Should Mark Cavendish swallow his pride and retire?
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My interest in cycling paralleled his career to a large extent so it will be weird when he's not around. An incredible career.
I can't imagine he will ever forgive himself for letting QS have a day off on Stage 19, 2021 or for letting the wheel go on Box Hill 2012...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Comparing the achievements of Cav & Merckx is a futile taskrick_chasey said:I suspect Cav has bought fewer (read none) stage victories than Merckx did…
'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
It's not really about whether he still has it or not. He is genuinely finding it hard to find a team actually willing to sign him. Has been this way for years now. Had a brief encore with QS, but before and since it's been tumbleweed across the road when the question gets asked, "Who wants to sign Cav?"Lanterne_Rogue said:
And arguably the answer is still "no" - he's knocking on the door of more GT stage wins and he clearly brings a lot to teams in terms of experience and leadership.rick_chasey said:4 years after the thread was started.
I'm pleased for him that he seems to be making the decision to retire on his terms, rather than it being forced on him through either injury or lack of offers.
Huge shame, because he is the best sprinter of all time and I admire his love for the sport and wanting to continue enormously. Think he'd still ride another 2 years, if he'd get a shot within a good team.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
He thought he had a team for this season, only for it to be built on foundations of sand. It was no wonder he struggled to find a team given how late Pineau's project came crashing down.m.r.m. said:
It's not really about whether he still has it or not. He is genuinely finding it hard to find a team actually willing to sign him. Has been this way for years now. Had a brief encore with QS, but before and since it's been tumbleweed across the road when the question gets asked, "Who wants to sign Cav?"Lanterne_Rogue said:
And arguably the answer is still "no" - he's knocking on the door of more GT stage wins and he clearly brings a lot to teams in terms of experience and leadership.rick_chasey said:4 years after the thread was started.
I'm pleased for him that he seems to be making the decision to retire on his terms, rather than it being forced on him through either injury or lack of offers.
Huge shame, because he is the best sprinter of all time and I admire his love for the sport and wanting to continue enormously. Think he'd still ride another 2 years, if he'd get a shot within a good team.0 -
I'm sure I've said this before here, possibly even on this thread, but Cavendish is the first rider that made me realise I was starting to pay more attention to cycling than was perhaps normal. I can remember 2007 when he first rode the Tour for experience, and Phil and Paul were talking - seemingly constantly - about how this kid that was only marking the sprints was the coming thing. It's not often that the hype machine undersells someone...ddraver said:My interest in cycling paralleled his career to a large extent so it will be weird when he's not around.
By the time I was frantically searching for a MSR feed in 2009 I knew I'd moved beyond simply following the Tour.3 -
That was hardly a team with a truly competent lead out with exception of Richeze that would have put him in the driver's seat for wins. That situation was better than Astana, but almost only due to Richeze and not by much.andyp said:
He thought he had a team for this season, only for it to be built on foundations of sand. It was no wonder he struggled to find a team given how late Pineau's project came crashing down.m.r.m. said:
It's not really about whether he still has it or not. He is genuinely finding it hard to find a team actually willing to sign him. Has been this way for years now. Had a brief encore with QS, but before and since it's been tumbleweed across the road when the question gets asked, "Who wants to sign Cav?"Lanterne_Rogue said:
And arguably the answer is still "no" - he's knocking on the door of more GT stage wins and he clearly brings a lot to teams in terms of experience and leadership.rick_chasey said:4 years after the thread was started.
I'm pleased for him that he seems to be making the decision to retire on his terms, rather than it being forced on him through either injury or lack of offers.
Huge shame, because he is the best sprinter of all time and I admire his love for the sport and wanting to continue enormously. Think he'd still ride another 2 years, if he'd get a shot within a good team.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
Lead outs are very old school. How many sprinters win off a full lead out these days? These days you use some else’s lead out to pull the break back and stop any late attacks then beat their sprinter for the win.m.r.m. said:
That was hardly a team with a truly competent lead out with exception of Richeze that would have put him in the driver's seat for wins. That situation was better than Astana, but almost only due to Richeze and not by much.andyp said:
He thought he had a team for this season, only for it to be built on foundations of sand. It was no wonder he struggled to find a team given how late Pineau's project came crashing down.m.r.m. said:
It's not really about whether he still has it or not. He is genuinely finding it hard to find a team actually willing to sign him. Has been this way for years now. Had a brief encore with QS, but before and since it's been tumbleweed across the road when the question gets asked, "Who wants to sign Cav?"Lanterne_Rogue said:
And arguably the answer is still "no" - he's knocking on the door of more GT stage wins and he clearly brings a lot to teams in terms of experience and leadership.rick_chasey said:4 years after the thread was started.
I'm pleased for him that he seems to be making the decision to retire on his terms, rather than it being forced on him through either injury or lack of offers.
Huge shame, because he is the best sprinter of all time and I admire his love for the sport and wanting to continue enormously. Think he'd still ride another 2 years, if he'd get a shot within a good team.0 -
Sure thing, but my point was that he isn't getting a spot on any good team and is probably retiring because of that and not just because he may or may not be finished.
This discussion is a side issue. That being said, the surging setup still requires 2-3 riders to surge and set the sprinter up. You do not regularly see someone surfing wheels on their own and beating Philipsen with his MvdP infused leadout or Bennett with Danny van Poppel leading him out or Jakobsen with the QS train.
So, the case can be made that lead outs are very much alive and well, they have simply changed in how they are performed.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230 -
My first interest in pro racing came from hearing 10 second comments on sky news about some British kid my age winning his 1st, 2nd, 3rd... stage of the tour. That interest has cost me a fortune in cycling kit and holidays over the years."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago4
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Er you do know they’re connected right?m.r.m. said:Sure thing, but my point was that he isn't getting a spot on any good team and is probably retiring because of that and not just because he may or may not be finished.
One thing everyone seems to be ignoring is that the best sprinters in the World are not at the Giro.
'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'0 -
Oufff shaderick_chasey said:I suspect Cav has bought fewer (read none) stage victories than Merckx did…
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm1 -
Yeah but let's do it anywayjosame said:
Comparing the achievements of Cav & Merckx is a futile taskrick_chasey said:I suspect Cav has bought fewer (read none) stage victories than Merckx did…
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm3 -
It's very simple ...cav is the greatest sprinter ever . The end"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm3
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Sad day indeed
Shame he couldn't get the extra Tour stage. I presume he's going this year? Who will Astana be riding for? I have totally lost track of who's where this season.0 -
He should get in the break"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm1
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Your sentence has time travel capabilities - ‘shame he didn’t win one more’… ‘he is going to the Tour’ 😆bobmcstuff said:Sad day indeed
Shame he couldn't get the extra Tour stage. I presume he's going this year? Who will Astana be riding for? I have totally lost track of who's where this season.'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'1 -
Good shout but.........mididoctors said:He should get in the break
Are you going to work with him in your break? Probably a lot of sitting up will occur.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
josame said:
Your sentence has time travel capabilities - ‘shame he didn’t win one more’… ‘he is going to the Tour’ 😆bobmcstuff said:Sad day indeed
Shame he couldn't get the extra Tour stage. I presume he's going this year? Who will Astana be riding for? I have totally lost track of who's where this season.
I guess I am assuming he will struggle to win at the Tour, assuming he goes...0 -
Put it this way - their top rider is likely to be Lutsenko. So they'll probably be concentrating on providing a terrible team in support of Cavendish.bobmcstuff said:Sad day indeed
Shame he couldn't get the extra Tour stage. I presume he's going this year? Who will Astana be riding for? I have totally lost track of who's where this season.1 -
Ridiculous stat from Dan Lloyd - once you strip out the wins, Cavendish has finished in the top three of a stage just eight times in his Tour career. I know he tends to knock it off if he's not going to win, but that's wild.2
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I rather like that stat, full bore for a good chance of a win, or sack it off and save your energy for the next opportunity.
When you say Tour career, is that in all Grand Tours he has contested, or just le Tour?Felt F70 05 (Turbo)
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Scott Foil 180 -
I don't remember where it came from, and cant vouch for authenticity, but I saw a stat that said Cavendish had won 56% of Giro bunch sprints he'd contested.Lanterne_Rogue said:Ridiculous stat from Dan Lloyd - once you strip out the wins, Cavendish has finished in the top three of a stage just eight times in his Tour career. I know he tends to knock it off if he's not going to win, but that's wild.
Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
It was the amount of wins against race days that really surprised me. Considering all the non-sprint stages he has to ride and those few lean years that prompted this thread it was a much higher conversion rate than I’d expected. I need to try to find the numbers.
Edit - currently 161 wins from 1275 race days so a strike rate of just better than 1:8!1 -
The other thing that came up in commentary today that Kelly and McEwan agreed was that the early TV coverage in big races now makes them harder from the gun which is not something you ever hear the likes of Merckx and co discussing when telling everyone how soft today’s riders are.0
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Just the TdF. I was so surprised I checked it for myself.daniel_b said:I rather like that stat, full bore for a good chance of a win, or sack it off and save your energy for the next opportunity.
When you say Tour career, is that in all Grand Tours he has contested, or just le Tour?0 -
Was on screen today.No_Ta_Doctor said:
I don't remember where it came from, and cant vouch for authenticity, but I saw a stat that said Cavendish had won 56% of Giro bunch sprints he'd contested.Lanterne_Rogue said:Ridiculous stat from Dan Lloyd - once you strip out the wins, Cavendish has finished in the top three of a stage just eight times in his Tour career. I know he tends to knock it off if he's not going to win, but that's wild.
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I made that point earlier this year during the spring classicsPross said:The other thing that came up in commentary today that Kelly and McEwan agreed was that the early TV coverage in big races now makes them harder from the gun which is not something you ever hear the likes of Merckx and co discussing when telling everyone how soft today’s riders are.
"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
What's you favourite cav wins?
MSR .... ? From nowhere
The time he won for the third time in one tour ... blue HTC kit or whatever the team was ... columbia
....Or that weird almost breakaway stage in 2012 tour for sky .
So many ..."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm1
