There is at least one Briton aiming to derail Bradley Wiggins' bid to be the nation's first Tour de France winner.
Steve Cummings won Olympic team pursuit silver alongside Wiggins in Athens in 2004 and rode his first Tour in support of his friend on Team Sky's debut in 2010.
But the 31-year-old from the Wirral now rides for BMC Racing, who will this month seek to successfully defend the yellow jersey with Cadel Evans.
Cummings has regularly sent Wiggins congratulatory messages during this season, with the Londoner winning at Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie and the Criterium du Dauphine, but hopes he will be sending his commiserations come Paris on July 22.
"I try to do my best for the leader," Cummings said.
"I'm really happy for him (Wiggins) because he's had such a good year. He's just showing everyone how good he is.
"For a few years he's been trying and now it's all clicked into place.
"I've just sent him the odd message of congratulations."
Cummings has been hit by injury this season and was pleased to get the nod to come into the BMC squad.
"After everything that happened and they had such a good Tour last year, I was a little bit surprised," he added.
"It's great to know that the team have a lot of confidence in me.
"They want me for the undulating stages, when it becomes a little bit more mountainous, the days when it's hard all day."
