Cavendish: class of his own?

[SHAD0W93]

LOL. Of course he said he didn't hold off...

View: https://youtu.be/x4fckLqSbrw


Morkov is going 62km/h, the same speed as Philipsen who is coming from behind and no speed was given to Cav though the highest he has reached is 66-67 km/h in the previous sprints he has won. At that speed Morkov still has not looked back, the last time he has Cav was not on his wheel, Cav has not passed him, and it is about 50 meters to go. Cav comes along side Morkov at about 20 meters (when Morkov notices him before his lunge to the line) and Cav passes at about 10 meters to go. This whole time Morkov is going 62 km/h, the same speed as Philipsen who just went up to 63 km/h.

 

[macbindle]

It's very clear that Morkov was checking to see if Cav was ahead before lunging. Certainly wouldn't be the first time a rider has crossed the line with a finger on the brake.

 

[SHAD0W93]

It's very clear that Morkov was checking to see if Cav was ahead before lunging. Certainly wouldn't be the first time a rider has crossed the line with a finger on the brake.

In fact upon further review, Cav is passing Morkov by the time he notices him and lunges for the line to maintain second. By the time Morkov noticed Cav it is still to far to lunge for the line and Cav was already passing him. They had not even reached the “Skoda” sign on the road. All this while maintaining the speed he had when he hit the front.

 

[BlueRoads]

Then he had Epstein Barr. I've had it too....so I know what I'm talking about.

From which he was cleared in 2019. ((I've been fighting it for years, but I don't know how that makes me an expert.))
But his improvement didn't come in 2019 or 20, it came this year. And it was huge. I'm not talking about his sprinting, but about his endurance.
I'm happy if I'm wrong, but my head is just not able to process this leap.

 

[tuckandgo]

Mate, it was a joke and a funny one at that. I know some people (Americans usually), are professionally offended, but it ignores a long and noble history of finding humour in the taboo. You may think it in bad taste, and you'd be right, but don't conflate a joke and not taking a devastating illness seriously, because one does not imply the other.

'mate' - it didn't read like a joke, it implied disbelief (which, after all, is the default view of just about everyone on this forum

 

[macbindle]

From which he was cleared in 2019. ((I've been fighting it for years, but I don't know how that makes me an expert.))
But his improvement didn't come in 2019 or 20, it came this year. And it was huge. I'm not talking about his sprinting, but about his endurance.
I'm happy if I'm wrong, but my head is just not able to process this leap.

I'm honestly not seeing it as a huge leap, and I'm pretty cynical when it comes to pro cycling.

I'd say two things. He isn't making a huge leap from nowhere, he is regaining some (but not all) of form he has had in the recent past. That is a world away from the gold-standard of inexplicable improvement which is our old friend, Froome.

To give you a rather banal anecdote, I'm in my 50s with decades of A group club level fitness. Had a bit of a lazy 6 months. Got back on it a fortnight ago and my Garmin watch put me up 3 points on its Vo2max score in 8 days. That wouldn't have happened if I had come at it from couch potato level. The body remembers. It is also important to remember team dynamics. He has a very strong team giving him as much of a magic carpet ride as possible, and with the exception of about 5 stages he hasn't had to compete. You can see from yesterday that he was very tired, so 2 weeks of racing has taken it out of him. It'll be interesting to see how he recovers.

Secondly, as I've said before, there is no top tier sprinting going on this year because the fastest guys in the world aren't there. Do you really think he would have 4 wins if Caleb Ewen had remained, or Groenewegen and Bennett had showed up? Who is his competition?

 

[roundabout]

Lol. So all the team managers in cycling are morons then. Especially the DidData and Bahrain people as they were only a strong team away from having a very good sprinter, but let Cavendish go. Twice.

Or maybe as I wrote before, they knew how bad he was and decided that he was done and what is going on now is an attempt to rewrite the narrative.

 

[zlev11]

Then he had Epstein Barr. I've had it too....so I know what I'm talking about.

so did Janice Soprano

 

[macbindle]

Lol. So all the team managers in cycling are morons then. Especially the DidData and Bahrain people as they were only a strong team away from having a very good sprinter, but let Cavendish go. Twice.

Or maybe as I wrote before, they knew how bad he was and decided that he was done and what is going on now is an attempt to rewrite the narrative.

Would you pay millions for a guy who wasn't winning races?

Me neither.

2019 and 2020 were wiped out for him, after 11 years of being one of the top riders in the world, and now here you are trying to claim he was always a nobody

 

[Ulfhednar]

Would you pay millions for a guy who wasn't winning races?

Me neither.

2019 and 2020 were wiped out for him, after 11 years of being one of the top riders in the world, and now here you are trying to claim he was always a nobody

He has been a nobody for a few years now...get that through your head. Its not like he was showing signs the past two years...he has hardly been able to finish second rate races. To not be skeptical of Cavendish is to have your head in the sand.

 

[macbindle]

He has never been a nobody.

He has just equalled Merckx's record.

What are you, 6?

 

[Parker]

He has never been a nobody.

He has just equalled Merckx's record.

What are you, 6?

But he was ill and then he got better.. If you can't put that in doping terms then you are you are a KoolAid sheep Fanboy.

 

[Cookster15]

36 is old for a sprinter. They lean more towards fast twitch, which declines at an earlier age than heavily slow twitch climbers.

That’s true except PEDs that assist power are more easily detected than blood doping. That how Ben Johnson got caught in 24 hours. If Cav is doping I think more likely to be blood doping so he doesn’t get dropped on climbs and can make it to Paris with the Green jersey.

 

[Cookster15]

He has been a nobody for a few years now...get that through your head. Its not like he was showing signs the past two years...he has hardly been able to finish second rate races. To not be skeptical of Cavendish is to have your head in the sand.

Your reasons for being sceptical are not clear. So you are unaware in this period Cavendish had or was recovering from Epstein–Barr virus? I’ve had it.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Its easier to develop anaerobic capacity(mainly muscles) than aerobic capacity(respiratory, cardiovascular and muscular). I would say that the effects of the disease and the mental stresses probably prevented him from achieving his best. At QST , he was free, without pressures and had the time to develop his sprint in the way he wanted. It didn't come overnight. In the earlier small races he achieved placings, then Turkey he won a lot. Then Belgium happened due to a fluke(injury to Bennett) and again the last ditch call for TDF. Confidence breeds more confidence though nobody believed in him including himself. For doping also it requires planning especially autologus transfusion. I donot think there is enough time for that. But at the same time, i find the fact that he is easily getting over the climbs without being OTL is more suspicious than his sprinting prowess.Maybe the team(3 teammates) is bombing the descent and the flats to help him achieve OTL.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Maybe the team(3 teammates) is bombing the descent and the flats to help him achieve OTL.

It has oft been said that if you want to see the best descenders in the peloton, look to the sprinters and their teammates trying to finish within the time limit.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Massive full on effort, then sudden backpedal effect as he locks wheel for victory salute. Try it.

Or, alternatively, in true clinic style, construct a fantasy about rear wheel motor driving chain off chainwheel as he stops pedalling.

so if this was normal why did Sean Kelly ask why this was happening ?

 

[macbindle]

Different kind of sprinter.

 

[PhiLiz]

The "UCI covers for everything" mantra has been the default position of the Clinic for years. So easy when you have nothing concrete. In some cases there is truth e.g. Armstrong. But I don't see this with Cavendish - not yet at least. Plus at 36 he isn't that old.

In the case of the Cavendish you don't even need to believe a single rider is doping to know he's covered by the UCI. Any other rider with his past history of provoking crashes would've, at the very least, served lengthy bans or, more likely, been banned for life by now. Of course he's protected by the higher ups.

 

[macbindle]

In the case of the Cavendish you don't even need to believe a single rider is doping to know he's covered by the UCI. Any other rider with his past history of provoking crashes would've, at the very least, served lengthy bans or, more likely, been banned for life by now. Of course he's protected by the higher ups.

Given that Cavendish has been penalised many times your post is clearly bollox

 

[PhiLiz]

Given that Cavendish has been penalised many times your post is clearly bollox

Not only do you little about cycling with your cAvEnDiSh hAS won sO mUcH!!!!111 when everyone knows he's been trash for years and even after he was cleared of any health issues, you also seem to have a problem with reading. A penalty is not a ban of which he should've a lot by now. And I said ban, not stupid penalties for basically putting lives at risk.

 

[macbindle]

Greatest road sprinter ever. Most TdF stage wins.

Yeah, trash.

 

[roundabout]

Would you pay millions for a guy who wasn't winning races?

Me neither.

2019 and 2020 were wiped out for him, after 11 years of being one of the top riders in the world, and now here you are trying to claim he was always a nobody

Show me where I am trying to claim that he was always a nobody?

And my point was that if it isn't such a big jump in form vs 2020, surely it would have been noticeable to more teams how good Cavendish was in 2020 and he would have had not issues getting a good contract for 2021 (again, not sure where you got millions from).

But I see that you are not trying to argue in good faith as usual so it's a waste of my time.

Edited for clarity

 

[macbindle]

You are blinded by irrational hatred

 

[PhiLiz]

imagine being a Cav simp