Cycling superstar Mark Cavendish will be riding for a new team next year after the collapse of HTC-Highroad, but gave no clues Friday to his eventual destination.The sprinter took his tally of Tour de France stage victories to 20 with five wins on this year's race amid continued speculation he was going to jump ship to British-based Team Sky.
He said this week that he would make public his decision within a month, but then HTC-Highroad owner Bob Stapleton announced Thursday that the team would fold because they could not find a sponsor for 2012.
Cavendish, who has been with the team for five years, was quick to pay tribute to them on his personal website.
"I am obviously very disappointed that HTC-Highroad will no longer be a team at the end of this season," he said.
"I am hugely indebted and incredibly grateful to my teammates and all the staff for their support over the last five years and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together."
But the Manxman, who claimed the green jersey for the first time in this year's Tour de France, would still not reveal where he was headed.
Team Sky, who boast his fellow British Olympic teammates Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas, remain the favorites to get his coveted signature, but Cavendish has also been linked with new Australian team GreenEdge.
They announced Friday the signing of world pursuit record holder Jack Bobridge and brothers Cameron and Travis Meyer, three of the most promising riders in cycling as they add to their 2012 roster.
But they will do well to match the achievements of the soon to be defunct HTC-Highroad, who have been the most successful team in the professional peloton with their men's and women's teams achieving nearly 500 victories over five years.
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