Gary Imlach and weeping Mark Cavendish

bice

Generally, I think Gary Imlach is a good commentator, but he was way too hard-boiled over Cavendish's weeping in the Tour de France.

I don't knowmuch about the guy - Cavendish - but he was clealry very moved by his win after a run of failure and letting down his team. The fact that he wept just shows that he cares and is very good, in my view.

It was not macho enough for Imlach though, who highlighted it several times in his commentary - Cavendish needing a saline drip after blubbing on the podium etc. He was cowardly too, by trying to offload his macho take on it all on to L'Equipe and its impenetrable reference to Micky Rourke in connection with Cavendish's tears.

Emotional highs and lows are what you get from young athletes, if they care. (Contrast Cavendish with our footballers).

I don't know anything about Cavendish, but think more of him for his tears than not. Anyway, Imlach as a master of ceremonies that he was never talented enough to perform in should show more respect.

BrianTrousers

I've never been a professional footballer but that doesn't stop me thinking that Rooney's a c*ck.

When Cav starts acting like a mature human being rather than a spoilt child, he may deserve some respect.

giant_man

It's Cavendish's own fault for proclaiming he is the fastest rider on the planet and basically his whole cocky, bullish attitude. I still think he's got a lot of growing up to do.

His tears didn't do much for me feeling sorry for him have to say. So as a commentator I can see why he's being hard on him.

cedar404

Imlach is great, really good presenter. Loved that bit towards the end of yesterdays live show after the leaders had finished when he said something along the lines of:

Well I make it that we have time for an advert break and when we come back Armstrong will be near the finish.

Cleat Eastwood

BrianTrousers wrote:

I've never been a professional footballer but that doesn't stop me thinking that Rooney's a c*ck.

When Cav starts acting like a mature human being rather than a spoilt child, he may deserve some respect.

+ 1

Ah diddums, too hard boiled...ah

Imlachs got one of the wittiest turns of phrase on TV at the mo.

His saline quote was funny as.

Check his autobiography, My Father and Other Working Class Heroes.

rjh299

Imlach is quite funny, also liked the Lance advert break comment, even though i'm a Lance fan. Wish he would say something to Boardman though about loving Sky and everything they do. Even when they **** up!

cougie

Gary Imlach looks like he's just stepped out of Gene Hunts car in the 80s.

I'm such a TdF tart - i'm watching the live coverage in HD on eurorsport when I can, but then still watching the highlights on ITV for their opinions too. Tour overkill is great !

bartimaeus

Imlach is paid to both enlighten and entertain the viewers... and the sight of Cav weeping after his victory having given a matter-of-fact interview before the stage was clearly worthy of comment. I'm enjoying Imlach's contribution more than ever this year.

IMHO Cav has come across really well this... you could see how much the win meant to him, and he was, as always, generous in his praise for his teammates. I was just as interested to see the interview with Mark Renshaw as he and Cav are clearly a hugely successful double-act, ably supported by their team.

Imlach's hair is, though, truly terrible.

Cleat Eastwood

Imlachs hair in the Hawaii 5-0

Rich Hcp

Why not?

Imlach is very good

Cav has been very rude to the press in the past and we he lives his life in the public eye, his choice.

Having said that it's nice to see a sportsman show what it really means to them.

I enjoy the TdF highlights, its a very good team

jamlala

I loved Imlachs comment pre the first mountain stage (or maybe it was the 2nd it doesn't really matter!) along the lines of 'as the peleton hit the mountains the sprinters self help group will be bringing up the rear!'

You had to be there obviously.......I'll get my coat!

dontmentiondoping

I agree with Cavendish having a lot of growing up to do. In my opinion easily the most dislikable guy in the Tour.

As for Gary Imlach, he has an excellent turn of phrase and I was always a fan (I'm also a Gridiron fan and liked his presenting when C4 used to cover it), but one irritation is the habit he's developed this year of making a lipsmacking noise at the start of each sentence.

stock

That's just him removing his mouth from CB's backside...

bice

dontmentiondoping wrote:

I agree with Cavendish having a lot of growing up to do. In my opinion easily the most dislikable guy in the Tour.

As for Gary Imlach, he has an excellent turn of phrase and I was always a fan (I'm also a Gridiron fan and liked his presenting when C4 used to cover it), but one irritation is the habit he's developed this year of making a lipsmacking noise at the start of each sentence.

Well, he's a bit more animated than Wiggo, who seems very dull - actually, he looks scrawny and unwell.

masterchef

i found it quiet pathetic the way cav cried tbh... bigging himself up the way he did then crying when he failed his team mates, most of the time when you hype yourself up i can gauntee you wont succeed as your heads will be else where thinkin how amazing you are when u need to knuckle down when it means most lol
IMO!
srry if this offends:)

paulorg

Lay off the poor kid, Cav's only a baby, he's allowed to make the occasional impetuous comment. More importantly he wins stages and raise cycling's profile over here which can only be a good thing. As for GI, he's ok, much less scary than the other 2

StillGoing

Were his tears not down to the fact that several riders and teams on the tour don't think he should be there with his over aggressive techniques at time?

Pross

philthy3 wrote:

Were his tears not down to the fact that several riders and teams on the tour don't think he should be there with his over aggressive techniques at time?

No.

bazbadger

I find it odd how people criticise Cavendish when he wins - for not having the 'right attitude' - whether it's crying or bragging he's the fastest and when he loses - suddenly pointing out how he lost and he's no longer invincible and now looks a bit of a plonk for all his bragging...

The British sporting fans psyche seems strange at times. Can cope with mediocrity easily, but when faced with someone who's amongst the best, out come the knives. Some don't like the attitude, others don't like the tears. Get over it. Let's enjoy Cavendish whilst we have him.

There's a whiff of inverse snobbery about the whole thing.

peanut1978

cant stand the guy!!!!!!

Cavendish that is, yes he wins sprints, but his lead out train does a hell of a lot of the work.

Give me a solo breakaway any day.

Sprints are dull as.....

jamlala

peanut1978 wrote:

cant stand the guy!!!!!!

Cavendish that is, yes he wins sprints, but his lead out train does a hell of a lot of the work.

Give me a solo breakaway any day.

Sprints are dull as.....

Disagree with nearly all of that!! His lead out train DO a hell of a lot of the work, but isn't that the point? When it works its amazing to watch, interesting to see other teams trying to disrupt it more this year, and also how Hushovd tries to use it for his benefit as well!

peanut1978

I think what I may be trying to say is that I have far more respect for Hushovd after his break last year, and don't have any respect for Cavendish.
I appreciate that he can do more than just sprint, as he did brilliantly in Milan-San Remo, against Haussler (a rider who isn't at the tour because of Cavendish!!)

daveydave43

i do admire cavendish
let him show his emotions
yes his train do a lot of the work, but he is still (when he gets it right) the fastest guy in the peloton, which is no mean feat, right?
yeah i have my favourites, but i dont dislike anyone in the peloton. for example, im not supporting contador's bid for the GC, but im in awe of his climbing and TTing ability.
as for Cav's ego, well, why would we want a boring sprinter? mario cipollini was one hell of a contraversial character too, but he's possibly my favourite sprinter and livened the tour up.
sprinters, i think need an ego. which is fine, because nobody who takes part in the tour is exactly a normal guy either.

jamlala

Look at the ego's that 100m sprinters have in athletics.....

daveydave43

touché

dontmentiondoping

bazbadger wrote:

I find it odd how people criticise Cavendish when he wins - for not having the 'right attitude' .

The British sporting fans psyche seems strange at times. Can cope with mediocrity easily, but when faced with someone who's amongst the best, out come the knives. Some don't like the attitude, others don't like the tears..

There's an excellent autobiography (and for a change it really is an autobiography, written by the man himself and not a ghost writer in sight) by Jackie Stewart called Winning Is Not Enough, and his main theme throughout the book is that the manner in which a sportsman wins and conducts himself is just as important as the winning itself, a view I subscribe to but clearly not a view held by Cavendish. It does seem that when Britain produces World class sportsmen, many of them are, to say the least, not the most likable guys around (of the current crop Andy Murray springs to mind). The likes of Jackie Stewart, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson are certainly rare these days, but that's no excuse to go to the other extreme like Cavendish.