Cavendish to retire soon?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Mockery from you is meaningless.

[mzjo]

I think it's fair to say that Cav is the most successful sprinter of all time.

Most successful road sprinter. There are a couple of trackies who would dispute the overall title.

Two different disciplines?

I was thinking of Koichi Nakano as possibly the most successful pure track sprinter. A decade straight of professional Sprint World Championships and heaps of Japanese keirins is nothing to be sneezed at.
https://www.uci.org/news/2017/koichi-nakano---emperor-of-the-sprint-182122

Patrick Sercu has an argument for being the best all-round cycling sprinter. Two Sprint World Championships, Olympic kilo, 88 x six day wins plus 6 x Tour stages and 11 x Giro stages.
https://www.cyclinglegends.co.uk/index.php/features/short-reads/103-remembering-patrick-sercu

^^^ I had forgotten all about Patrick Sercu. He was still racing when I started getting interested in club cycling. I remember an article on him in Cycling in which he said that after a belgian six he would be coughing up black tar for a fortnight from all the tobacco smoke pulled into his lungs on the bankings.

If one starts going into the track stars of his epoc there are quite a few impressive records that we forget about now!

[Beardy]

I think it's fair to say that Cav is the most successful sprinter of all time.

Most successful road sprinter. There are a couple of trackies who would dispute the overall title.

Two different disciplines?

I was thinking of Koichi Nakano as possibly the most successful pure track sprinter. A decade straight of professional Sprint World Championships and heaps of Japanese keirins is nothing to be sneezed at.
https://www.uci.org/news/2017/koichi-nakano---emperor-of-the-sprint-182122

Patrick Sercu has an argument for being the best all-round cycling sprinter. Two Sprint World Championships, Olympic kilo, 88 x six day wins plus 6 x Tour stages and 11 x Giro stages.
https://www.cyclinglegends.co.uk/index.php/features/short-reads/103-remembering-patrick-sercu

^^^ I had forgotten all about Patrick Sercu. He was still racing when I started getting interested in club cycling. I remember an article on him in Cycling in which he said that after a belgian six he would be coughing up black tar for a fortnight from all the tobacco smoke pulled into his lungs on the bankings.

If one starts going into the track stars of his epoc there are quite a few impressive records that we forget about now!
Possibly best forgotten given the prevalent nature of [“Fruit” - ed] power back then

[TimC]

I don't think any of the athletes mentioned would claim to be the GOAT. The fact that so many disciplines have been mentioned kind of makes it obvious that the overall comparisons are meaningless. the Cav/Eddie comparison is valid because it's simply on one level: Tour stage wins. Cav/Hoy? Barking. There's no way Cav will compare with Chris Hoy in his discipline, or Hoy with Cav in his. It really doesn't matter. He's getting close to being the most successful ever TdF rider (and of course someone will argue about even that criterion), and he's a hell of a bloke and is a brilliant advert for the sport. More power to Cav's elbow! He's an ordinary guy with extraordinary abilities, and we celebrate that.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

That is why Sercu is so impressive. Winning sprints at the very highest level in all disciplines from 1km on the velodrome to >200km stages in the middle of three week stage races. Not as many wins in any specific discipline as either Hoy or Cavendish but a palmares covering every sprinting discipline and the most six day wins on the planet.

Cavendish is the best road sprinter ever without doubt but the best ever sprinter should be able to show their winning ways in every possible venue. Sercu did exactly that.

[mzjo]

That is why Sercu is so impressive. Winning sprints at the very highest level in all disciplines from 1km on the velodrome to >200km stages in the middle of three week stage races. Not as many wins in any specific discipline as either Hoy or Cavendish but a palmares covering every sprinting discipline and the most six day wins on the planet.

Cavendish is the best road sprinter ever without doubt but the best ever sprinter should be able to show their winning ways in every possible venue. Sercu did exactly that.

OT completely but I remember Peter Post being described as the most successful Six rider ever. Was that before Sercu had finished his career or was it simply hype from his dutch fans?

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Sercu retired after Post and won at least 20 more six-days. The ‘best ever’ isn’t static.

[quixoticgeek]

Um...

J

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Um...

J

?

[TimC]

Um...

J

?

It's probably easier than writing within 'spoiler' tags!

'Um' indeed

[TheLurker]

Back t o Cav. I think the answer to the question in the thread header is a fairly firm, "No."

[Beardy]

Back t o Cav. I think the answer to the question in the thread header is a fairly firm, "NoNot today."

[Peter]

I think the answer is "yes".  If he "gets the record", I wouldn't be at all surprised if he retired at the end of the season.  If you've established a pretty-well unbeatable list of palmares, why go on risking your life at work, especially when you already have health issues?  Why have the press asking you inane questions every time you are at work?

[Karla]

I think the answer is "yes".  If he "gets the record", I wouldn't be at all surprised if he retired at the end of the season.  If you've established a pretty-well unbeatable list of palmares, why go on risking your life at work, especially when you already have health issues?  Why have the press asking you inane questions every time you are at work?

That would be the fairytale ending but I don't think he's wired that way.  I predict a couple of years of reduced results against Bennet/Ewan/Newguy before retirement.

[Peter]

I really hope not.  (Newguy is from Slovenia, presumably?!)

[LittleWheelsandBig]

I think he will go on for another year, perhaps two, and then retire without changing teams again.

[Peter]

I suppose it's possible that a very exciting, not to say irresistible contract might be offered.  Does Mark already live in Monaco?  Pogacar does and he's only 11.

[citoyen]

I think he will go on for another year, perhaps two and then retire without changing teams again.

Sounds about right to me. He’s at the best possible team if he wants to keep winning races, even if they’re paying him peanuts. The problem for Cav is that he might not get picked for the Tour next year if Bennett is fit. Although it also sounds like there’s a chance Bennett might not be at the team next year - but then he’ll be racing *against* Cav…

[TheLurker]

As LWaB said, I too expect him to do another year, perhaps two.  I read somewhere (Cycling News website?) in the last day or three that he'd renewed his current contract for next year.

[Peter]

Ah, such knowledge had not come my way.

[Mr Larrington]

I suppose it's possible that a very exciting, not to say irresistible contract might be offered.  Does Mark already live in Monaco?  Pogacar does and he's only 11.

Wikinaccurate says he has places in Tuscany, Essex & the Isle ov Man.

[TimC]

Cav’s got a couple of years of excellent earning potential ahead of him. He also has four kids (including his stepson). I’d be surprised if he turned down the opportunity to exploit his regained form.

[sizbut]

At a minimum it's back to plan A - which was a year working for DQ in the Belgian one day races. Tour of Turkey was an unexpected plan B and TdF wasn't even a plan. Yes, they still have to negotiate next year's contract but his desire to be with a team he likes and their desire to have a racer who has delivered results - I don't think anyone will be wanting to rock the boat too much in the negotiations.

[DuncanM]

It's well known that Bennet is leaving Quickstep - it was announced a few weeks before the tour. If they can make the numbers work, I've no doubt Lefevre would love to have Cav back next year, but he'll actually have to pay him!

Cav doesn't strike me as the sort of person who would quit while on top having hit a milestone. He's riding for pennies this year just so he can keep racing his bike - given the opportunity to ride in a team where he can do that and win I really don't think he would stop.

[Hot Flatus]

I expect he has a deal with large bonuses for wins.