Cavendish, 25, becomes the first British rider to lead the Vuelta a Espana since Robert Millar in 1986.

BBC: Cavendish in red

The Kazakhstan native was one of the favorites to win this year's Tour de France after a breakthrough performance that won him first place in the 2006 Vuelta a Espana.

NPR: Tour de France 2007: Top Contenders

Cavendish, 25, is making his debut in the Vuelta a Espana but is joined by only one of the HTC-Columbia line-up that helped him win five stages of the Tour de France in July - Austrian Bernhard Eisel.

BBC: Mark Cavendish beaten again in Tour of Spain