he won in this year's Tour de France and, credit to him, he praised his team and knew they put him in the right position.
"Wherever he goes he'd be foolish not to take those people with him," said Boardman.
"We've seen other sprinters like Andre Greipel leave the HTC set-up and the number of their wins drops dramatically."
Renshaw has been named the best leadout man in the business by pundits and is always the last man in the HTC-Highroad train to launch Cav to the line. Eisel is the captain on the road for the team making the all important decisions. His job is also to guide Cavendish through the mountain stages ensuring the Manxman doesn’t finish outside the time limit.
Cavendish joked during this years Tour de France that he didn’t know how he’d make it through the individual time trial without Eisel alongside him.
The star sprinter is said to have considered offers from numerous teams but is reported to have chosen British team Sky Procycling, joining fellow Briton Bradley Wiggins.
"Sky proved to me, with Bradley Wiggins this year that they've got a genuine tour podium contender, even for the top spot," added Boardman.
"How do you split your resources between [Wiggins and Cavendish]? I just don't know but maybe we're going to find out next year."