That would be the point of having a leadout.
Today's performance really drove home that Cav could have been going for #50 by now if he were more consistent over the years when it comes to focus. There is just no one else that can launch like that.
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Today's performance really drove home that Cav could have been going for #50 by now if he were more consistent over the years when it comes to focus. There is just no one else that can launch like that.
Hard to focus when you were sick, depressed, fatigued, and crashing for 3 years.
A shame about the gear issue, would have been good to see him able to go 100% to the line and I think it could have been close. Can't help feeling this was his best chance, with the number of sprinters in the mix it seems quite a battle to even get a chance to launch unless you have a monster like mvdp to position you, and surely there's more to come from the likes of Groenewegen / Jakobsen / Wout et al. But despite not getting a win Cav has been been pretty good so far so who knows.
There’s always hope! But the main concern is getting through the mountains as well to prolong his chances.
you'll have to rename the thread to 'Mark Cavendish is only as good as Eddy Merckx'
Now, sprint stages have zero points of interest. Bye Goat. You are a legend and definetly the most incredible and complete sprinter. Top speed, acceleration, aerodynamic, handles and crazyness. You have it all, Manx Missile!!
Terrible way to end the Tour and absolutely not what he was hoping for. Even more then not getting another win, it stinks he’s not able to ride his last Champs finish and be honored.
Far better for history to leave Cav/ Merckx poised equal at 34.
Like trying to separate, say, the winner of a hot dog eating contest from one involving chicken wings. (My original analogy was Cav as hot dogs vs Eddy as a contest to eat as far as possible through a degustation menu).
OFC Eddy’s wider palmares gets overlooked. Just as well for Cav not to provoke a comparison of results ex TdF (not that there is anything to be reticent about AT ALL in his own career).
But a super sad way to finish. Cue eulogies in the British Sunday papers.
Like trying to separate, say, the winner of a hot dog eating contest from one involving chicken wings. (My original analogy was Cav as hot dogs vs Eddy as a contest to eat as far as possible through a degustation menu).
OFC Eddy’s wider palmares gets overlooked. Just as well for Cav not to provoke a comparison of results ex TdF (not that there is anything to be reticent about AT ALL in his own career).
But a super sad way to finish. Cue eulogies in the British Sunday papers.
I have thought about it and I can independently verify that this is a take.
Not one I agree with, but an absolute take nonetheless.
Does his wider palmares get overlooked though? Everyone I know considers Eddy the greatest cyclist of all time, I wouldn't say that one of his many records being beaten by someone achieving something very special in the one field they specialise in is a knock on Merckx at all. To me it actually emphasises how great Merckx was, that it takes someone with incredible longevity and periods of dominance to match one of his records.
Anyway, it's all moot now, looks like the end and a sad way to go out. I guess fate didn't have another Giro-style happy ending in line for him, and that's the way sport goes sometimes.
I hope that Cav rides a few races at the end of the season, and even grabs a win so that he can go out on a better note than this (even though that won't make up for missing his last Champs)!
Cavendish has been quoted over the years some version of " that's bike racing " " and it sucks to crash but it's part of sprinting life". I personally didn't want to see him crash out, and in the heat of battle I was happy to see that other talented sprinters didn't gift him anything. He certainly doesn't have anything to regret in his career. Personal observation, I think Cav's combo of personality and performance was major in many programs. Can't think of Highroad without him,,one of the most popular racers in the last few decades.
And if he hanging up the bicycle completely, he accomplished as much on the track, awesome career.
And if he hanging up the bicycle completely, he accomplished as much on the track, awesome career.
I wondered that, it would be perfect way to finish imo, it's first week September so definitely recoverable for, but...I dont know they'd be alot of pressure on him to do something spectacular and I don't think he rides at his best, TdF in Yorkshire for instance, when it's like that
Netflix didn't get the ending they would have wanted:
View: https://twitter.com/NetflixUK/status/1674734641033494531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1674734641033494531%7Ctwgr%5Ec149fdd404c3f26703f477749b21a09914c15064%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeradar.com%2Fnews%2Fmark-cavendish-never-enough%2F
View: https://twitter.com/NetflixUK/status/1674734641033494531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1674734641033494531%7Ctwgr%5Ec149fdd404c3f26703f477749b21a09914c15064%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeradar.com%2Fnews%2Fmark-cavendish-never-enough%2F
He didn't have much of a choice in that sprint. He got an openning and did the right thing but he's never been a 400m sprinter. Shame it was his last chance at the Tour record.
It's too bad he didn't make it to Paris as it would have made the final day much more interesting.
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