Cavendish's rivals out to destroy him, HTC-Columbia DS claims

With minutes to spare before start, Mark Cavendish appears from the team bus and is instantly swamped by fans and autograph requests.

With minutes to spare before start, Mark Cavendish appears from the team bus and is instantly swamped by fans and autograph requests. (Image credit: Wil Matthews)

Mark Cavendish's rivals are out to “destroy” his Tour de France preparations, HTC-Columbia Directeur Sportif Valerio Piva has said. He accused others in the peloton of playing mind games with the Manx sprinter.