The Mark Cavendish lead-out train, punctuated by the Manx Missle’s withering final burst, dominated the flat-stages of 2011.

But with workhorse Mark Renshaw now fighting for his own wins in a new team, and Cav’s Team Sky struggling for cohesion, can the world champion hold out in-form Andre Greipel and co. as they challenge for his crown?

Greipel is on fire in 2012. He dominated the sprints in the Tour Down Under, as Renshaw and GreenEDGE fiddled and their teams struggled to make the most of their opportunities.

Greipel’s Lotto Belisol team propelled him to another resounding win on stage one of the Tour of Oman at Wadi Al Huwqayn this morning.

This was win number four for Greipel in 2012, having missed the Tour of Qatar with illness, but the German sprinter downplayed any hint of problems after the stage:

“It was for safety [missing Qatar] but after two days I was good,” he said.

“I could do my training at home, it was a good choice from the team to keep me out of Qatar and now I’m back.”

Yet this wasn’t quite the triumph it could have been.

Mark Cavendish, the world champion, is in the main field in Oman. However, there was no final sprint contest in the end from Cav, after being forced off the road. His team pointed the blame towards Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) for causing an incident, with Cavendish crossing the line in a frustrated 67th place.

Make no mistake. Cavendish looms large over the field. He won two sprint stages in the Tour of Qatar with disarming ease. His Sky lead-out team hasn’t quite gelled yet, and perhaps the absense of Renshaw playing a part in this. But he isn’t going anywhere, and he has ground away at the hopes of nearly all other sprint competitors, who just can’t match the final burst from the Manx Missle.

There are other bit players who haven’t yet stood up this year. GreenEDGE’s Matt Goss finished the stage in 10th, and earlier last week, Cavendish paid a huge compliment, saying the one man he fears is Goss.

The sprinters have their eyes on the big goal of the first part of the 2012 season, the Milan-San Remo, where Goss is the defending champion.

Cavendish is keen to win the race, and the usual pillar of self-confidence in Cavendish doesn’t usually mention a competitor in such esteem.

Goss will need to get his GreenEDGE team in line during Oman and preceding Tours if he’d like to have a chance of defending at San Remo.

Watching Cavendish try to blow them all away in 2012 will yet again be compelling cycling viewing – and it may come down to the quality of lead-out that he, Greipel, and their rivals, can put together.

The six-day Tour of Oman continues tonight.