Author Topic: Cavendish to retire soon? (Read 38239 times)

citoyen · « **Reply #125 on:** 10 July, 2021, 01:56:11 pm »

Quote from: DuncanM on 10 July, 2021, 12:55:40 pm

It's well known that Bennet is leaving Quickstep - it was announced a few weeks before the tour.

I didn’t realise that was confirmed, the announcement had passed me by. Interesting!

TheLurker · « **Reply #126 on:** 10 July, 2021, 04:59:05 pm »

Quote from: DuncanM on 10 July, 2021, 12:55:40 pm

It's well known that Bennet is leaving Quickstep ....

Hmm. Wonder if that had any additional bearing on the decision to select Cav. rather than Bennett?

Peter · « **Reply #127 on:** 10 July, 2021, 05:19:45 pm »

Wasn't Bennett injured (I'm not super sure)?

spesh · « **Reply #128 on:** 10 July, 2021, 05:25:09 pm »

Quote from: citoyen on 10 July, 2021, 01:56:11 pm

Quote from: DuncanM on 10 July, 2021, 12:55:40 pm
It's well known that Bennet is leaving Quickstep - it was announced a few weeks before the tour.

I didn’t realise that was confirmed, the announcement had passed me by. Interesting!

Patrick Lefevere confirmed that Bennett was leaving DQS on May 9:

Quote

Sam Bennett will leave the Deceuninck-QuickStep team at the end of the 2021 season, team manager Patrick Lefevere has revealed, as the Belgian team prepares to change its lead sprinter yet again apparently after opting not to match significant offers from rivals teams.

According to well-informed La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Ciro Scognamiglio, Bennett could return to Bora-Hansgrohe, where he raced between 2014-2019. The Irishman would fill the sprinter’s slot of Pascal Ackermann, who could in turn, move to UAE Team Emirates. Peter Sagan is widely expected to leave Bora-Hansgrohe and has been linked to Deceuninck-QuickStep, but the loss of Bennett could leave the team without a big-name pure sprinter.
...

Under UCI rules riders and teams are not allowed to announce new signings until August 1. However, Lefevere has kicked off the transfer season by revealing that Bennett will leave Deceuninck-QuickStep. Lefevere has already said that João Almeida will also leave despite the Portuguese rider co-leading the team at the Giro d’Italia.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sam-bennett-to-leave-deceuninck-quickstep-at-end-of-2021-season/

Peter · « **Reply #129 on:** 10 July, 2021, 05:33:25 pm »

Cheers!

spesh · « **Reply #130 on:** 10 July, 2021, 05:36:01 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 10 July, 2021, 05:19:45 pm

Wasn't Bennett injured (I'm not super sure)?

Quote from: TheLurker on 10 July, 2021, 04:59:05 pm

Quote from: DuncanM on 10 July, 2021, 12:55:40 pm
It's well known that Bennet is leaving Quickstep ....
Hmm. Wonder if that had any additional bearing on the decision to select Cav. rather than Bennett?

Bennett banged his knee on the handlebars while training, but it seems that there's a difference of opinion between him and Patrick Lefevere about the severity of the injury...

<truffles through Cycling news archives>

Here's the piece I read a little while back:

Quote

After the selection of the Deceuninck-Quickstep squad for the 2021 Tour de France and the surprise replacement of last year's green jersey winner Sam Bennett with Mark Cavendish, the Belgian team's manager has called into question the severity of the Irishman's knee injury.

Bennett hit his knee on the handlebars while training and sat out the Baloise Belgium Tour due to the pain. Cavendish stepped in for him in that race, winning the final stage in Beringen. However, it was widely anticipated that Bennett would be back in shape for the Tour de France until Monday's announcement.

Lefevere expressed some resentment that Bennett was not in the Tour team, telling Sporza: "I can't prove he doesn't have knee pain, but I'm starting to think more and more that it's more fear of failure than just pain."

The Belgian also told Het Laatste Nieuws: "We thought Bennett was on the right track. Then it turns out that he has told us anything but the truth. He said three different things to three different people on the squad. That's not the way it's played.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-cast-doubts-on-the-severity-of-sam-bennetts-knee-issue/

Referring back to the article on Bennett's departure, it's ostensibly because other teams are willing to pay more than Lefevere, but another article also suggests that the relationship between the Irish sprinter and the DQS team boss has broken down:

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-threatens-to-bench-sam-bennett-from-races-and-dock-his-pay-unless-he-behaves/

TheLurker · « **Reply #131 on:** 10 July, 2021, 06:31:41 pm »

Quote from: spesh

Quote from: TheLurker
Quote from: DuncanM
It's well known that Bennet is leaving Quickstep ....
Hmm. Wonder if that had any additional bearing on the decision to select Cav. rather than Bennett?

Bennett banged his knee on the handlebars while training, but it seems that there's a difference of opinion between him and Patrick Lefevere about the severity of the injury...

<truffles through Cycling news archives>

Zigackly. That's the sort of thing I had in mind. The injury line is being used as a way of saving face by both sides. Lefevere has a choice between Bennett who may, or may not, be up to riding the tour physically but is no longer committed to the team and Cavendish who *is* driven and committed to the team and has shown he's in good form in other races. Looked at that way I don't think it would have been an especially hard decision to make. Risky, yes, but not difficult and "Bennett was injured" provides cover if Cav. didn't deliver.

Paul · « **Reply #132 on:** 17 September, 2021, 04:34:14 pm »

Quote from: De Sisti on 17 September, 2021, 03:58:01 pm

Cheque arrived today. I'll bank it on Monday.

The non-sequitur thread is… not here.

giropaul · « **Reply #133 on:** 20 September, 2021, 08:43:47 am »

It seems that Patrick and Mark have agreed a deal for Mark to ride next year for the team. Interestingly, the only area still being discussed is Mark’s potential role within the team afterwards.
I think that Mark is at his happiest when involved in bike races, so a future as a DS or a sprint coach might be something he’s thinking of.

matthew · « **Reply #134 on:** 22 November, 2021, 11:41:37 am »

We'll have to see how he recovers from his Madison crash at Ghent. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/59374143

. I have no doubt he has come back from worse but recovery tends to take longer the older you are. Though there is no talk of retirement at the moment.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #135 on:** 22 November, 2021, 12:34:13 pm »

He's got a book coming out this week

sg37409 · « **Reply #136 on:** 22 November, 2021, 01:04:10 pm »

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/21/mark-cavendish-i-knew-i-could-be-top-again

benborp · « **Reply #137 on:** 22 November, 2021, 03:48:45 pm »

Apparently in ICU and hoping for discharge tomorrow. What a year. Recovering well, and hopefully easier to shrug off than many of his previous traumas.

giropaul · « **Reply #138 on:** 22 November, 2021, 04:31:56 pm »

Two broken ribs and a collapsed lung apparently.

rafletcher · « **Reply #139 on:** 07 December, 2021, 05:34:37 pm »

And he re-signs to Quickstep (I think Deceunink have gone to Alpecin) for another year

giropaul · « **Reply #140 on:** 07 December, 2021, 07:21:25 pm »

He’s ( or more probably his agent) has agreed terms for next year. There’s still a discussion about post-racing opportunities.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #141 on:** 08 December, 2021, 07:21:51 pm »

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/dec/08/mark-cavendish-assaulted-by-armed-burglars-during-raid-on-home

This is probably as good a place as any to put this. Utterly horrific for Cav and his family.

psyclist · « **Reply #142 on:** 08 December, 2021, 07:25:16 pm »

Yes, very sad to read this.

The request for any information about the incident mentions Ongar, has he moved?

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #143 on:** 08 December, 2021, 07:35:38 pm »

He has places in “Essex”, the Isle of Man and Italy, according to Wikinaccurate during the Tour this summer.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #144 on:** 08 December, 2021, 07:53:14 pm »

I understand that his wife is from Essex and he trains here a lot. See the Blue Egg farm shop/café where some if his jerseys are on the wall, and he turned up for lunch about 10 minutes after I did on one occasion a few years ago.

MattH · « **Reply #145 on:** 18 December, 2021, 01:11:03 pm »

Cav is now featuring on Zwift ads on youtube. MrsH commented that he isn't normally all smiley as he rides. My response was that he knows he can't hit the deck on Zwift

paddyirish · « **Reply #146 on:** 18 December, 2021, 07:40:33 pm »

Quote from: MattH on 18 December, 2021, 01:11:03 pm

My response was that he knows he can't hit the deck on Zwift

I bet G could manage it...

The Family Cyclist · « **Reply #147 on:** 18 December, 2021, 07:54:49 pm »

Cav has/had a house out Ongar way, I knew his neighbours gardener and he came into where I worked at the time

felstedrider · « **Reply #148 on:** 18 December, 2021, 08:31:29 pm »

Quote from: The Family Cyclist on 18 December, 2021, 07:54:49 pm

Cav has/had a house out Ongar way, I knew his neighbours gardener and he came into where I worked at the time

Stanford Rivers. Finance Director at my old shop lived down the road.

hatler · « **Reply #149 on:** 11 February, 2022, 01:40:26 pm »

Just like last year ?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/60337553

Author Topic: Cavendish to retire soon? (Read 38239 times)

felstedrider