Author Topic: Cavendish to retire soon?  (Read 37892 times)

Cavendish to retire soon?
« on: 12 October, 2020, 08:03:30 pm »
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #1 on: 12 October, 2020, 08:18:03 pm »
If it is, it's been a long time coming. Crash injuries and Glandular fever robbed him of his twilight years, sadly.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #2 on: 12 October, 2020, 08:41:09 pm »
If it is, it's been a long time coming. Crash injuries and Glandular fever robbed him of his twilight years, sadly.

He's 35 so it isn't really that early a retirement and he has had a pretty good innings. It's just the disappointment, letdown perhaps, of the last two or three years when he might have expected to roll out in style with a bit of a fanfare instead of the damp squid - and the feeling of a job not quite finished.

He was one of the few pro riders that I would switch on the tele to watch. My daughters, who wouldn't watch a cycle race in the ordinary way, were particular fans! Perhaps he'll do a bit more track, just for us!

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #3 on: 12 October, 2020, 09:50:40 pm »
Cavendish lost his edge way before he got glandular fever.  Too many nasty crashes and then kiddies arrived on the scene.  Its only a small change in perception but it takes away the edge.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #4 on: 13 October, 2020, 08:29:57 am »
In my mind, the crash in Yorkshire was the beginning of the end. He may have let his heart rule his head (That crash trying to win from a poor position, going to Sky who were never going to support a sprinter in any meaningful way) but that's what makes a passionate man.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #5 on: 13 October, 2020, 12:19:44 pm »
Glandular fever finished Cavendish as a competitive force in 2017 sadly.

In my view, he is the best male road cyclist GB has produced. Hard to think of anything he hasn't won that a sprinter could, apart from Paris-Tours.

People forget that in the 1 year he was at Sky he won as many Tour stages as he did at Quick-Step in 3 years, as well as keeping up his average of 3 Giro stage wins and almost the red points jersey (which he did win with Quick-Step in 2013).

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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #6 on: 13 October, 2020, 06:56:17 pm »
Quote from: drgannet
In my view, he is the best male road cyclist GB has produced.
Dunno about the best, but he was bloody good.  It is a bit saddening that he couldn't have gone out on a high note but it was gob-smackingly wonderful to watch him repeatedly leaving the field for dead when he was at his peak.
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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #7 on: 13 October, 2020, 07:04:26 pm »
Now that his TdF stage wins record is safe, I guess Eddy Merckx can take the pins out of his Cavendish voodoo doll. :demon:
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

CrazyEnglishTriathlete

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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #8 on: 13 October, 2020, 07:07:32 pm »
Watching Arnaud Demare win Stage 6 of the Giro a few days ago, I was reminded of Cav at his best, hanging in up a stiff climb just before the finish, and somehow finding his way into a perfect position to unleash a demolishing sprint.  Because it's been a while, it's easy to forget just how good he was. 

He might be 4 stages short of Merckx's record, but Merckx's total includes time trials, Cav won the most mass start stages in the Tour de France, and it is hard to see anyone getting close to 30 stages given the current propensity to hilly finishes.
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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #9 on: 13 October, 2020, 08:22:04 pm »
A fair point - up to a point!  If it's intended to find a way in which Cav was better than Eddy, then I think it's moot.  Eddy won plenty of "sprint" stages, like Cav - and plenty of time trials (unlike Cav) and plenty of climbing stages (again unlike Cav).  Cav almost certainly is the most successful sprinter we have seen. That's enough, surely?

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #10 on: 13 October, 2020, 10:36:49 pm »
Quote from: drgannet
In my view, he is the best male road cyclist GB has produced.
Dunno about the best, but he was bloody good.  It is a bit saddening that he couldn't have gone out on a high note but it was gob-smackingly wonderful to watch him repeatedly leaving the field for dead when he was at his peak.

Yep, he was superb at his peak.   I'd say he was definitely the most exciting british male cyclist if not the best.  I loved watching him.

Redlight

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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #11 on: 14 October, 2020, 09:25:47 am »
What I liked about Cav at his peak was that in post-race interviews, when he had won he almost always spent most of the interview giving credit to his team members for getting him there and when he lost he almost always took full responsibility for 'letting them down'.
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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #12 on: 14 October, 2020, 10:50:17 am »
What I liked about Cav at his peak was that in post-race interviews, when he had won he almost always spent most of the interview giving credit to his team members for getting him there and when he lost he almost always took full responsibility for 'letting them down'.
I know a couple of people who saw him at the Tour of Oman who remarked that he was less than
approachable to the (British) fans out there. Geraint Thomas on the other hand was described as being very friendly.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #13 on: 14 October, 2020, 11:45:41 am »
The sight of the HTC leadout train working for him was awesome. I guess teams have adjusted tactics now, you just don't get the same finishes now.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #14 on: 14 October, 2020, 12:20:50 pm »
It used to remind me of the Saeco train leading out Cipollini - now that was something to see. But unlike Cav he always climbed off before any mountains.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #15 on: 14 October, 2020, 12:41:36 pm »
I used to work near where he lived/lives. Missed meeting him by seconds once but the guys who I worked with who did said he was a bloody top bloke. From what I've seen of his interviews he seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve so reckon if he had a bad day he probably could be a grumpy arse but can't we all.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #16 on: 14 October, 2020, 03:08:09 pm »
I used to work near where he lived/lives. Missed meeting him by seconds once but the guys who I worked with who did said he was a bloody top bloke. From what I've seen of his interviews he seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve so reckon if he had a bad day he probably could be a grumpy arse but can't we all.
Suppose so.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #17 on: 14 October, 2020, 03:18:16 pm »
The sight of the HTC leadout train working for him was awesome. I guess teams have adjusted tactics now, you just don't get the same finishes now.
Like this : -
Rust never sleeps

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #18 on: 14 October, 2020, 04:59:00 pm »
He was in the break for a time at Schelderprisj. Sat up and waited for the peloton eventually. Key question seems to be that he doesn’t yet have a contract for next season.

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #19 on: 05 December, 2020, 12:43:28 pm »
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #20 on: 06 December, 2020, 11:04:45 am »
Will he have the fitness to compete as a sprinter in the top races, or will he be the wise old hand advising the next generation?
simplicity, truth, equality, peace

Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #21 on: 06 December, 2020, 02:34:02 pm »
Will he have the fitness to compete as a sprinter in the top races, or will he be the wise old hand advising the next generation?
Lead-out man for Sam Bennett.

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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #22 on: 17 January, 2021, 07:37:07 pm »
The sight of the HTC leadout train working for him was awesome. I guess teams have adjusted tactics now, you just don't get the same finishes now.
Like this : -

At one point didn't they have Bert Grabsch, Bradley Wiggins and Tony Martin in his lead-out? A sort of Sky-for-sprinting... With the advantage that none of them had to ride up mountains at Sky pace.

He's too small to lead out Bennett. But his knowledge is valuable. (Like when TMob/HTC had Zabel - and latterly Pettachi I think - scouting finishes and feeding back)
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mattc

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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #23 on: 14 April, 2021, 07:53:33 pm »
<cough>
Has never ridden RAAM
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Re: Cavendish to retire soon?
« Reply #24 on: 15 April, 2021, 10:14:41 pm »
Quite.  I just came to update this thread too. 3 stages wins in 3 days in the Tour of Turkey.  Great stuff  :thumbsup: