Geraint Thomas wants Mark Cavendish at Team Sky

Cavendish has won 20 Tour de France stages during his career

Geraint Thomas says he would like to see Mark Cavendish join him at Team Sky.

Cavendish has decided who he will join for 2012, although he has so far refused to reveal the team's identity.

The 26-year-old, whose current contract with HTC-Highroad expires at the end of the year, has been linked with Team Sky.

"It's a tricky decision for him, but I hope he comes here," Thomas told BBC Sport Wales.

Cavendish won the green jersey for the best sprinter at the Tour de France in July, while Thomas was the highest-placed British rider in the Tour's general classification.

Cardiff's Thomas recently signed a three-year deal to remain with Team Sky.

"We've got a good relationship, we're good mates and he's got a lot of mates in Sky and he can see it's a good team," added Thomas.

"But there's a lot of other good teams out there as well.

"He's the fastest man in the world and to be leading him out would be great.

"As they say success breeds success and if we were leading him out and he's winning stages in the biggest races then it will carry the whole team forward."

Cavendish, who is from the Isle of Man, and Thomas, will be British team-mates at the World Championships in Copenhagen in September.

And Thomas said he would sacrifice his own ambitions to help Cavendish in Denmark.

"I think Cav will be the sole leader and everything will be done to help him try and win," said Thomas.

"I think Cav's got a great chance there. It's not as hard as previous years. It's a course that really suits him.

"He's the fastest guy in the world and it would be wrong of us to go and try and split the leadership.

Thomas admits he might elect to miss next year's event to prepare for the Olympics.

The 25-year-old was a member of Britain's men's pursuit team who won gold in Beijing in 2008 and will be defending the title in London.

However, Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford, who is also British Cycling's performance director, has said he expects his riders to compete in next year's Tour de France.

But Thomas said he alone would have the final say on whether he will take part in the Tour de France.

"The Olympics is the main thing for me," said Thomas.

"Sky originally was all set up because of the Olympics and winning there.

"Along with the coaches' advice and what they think best, we'll go with that.

"The Tour de France finishes 10 days before the Olympic team pursuit race.

"It's a home Olympics, we're in with a great shout of winning the gold medal so I don't want to jeopardise that in any way.

"If the Tour's going to take a bit of an edge off me going into the Olympics then I would have to miss it. But it could help.

"It's one of those things we need to sit down with the coaches and really discuss properly October-time once the season's done and decide what the plan of attack's going to be."