Nice Cavendish interview here

Shadowrider
Shadowrider Posts: 483
edited January 2017 in Pro race
Really enjoyed reading this, good content by Cycling tips

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/01/mark-ca ... lling-out/

Comments

  • Ahhh the bromance

    BernieCav-325x222.jpg
    Correlation is not causation.
  • My man
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,579
    Not a mention of Brad. Doesn't Stokes like to ask difficult questions? :lol:
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,551
    CarbonClem wrote:
    Not a mention of Brad. Doesn't Stokes like to ask difficult questions? :lol:

    Or anything about doping in sport for that matter... SS keeps the omerta going :lol: :roll:

    Instead we get:
    Do you believe in fate, or luck, or destiny?

    Little wonder Cav gets impatient with journos...
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Good interview that. He's definitely mellowed a bit, and the interview bears that out.

    I can't see him getting another 4 TdF stage wins to match Merckx. Love to be proved wrong though.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good interview that. He's definitely mellowed a bit, and the interview bears that out.

    I can't see him getting another 4 TdF stage wins to match Merckx. Love to be proved wrong though.
    He's only 31. Greipel is still winning stages at 34. Petacchi won his last stage aged 36.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good interview that. He's definitely mellowed a bit, and the interview bears that out.

    I can't see him getting another 4 TdF stage wins to match Merckx. Love to be proved wrong though.

    Cavendish's Tour stage win record;

    2007 0
    2008 4
    2009 6
    2010 5
    2011 5
    2012 3
    2013 2
    2014 0
    2015 1
    2016 4

    He's 31 and still one of the best three sprinters in the world. I reckon he's got at least two more years at the top level, if not more, so if I were a betting man I'd say the odds were in his favour.
  • dav1d1
    dav1d1 Posts: 653
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good interview that. He's definitely mellowed a bit, and the interview bears that out.

    I can't see him getting another 4 TdF stage wins to match Merckx. Love to be proved wrong though.

    Remember this time last year, when the forum was full of cavs finished, cav won't win, than he lit up the tour.
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    That's me told then :lol:

    Kittel is going to come back really strong this year; Cav's admitted himself he's tired after last year; there's lots of decent young ones coming through like Gaviria, Ewan and others; I just think four or five more is going to be a big ask.

    I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,786
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good interview that. He's definitely mellowed a bit, and the interview bears that out.

    I can't see him getting another 4 TdF stage wins to match Merckx. Love to be proved wrong though.

    I don't think anyone (including himself) expected 4 last year.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 6,878
    He's chilled a lot, and seems pretty happy within himself. He has a good team around him that suits his temperament.
    Will Quickstep manage a sprint train and launch Kittel to the fore? Time will tell.
    I still think there's only 3 A list sprinters and the rest will be left in their wake come July. Cav's focus is the Tour and he will gear everything around that - yes he may be tired now, but he's 5 months to get himself right.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,069
    inseine wrote:
    I don't think anyone (including himself) expected 4 last year.

    True. And I doubt anyone would've predicted Greipel winning 4 the year before.

    It's interesting, I think once the likes of Cavendish, Greipel and Kittel get a win at the Tour they relax a bit, as the pressure is off, but the other's have more pressure, which leads to them making small errors. There's also a psychological boost, and likely a opposite reaction in their rivals, which helps too and this translates, usually, into a short term dominance.

    I don't know how many stages Cavendish will win this year, but his track record suggests that if he gets one then more follow.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,137
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    That's me told then :lol:

    Kittel is going to come back really strong this year; Cav's admitted himself he's tired after last year; there's lots of decent young ones coming through like Gaviria, Ewan and others; I just think four or five more is going to be a big ask.

    I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.
    My point was that he's probably going to be around for another four or five years. And other experienced top sprinters, like Greipel and Petacchi, have alaways managed to find a stage win somewhere, even when up against clearly superior competition. I expect Cavendish to at least do that.
    He may not make it, but I'd say he's more likely to do it than not.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,579
    Seven sprint stages this year could see him take it quickly if he's on form. But, as said, he's got a couple of years to chip them off. Barring some unforeseen disaster/incident, I cant imagine him not doing it.
    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • I can imagine him not doing it - nobody has a divine right to win things (except Contador in Frenchie's award ceremony for the category of 'most fanciable male cyclist 2003 - 2015', obviously) - but I do think Cavendish already has greatest pure sprinter in the history of the TdF sewn up, regardless of how many stage wins he eventually retires with.
  • Salsiccia1 wrote:
    there's lots of decent young ones coming through like Gaviria, Ewan...

    There is nothing they have done (yet) that suggests they are anywhere near challenging the sprint kings.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Salsiccia1 wrote:
    Good interview that. He's definitely mellowed a bit, and the interview bears that out.

    I can't see him getting another 4 TdF stage wins to match Merckx. Love to be proved wrong though.


    This post. Torch it. Now.

    :o
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    Look, I love him, he's one of my mans for this season. I just think it's going to get a lot harder for him to win TdF stages.

    Stop ganging up on me *whimper*
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    He's only a couple of stage wins of Mercx's TdF record, so I guess he'll be busting a gut come July in order to beat that....
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