Should Mark Cavendish swallow his pride and retire?

1…1011131516…34

Comments

  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    If he gets another one or two this tour, no way is he going to give up the chance of the stage wins record next year.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822
    Wiggo was saying on his podcast yesterday that Cav mentioned potentially retiring now he's won the stage

    Depends how cyclical he wants his career to be. I wouldn't be surprised if he retired tbf, but then he's so driven it also wouldn't surprise me if he did another year with QuickStep
  • andyrac
    andyrac Posts: 1,198
    edited July 2021
    I'm not sure he wants to retire; he just loves riding & racing his bike - that's why he was in floods of tears last October.
    He's got better this season - from 4 wins in Turkey, then winning in Belgium v most of the top sprinters, and now a win at the Tour. With another winter of training, why can't he be better next season?
    All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    I suspect he'll carry on - if he wanted to carry on when it appeared he had little chance of winning any kind of race why would he pack it in now ?

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,927
    DeVlaeminck said:

    I suspect he'll carry on - if he wanted to carry on when it appeared he had little chance of winning any kind of race why would he pack it in now ?

    I agree although a lot of top level sportsmen want to retire on their terms, and not when someone else has decided it for them.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    mrb123 said:

    If he gets another one or two this tour, no way is he going to give up the chance of the stage wins record next year.

    The problem is he got a free pass this year because Sam Bennett couldn't go. ANd I'm deighted he got a win, I hope he gets at least another this year. But if Cav is on 32 stage wins, would DQS ditch Sam for Cav? I don't think so. Sam has already left one team to get out of Sagan's shadow he won't want to be passed over at DQS for Cav's remote hope of glory..
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Some people just love racing more than winning, some love winning more than racing.

    _
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    mrfpb said:

    mrb123 said:

    If he gets another one or two this tour, no way is he going to give up the chance of the stage wins record next year.

    The problem is he got a free pass this year because Sam Bennett couldn't go. ANd I'm deighted he got a win, I hope he gets at least another this year. But if Cav is on 32 stage wins, would DQS ditch Sam for Cav? I don't think so. Sam has already left one team to get out of Sagan's shadow he won't want to be passed over at DQS for Cav's remote hope of glory..
    Bennett's not going to be at DQS next year.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Any rumours about who QS might sign to replace Bennett? At the moment they've got Ballerini, Hodeg as sprinters and a bunch of classics types. None can get anywhere near Cavendish's form.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,106
    Yes Sam Bennett is already leaving though haven't they kind of promised Fabio Jacobsen the role of main sprinter next season? I suppose it's pro sport and Cav has to prove he is worthy of the spot either with Quickstep or elsewhere.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,927
    kingstongraham said:

    Any rumours about who QS might sign to replace Bennett? At the moment they've got Ballerini, Hodeg as sprinters and a bunch of classics types. None can get anywhere near Cavendish's form.

    They have Fabio Jakobsen as well.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    I'd forgotten about Jakobsen. Hope he comes back to what he looked like he was becoming.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822
    Tim Merlier to QS is the rumour
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    kingstongraham said:

    Any rumours about who QS might sign to replace Bennett? At the moment they've got Ballerini, Hodeg as sprinters and a bunch of classics types. None can get anywhere near Cavendish's form.

    There was a rumour about Tim Merlier heading to QS, though he's apparently still in contract with Alpecin for 2022...
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,819
    Surely the team sponsors would do anything to bring in the kind of publicity that Cav breaking the stage wins record would generate.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,312
    merlier is young and may well get better, cav has the experience, the name and i get that another year at DQS would be a dream but in another year the romance/luck may have gone and he is 37/38.
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    kingstongraham said:

    mrfpb said:

    mrb123 said:

    If he gets another one or two this tour, no way is he going to give up the chance of the stage wins record next year.

    The problem is he got a free pass this year because Sam Bennett couldn't go. ANd I'm deighted he got a win, I hope he gets at least another this year. But if Cav is on 32 stage wins, would DQS ditch Sam for Cav? I don't think so. Sam has already left one team to get out of Sagan's shadow he won't want to be passed over at DQS for Cav's remote hope of glory..
    Bennett's not going to be at DQS next year.
    I hadn't realised this. It would be well worth a punt on Cav to go for the record next year then. DQS took the chance on him this year, I hope if he does do it, he does it with them.
  • amrushton
    amrushton Posts: 1,312
    depends on what he wants/what will they pay and do they think he's worth it? Why did he leave originally? Clearly he's happy there and with the kit but does he need to chase ££ to get another watch
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    kingstongraham said:

    I'd forgotten about Jakobsen. Hope he comes back to what he looked like he was becoming.

    Talking about Jakobsen, this was a nice touch... Cav talking to Jakobsen after his stage win.

    https://nos.nl/collectie/13867/artikel/2387304-geemotioneerde-cavendish-fabio-gaat-eigen-geschiedenis-in-de-tour-schrijven?fbclid=IwAR0o-NDHMJ8dOYTV2Jm8vH_zJA0E611m-je3f7FkpWi-c2Vlr3nZkjL8q-Y
    Correlation is not causation.
  • daniel_b
    daniel_b Posts: 11,985
    edited July 2021
    amrushton said:

    merlier is young and may well get better, cav has the experience, the name and i get that another year at DQS would be a dream but in another year the romance/luck may have gone and he is 37/38.

    Cav will be 37 in May, but perhaps the fact he had those years of not really racing due to the virus, potentially that as a side effect will allow him to prolong his career.

    We've seen before that a lot of a sprinters results are based on confidence, and that even the best in the world have dips, sometimes lengthy, in form, so I can't see a reason why a resurgent Cav could not go on for another 12+ months, if he wants to, and can deliver the results.
    He's clearly hungry for it, and currently has the form in spadeloads.
    Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
    Marin Palisades Trail 91 and 06
    Scott CR1 SL 12
    Cannondale Synapse Adventure 15 & 16 Di2
    Scott Foil 18
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656
    above_the_cows said:

    kingstongraham said:

    I'd forgotten about Jakobsen. Hope he comes back to what he looked like he was becoming.

    Talking about Jakobsen, this was a nice touch... Cav talking to Jakobsen after his stage win.

    https://nos.nl/collectie/13867/artikel/2387304-geemotioneerde-cavendish-fabio-gaat-eigen-geschiedenis-in-de-tour-schrijven?fbclid=IwAR0o-NDHMJ8dOYTV2Jm8vH_zJA0E611m-je3f7FkpWi-c2Vlr3nZkjL8q-Y
    That's lovely, though the link was broken. Should be fixed here:

    https://nos.nl/l/2387304
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    It's worth noting that Morkov is older than Cavendish so they will have to replace him too. Maybe give them both another year until Merlier is available and fix him up with a new lead out.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822
    Merlier's not exactly young though is he? He started his career quite late IIRC

    He's probably at his peak now
  • dg74
    dg74 Posts: 656
    32. Aye - definitely should have retired :D

    Legend.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,166
    Should probably stick around for the rest of this race maybe.
  • photonic69
    photonic69 Posts: 2,823
    Totally past it now! Quit while you are ahead.

    (just kidding - what a legend!)


    Sometimes. Maybe. Possibly.

  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,334
    That interview above is well worth watching - thanks both.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,656
    RichN95. said:

    It's worth noting that Morkov is older than Cavendish so they will have to replace him too. Maybe give them both another year until Merlier is available and fix him up with a new lead out.

    Yeah, but lead out is a discipline that you can do longer than sprinting, hence ex sprinters dropping into the role. It also favours "old age and cunning", so I reckon Mørkøv has a few years left
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    edited July 2021
    Over/under Cav taking 36 Tour wins. I think I'll have the over. I think he will ride 2 more Tours minimum.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822
    Christian Prudhomme played a voicemail Cav left him saying it would be his last Tour.

    There are (at least) 3 more sprint stages left in the race, if he wins those he should retire on the spot.

Categories