Author Topic: Cavendish to retire soon? (Read 38609 times)

rafletcher · « **Reply #225 on:** 21 May, 2023, 08:09:00 pm »

And finally it seems, retirement at the end of this season is set to be announced tomorrow.

ETA: Confirmed.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/may/22/mark-cavendish-retire-from-professional-cycling-end-of-2023-season

andyoxon · « **Reply #226 on:** 22 May, 2023, 01:50:07 pm »

Wonder what the chances of Cav being in TdF are...

Peter · « **Reply #227 on:** 22 May, 2023, 02:02:11 pm »

From his press statement, I took it that he intends to ride. Whether his bosses agree, we'll see.

rafletcher · « **Reply #228 on:** 22 May, 2023, 02:09:02 pm »

As noted elsewhere, although the official line was "win a Giro stage and we'll take you to the Tour", realistically he's probably the best hope Astana have for any kind of win at the TdF, so is likely to be going. And maybe he's already on that promise, so has that final chance to eclipse (FCVO eclipse) Merkx.

andyoxon · « **Reply #229 on:** 22 May, 2023, 03:55:11 pm »

Unfortunately probably not much chance of a Morkov Mk2 leadout...

ETA. unless Geraint steps up...

fd3 · « **Reply #230 on:** 28 May, 2023, 07:08:24 pm »

Quote from: rafletcher on 22 May, 2023, 02:09:02 pm

... the official line was "win a Giro stage and we'll take you to the Tour"...

tick

TimC · « **Reply #231 on:** 29 May, 2023, 12:44:49 am »

Yes, he has his ticket to the Tour now. I think many will suspect a conspiracy of Brits won him this stage, but it also seemed to me that a great many potential rivals sat back and let it happen! The 5-length win just wasn't credible without more info...

pumpkin · « **Reply #232 on:** 31 May, 2023, 10:29:22 am »

And I have no doubt a conspiracy will help him get the elusive stage but ONLY if they have no skin in the game. So eg Ineos might see the opportunity to assist him but there are no gifts. No doubt Cav has a lot of friends in the various teams but someone wants a win and wont care about him

Nuncio · « **Reply #233 on:** 31 May, 2023, 01:01:20 pm »

Quote from: TimC on 29 May, 2023, 12:44:49 am

Yes, he has his ticket to the Tour now. I think many will suspect a conspiracy of Brits won him this stage, but it also seemed to me that a great many potential rivals sat back and let it happen! The 5-length win just wasn't credible without more info...

It looked credible to me. Gaviria started his sprint too early, at about 400m, trying to emulate his last win, at Romandie. Cavendish was the only one to take his wheel and had a free ride to 200m when Gaviria started to fade. Milan had gone the other way and been baulked slightly by his Bahrain teammate, and then tired in the wind. No-one had veered far enough left to stay in his wheel to come round. The crash probably didn't make a difference to the result but it might have been closer. Some of the top sprinters who might have challenged were already home (Pederson, Groves). Cav was well-positioned, for once, at the bend, and he had the best lead-out (Sanchez, Thomas and Gaviria). He'll be lucky if it pans out in a similar way on any of the stages in the Tour.

TimC · « **Reply #234 on:** 31 May, 2023, 04:06:59 pm »

Certainly a happy combination of circumstances helped - as is the case for many winners. I don't begrudge Cav his win in the slightest, and I was chuffed to watch G give him a wheel. You're probably right that the wind was Milan's downfall and that the crash increased the gap. I do feel that many in the bunch were happy to see him win, believe he deserved it, and had no need to fight too hard for it themselves, and I think it helped the overall race end on a happy note - which perhaps was looking unlikely when the weather and Covid were doing their best to wipe the field out!

Unlike Chris Horner, I am a Cav fan!

Nuncio · « **Reply #235 on:** 31 May, 2023, 08:42:45 pm »

Judging by the hug-fest after the stage it would be hard to argue that it was an unpopular win amongst his fellow riders.

Quote from: TimC on 31 May, 2023, 04:06:59 pm

Unlike Chris Horner, I am a Cav fan!

I'm more ambivalent. He hardly treats the two impostors of triumph and disaster just the same: a win and everyone's his friend; a defeat, especially when he feels unfairly done-by, and he's childishly petulant. Best illustrated in his attitude to post-stage interviewers. But I don't remember him ever bad-mouthing his team-mates in public - on the bus in private it might have been a different matter. And I did like the story that Luke Rowe told of when he (LR) was leading him (MC) out on a ToB stage and MC crashed behind him. LR ended up winning the stage. MC limped across the line spitting feathers, and eventually asked who had won. When he was told, his anger melted immediately and he couldn't have been happier, which tells of a generous spirit.

But the most important thing as far as people who don't really know him as a person are concerned, something that can't be denied: he's been a very fast bike rider and has won an awful lot of bike races.

MattH · « **Reply #236 on:** 09 July, 2023, 01:10:47 pm »

Can to have another go at the TdF?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/66147017

fd3 · « **Reply #237 on:** 09 July, 2023, 09:35:45 pm »

A kind thing to say, but I don't think it will happen

Beardy · « **Reply #238 on:** 09 July, 2023, 09:46:57 pm »

Unfortunately I’ve got to agree with fd3. The fact that he got broken while just gently (by his standards) pedalling along and not during the rather dangerous bit where he pedals like a loon in the close company of other like minded individuals hell bent on beating him, leads me to believe that Mrs Cav might have something to say.

It’s very very sad, but maybe he should just bow out gracefully.

rafletcher · « **Reply #239 on:** 10 July, 2023, 07:39:27 am »

Another year training, spending months away from his family? I don't see it. It would be nice if they gave hime a ride in the caravan around the Champs tho.

MattH · « **Reply #240 on:** 28 July, 2023, 12:53:20 pm »

Astana aren't in the Tour Of Britain, so no home-territory farewell ride past from Cav (unless he continues to next year...)

Beardy · « **Reply #241 on:** 04 October, 2023, 10:51:00 am »

I ain’t ded yet, says the sprintmeister. Well, actually his team said it on his behalf because he’s keeping his head down since his crash out of the bimble around France.

According to this report Astana are busy building a better lead out train for him and he will be riding next years tour.

TheLurker · « **Reply #242 on:** 04 October, 2023, 11:03:08 am »

More "final" tours than Frank Sinatra.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #243 on:** 04 October, 2023, 01:10:53 pm »

Does he have regrets?

Karla · « **Reply #244 on:** 04 October, 2023, 03:15:59 pm »

He wants to race every highway

Flite · « **Reply #245 on:** 04 October, 2023, 03:49:09 pm »

Really hope Astana sign Morkov,

Edit - Woo-hoo Morkov signed to Astana

paton · « **Reply #246 on:** 23 December, 2023, 02:51:46 pm »

Mark Cavendish seems to be getting along with Peter Sagan, when the cameras are around at least.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yyWc3ocG3c

at about 10:00 in

paton · « **Reply #247 on:** 24 December, 2023, 01:36:23 pm »

An interview with more insight into Mark Cavendish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Mk_s65uKU

He likes riding his bike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru1PYzU1k_w