Image 1 of 4 World champion Mark Cavendish (Sky) won the Tour's final stage in Paris for the fourth straight year. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 4 Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) before the start of the London 2012 Olympic road race. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 3 of 4 Mark Cavendish (Sky) puncuates a magical Tour de France for the British team with victory on the Champs-Élysées. (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 4 of 4 Mark Cavendish (Sky) wins in Brive-la-Gaillarde (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Mark Cavendish is confirmed to be leaving Team Sky at the end of this season, a Norwegian website has claimed.

The website said that “a source close to Team Sky” confirmed to them that Cavendish was indeed leaving after only one season.

According to Procycling.no, Cavendish's problems with the team erupted during the Tour de France, when the team concentrated on eventual winner Bradley Wiggins and runner-up Chris Froome. That left no one to help Cavendish in the sprints and he was unable to defend the green points jersey which he had won the year before.

Cavendish's departure had long been rumoured. Patrick Lefevere told Cyclingnews last month that Omega Pharma-QuickStep would be glad to welcome him to the Belgian team. Wiggins said that it would probably be best for the Manxman to be on another team, and Edvald Boasson Hagen has said that the team has told its riders not to discuss Cavendish's future plans.