Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[HelloDolly]

This was a winner's tantrum. Angry that the mechanic had not done his job properly.

Wasn't a loser's tantrum, or what is known as 'doing a Pinot'.

Imagine this for a moment...

you have been riding day after day for 3 weeks, in intense heat, in rain, with aches and pains. Your whole body just wants to stop. You can see the end in sight, but you still have 3 more days to go. Your whole team is looking to you for success. You are exhausted from the stress of yesterday and the day before getting over mountains. You've got 2 more chances if everything goes right, and you need everyone to do their job.

But your mechanic has not done his job and has given you your bike with the headset not functioning.

It isn't the first day of the tour when you are fresh and rested...

Well it seems his is back to his old ways in more than one and there is no excuse for his behavior and its not the first time he has done it. I for one dont buy the way he treats people as ok or the 'apology' as making it such . That he feels he can act like this indicates that his feelings and his needs trump others and he has little real respect.

All the riders have been riding day after day for 3 weeks and have much at stake ...some more as they may not get a contract
Cavendish has been a prat for many years and acts like a man child and everyone makes excuses because he is a winner

 

[Red Rick]

Well it seems his is back to his old ways in more than one and there is no excuse for his behavior and its not the first time he has done it. I for one dont buy the way he treats people as ok or the 'apology' as making it such . That he feels he can act like this indicates that his feelings and his needs trump others and he has little real respect.

All the riders have been riding day after day for 3 weeks and have much at stake ...some more as they may not get a contract
Cavendish has been a prat for many years and acts like a man child and everyone makes excuses because he is a winner

"People generalize him positively" he says while making generalizing statement about both the rider and his fans.

 

[jmdirt]

Well it seems his is back to his old ways in more than one and there is no excuse for his behavior and its not the first time he has done it. I for one dont buy the way he treats people as ok or the 'apology' as making it such . That he feels he can act like this indicates that his feelings and his needs trump others and he has little real respect.

All the riders have been riding day after day for 3 weeks and have much at stake ...some more as they may not get a contract
Cavendish has been a prat for many years and acts like a man child and everyone makes excuses because he is a winner

Maybe other riders have reacted poorly too, but they don't make the news because they aren't Cav.

Everyone isn't making excuses. Two of the biggest Cav fans in this thread have both called him out for his unacceptable tantrum.

 

[macbindle]

Look at you all Desperate to get your snipes in on a rider who has spent 3 weeks at the sharp edge. Obviously if you got out of your bedrooms and tried riding 200k a day for a couple of days you'd start to understand the perspective that I patiently explained to you.

 

[HelloDolly]

"People generalize him positively" he says while making generalizing statement about both the rider and his fans.

Maybe English isnt your first language but you don't put something in quotes unless someone actually said it

 

[HelloDolly]

Look at you all Desperate to get your snipes in on a rider who has spent 3 weeks at the sharp edge. Obviously if you got out of your bedrooms and tried riding 200k a day for a couple of days you'd start to understand the perspective that I patiently explained to you.

Yes its all our fault, here sitting on our sofas. If only we rode 200k we would be more tolerant of abusive behaviour
Poor Cav only guy riding around France for the last 3 weeks, where there are no mechanics staying up half the night fixing bikes and be paid pittance for it
Cav the only guy who gets caught at bad behaviuor as no other camera or mobile is pointed at the other 160+ riders

 

[macbindle]

Yes, Cav is a terrible person.

That is why so many riders from other teams come up to him to congratulate him a win, that is why Eddy Merckx spoke of his fondness for Cavendish and described him as a true gentleman, and who nobody, apart from a couple of armchair experts who wouldn't know one of a bike from the other, have a bad word to say about him

 

[Pricey_sky]

Good to see the fire still burns bright, though of course he could handle it slightly different and I’m sure he will admit as much.

This is professional sport, not a tea party and sometimes emotions run very high.

I hope he doesn’t change, it’s part of what makes him a champion and the greatest sprinter of all time.

 

[Extinction]

With all that he's won, with his resurrection this year, having won 4 stages at this Tour when the pundits thought he was done...what else does he want? The mechanics do everything to the best of their abilty...that scene was disgraceful, in public to boot, a spoiled little kid who doesn't realize how fortunate he is. Get a clue. There are men, and there are men...

 

[macbindle]

Yeah, because winning in your armchair is just so easy, isn't it

 

[SHAD0W93]

With all that he's won, with his resurrection this year, having won 4 stages at this Tour when the pundits thought he was done...what else does he want? The mechanics do everything to the best of their abilty...that scene was disgraceful, in public to boot, a spoiled little kid who doesn't realize how fortunate he is. Get a clue. There are men, and there are men...

Like jmdirt said we don’t know the history of the bike issue. Some know and those that read his second book know Cavendish is extremely anal about his equipment. To the point he goes over it with his mechanics if he doesn’t like something. That could have been the first incident that day, or it could have been the fourth, it could have been happening throughout the tour. Not to mention he has already had issues with Quickstep mechanics when he is telling them something is wrong with his bike at the 2013 Tour and it turns out it was wrong, though we don’t know if it is the same mechanic.

Everyone gets frustrated with a coworker. What wasn’t okay was doing it in public in front of everyone. That’s unprofessional and not cool. I’m sure he is terribly sorry that it happened and he was that upset in the heat of the moment. This is still not even close to the 2008-2011 Cavendish. Which LS already wrote a good piece detailing his change.

 

[Extinction]

Like jmdirt said we don’t know the history of the bike issue. Some know and those that read his second book know Cavendish is extremely anal about his equipment. To the point he goes over it with his mechanics if he doesn’t like something. That could have been the first incident that day, or it could have been the fourth, it could have been happening throughout the tour. Not to mention he has already had issues with Quickstep mechanics when he is telling them something is wrong with his bike at the 2013 Tour and it turns out it was wrong, though we don’t know if it is the same mechanic.

Everyone gets frustrated with a coworker. What wasn’t okay was doing it in public in front of everyone. That’s unprofessional and not cool. I’m sure he is terribly sorry that it happened and he was that upset in the heat of the moment. This is still not even close to the 2008-2011 Cavendish. Which LS already wrote a good piece detailing his change.

None of that excuses his behavior. There are kids hanging around to get an autograph, what a scene he put on for them...it's just negative.

 

[Extinction]

Yeah, because winning in your armchair is just so easy, isn't it

It's got nothing to do with winning or losing, but respect towards others (not only the mechanic) and dignity towards yourself. I don't understand your thinking, and it's frankly surprising coming from you.

 

[Extinction]

Despite all his success, evidently its not enough for Cav to find inner peace. Hopefully he can find that peace to enjoy the Champs Elysee and his retirement.

 

[SHAD0W93]

None of that excuses his behavior. There are kids hanging around to get an autograph, what a scene he put on for them...it's just a negative.

Again, I said it wasn’t okay to do it in the public. Everyone but one agrees he shouldn’t have did that. This is something that happens all the times in sports. If this was American Football Tom Brady would be applauded for his motivation and ferocity to be the best by the majority.

It’s easy to stand back and ridicule someone when you’re not in that position or their shoes. Who’s to say anyone of us would have did any different or the same.

The fact is he chose the wrong behavior that day. He isn’t a brash, 21 year old anymore. He’s 36 with kids. He should be mature enough to not do it in public. The arguing is fine, the bike slamming and shove is basically breaking your racket in tennis, a video gamer rage, or a player who slams their drink or something on the sideline. Unprofessional and uncalled for.

 

[Extinction]

Again, I said it wasn’t okay to do it in the public. Everyone but one agrees he shouldn’t have did that. This is something that happens all the times in sports. If this was American Football Tom Brady would be applauded for his motivation and ferocity to be the best by the majority.

It’s easy to stand back and ridicule someone when you’re not in that position or their shoes. Who’s to say anyone of us would have did any different or the same.

The fact is he chose the wrong behavior that day. He isn’t a brash, 21 year old anymore. He’s 36 with kids. He should be mature enough to not do it in public. The arguing is fine, the bike slamming and shove is basically breaking your racket in tennis, a video gamer rage, or a player who slams their drink or something on the sideline. Unprofessional and uncalled for.

But he wasn't.

 

[FroomeWagon]

Well that was a good way to turn the French (and a lot of other people) against him tomorrow. Clearly there are people that disliked him before yesterdays incident, but I suspect now there are a lot more of them. Kind of the feel good story of the Tour flushed down the toilet.

 

[macbindle]

Nah. Nobody cares.

 

[Lequack]

Lafavere saying Cav should retire while he's on top

"But what he has accomplished is particularly strong. Also because of the way in which and with the pleasure he conveys. It is really the time to end his career in Paris on Sunday. There is no better farewell at this age, there is also there's no better time to come."
That also seems to be the best scenario for Lefevere. "I totally agree with Sven, I've seen a number of examples of what not to do. Cavendish needs to realize that this will never come back."

Source:

Lefevere: "Ik wil Cavendish behoeden voor het jaar te veel" | sporza

Met 5 ritzeges, 1 dag gele trui voor Julian Alaphilippe en het groen voor Mark Cavendish is Deceuninck-Quick Step aan een dijk van een Tour bezig. In Vive le Vélo mocht ploegbaas Patrick Lefevere gisteravond nog eens de wonderlijke wederopstanding van Mark Cavendish toelichten. Maar het ging ook...

sporza.be

 

[Red Rick]

What the serious ***

 

[Lequack]

What the serious ***

Well Cavendish got too expensive again.

 

[Red Rick]

Well Cavendish got too expensive again.

How are they always lacking money lol. Does Lefevre eat money or some ***.

 

[macbindle]

He's probably right.

Everyone knows Cav has only won 4 stages because apart from Philipson nobody else is there. This scenario won't occur again.

Will Cav be able to demand a large salary? Nope, because of above. So will he be able to get in a team with a great lead out built for him. Nope, because above.

So what option does that leave him? Scrabbling around for wins in minor races.

 

[FroomeWagon]

How are they always lacking money lol. Does Lefevre eat money or some ***.

The same reason DQS couldn't keep Sam Bennett is now the reason they can't afford Cav. If Cav mainly cares about money, he should leave (and go to one of these smaller teams that want an invite to next years tour) where he can be the main guy. Unfortunately, his supporting cast is most likely going to be a level or two down from what was provided him at DQS. After all DQS was built to support Bennett and a chase for green. Furthermore, without the top support (and competing against a healthy Ewan, Bennett, Sagan, etc ) I think his results are going to be far worst next year. I think Lefevre realizes this.

 

[HelloDolly]

I cant see Cavandish retiring though. He was depressed when he wasn't cycling and lives off the buzz of it

Unfortunately this is an issue for lots of athletes inc bike riders

It is so hard to give up the sport that you have dedicated your life to and which you excel at ...and become an ordinary citizen