• The Cycling News forum is still looking to add volunteer moderators with. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

Page 167 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Super risky for everyone, look at the support Cavendish had leading up to the TDF. Astana has some overall talent but no flat-fast leadout specific riders. There are plenty available but certainly will compromise Astana to contest stage races, if indeed they do a complete roster rework to groom the team and supporting schedule for an all in Cav TDF result..wow what a tiny micro window of opportunity.. No way Cavendish and any lead out train is making it through multiple mountain days.. So he would have to do it in the first week, all codependent on some flat warm up stages as is tradition.
If it were me I would demand getting something for your money out of Cavendish from @August- September 2023 and call it a day..to me Luis Leon Sanchez is the best rider on the squad..100 years old and not a traditional train engine sprint specialist
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
No way Cavendish and any lead out train is making it through multiple mountain days.. So he would have to do it in the first week, all codependent on some flat warm up stages as is tradition.
Given how his Giro started I didn't expect him to be there after a couple of mountain stages, yet he made it to Rome. So I wouldn't write him off in that regard.

To me the question is more around whether he wants to go through it all again, as Rolf Aldag said, he had to work damn hard this year to get to the best level he could and make it through a GT (and do consecutive GTs). We'll see, but I guess Vino feels he can add some value if he hangs on a bit longer.
 
I don't think anyone would claim Astana was a sprint team last year. ;)
It's a bit early to early to make that weird mistake some people start doing in the fall, where they accidentally refer to things that happened in the current year as being "last year".
This is my least favourite part of the season for the fact that you must point this out all the time.
 
This is my least favourite part of the season for the fact that you must point this out all the time.

And we haven't even reached that part of the season yet!
Usually, the confusion start in late October/early November, when the (European) season has pretty much winded down. I really don't hope anyone thinks that "the season has as good as ended anyway."
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt and jsem94
It was and my fiancé liked it and this was her first year watching cycling. It helps put more in perspective how much he and his family went through during that rough stretch. I was surprised he and the team thought he was winning the stage he crashed out of in 2017.

I was annoyed how they portrayed that crash, saying Sagan put him in the barriers when it was not the case.

And again, the swerve that Démare did on Bouhanni there was much worse.

Otherwise, yeah, a good watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt and SHAD0W93
I don't think anyone would claim Astana was a sprint team last year. ;)
It's a bit early to early to make that weird mistake some people start doing in the fall, where they accidentally refer to things that happened in the current year as being "last year".
Have to agree, but I also think that there is way way way to much science going on and traditional cycling predictors like race days and showing of fitness and ability during competition still have great weight value. So Astana and Cavendish camp can pretend that he can do out of competition training and" peak" but if it was my money, Cav would be at every race from now until end of September.. He would be paraded in the Astana kit and try and get some long term promotion for the squad after the investment. All the eggs in the TDF basket looks to be an over hyped bust and between Sagan, Cavendish and Tibot the farewell tour has been underwhelming. Not sure what Astana and Cavendish are waiting for.. It wasn't the sunglasses or HED wheels.. I hope he gets on the podium before he starts making bird houses in retirement
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
Have to agree, but I also think that there is way way way to much science going on and traditional cycling predictors like race days and showing of fitness and ability during competition still have great weight value. So Astana and Cavendish camp can pretend that he can do out of competition training and" peak" but if it was my money, Cav would be at every race from now until end of September.. He would be paraded in the Astana kit and try and get some long term promotion for the squad after the investment. All the eggs in the TDF basket looks to be an over hyped bust and between Sagan, Cavendish and Tibot the farewell tour has been underwhelming. Not sure what Astana and Cavendish are waiting for.. It wasn't the sunglasses or HED wheels.. I hope he gets on the podium before he starts making bird houses in retirement
Kind of hard to do races now considering he did just break his collarbone and had to have the plate fixed. He’s races every month besides January this year. Top 10’d three stages and got a higher place each time, while looking like he might have won without the mechanical. Everything was on the rise before the crash but it would have been a race within the race to not OTL with how every stage was ridden. He can do what he wants, and Astana have already said he can come back next year.

Pinot had his farewell at the Giro and then tried his best at the Tour which maybe without going for a stage win he top 10s. Either way he animated some stages, finished 11th, and had his best ever double attempt with a 5th, KoM, 11th, and going for breakaways multiple times.

Sagan was just getting his shift over with.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
Kind of hard to do races now considering he did just break his collarbone and had to have the plate fixed. He’s races every month besides January this year. Top 10’d three stages and got a higher place each time, while looking like he might have won without the mechanical. Everything was on the rise before the crash but it would have been a race within the race to not OTL with how every stage was ridden. He can do what he wants, and Astana have already said he can come back next year.

Pinot had his farewell at the Giro and then tried his best at the Tour which maybe without going for a stage win he top 10s. Either way he animated some stages, finished 11th, and had his best ever double attempt with a 5th, KoM, 11th, and going for breakaways multiple times.

Sagan was just getting his shift over with.
5-6 weeks no plate..4-5 weeks w plate and screws..Cavendish on multiple podcast.. Including w Armstrong saying how Zwift or other trainers are a big part of his workouts.. So someone should slide a bike under him weeks after his gravel nap at the tour..slow steady recovery is not an option anymore.. There is no tomorrow.. Or is there? He wouldn't be the first person to change their mind on retirement... Sagan is in for a really rude awakening about the level of current mountain bike bunch.. Maybe Cav can do something on the velodrome so he is remembered as laying on the ground holding his clavicle
 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt
5-6 weeks no plate..4-5 weeks w plate and screws..Cavendish on multiple podcast.. Including w Armstrong saying how Zwift or other trainers are a big part of his workouts.. So someone should slide a bike under him weeks after his gravel nap at the tour..slow steady recovery is not an option anymore.. There is no tomorrow.. Or is there? He wouldn't be the first person to change their mind on retirement... Sagan is in for a really rude awakening about the level of current mountain bike bunch.. Maybe Cav can do something on the velodrome so he is remembered as laying on the ground holding his clavicle
If he is still planning to retire we might not see him again, but if he is even considering one more shot at a TdF stage we might see him this fall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHAD0W93
Yeah I saw Morkov was linked to Astana plus the rumors he’s extending. I think he could win one or two stages but also respect if he doesn’t want to commit his body to get and maintain the shape while choosing to be with his family. If he does come back a Tour and Vuelta run would be nice but Vuelta unlikely unless ToB changes their dates.


 
  • Like
Reactions: jmdirt and noob