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Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

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Now I can say Mark, it was a pleasure to see you during these 16 years. You truly become the best sprinter of all times, an impressive acceleration, a fierceful desire of winning and an outstanding madness made you unbeatable (in your prime) and a record holder of Tour's stage wins.
You are one of the best things that happened to cycling. You brought so much joy and entertainment on and off the bike. I never saw someone similar to you in interviews after races. They were full of details and authenticity, man, I will miss you! Of course he is not the same type of rider but Remco is similar to you and I hope he never change his outspoken personality and his "big mouth" (saying childish things sometimes). These guys are nuclear to this sport to bring entertainment, truth, passion. Hope to see more "Cavendishs" in the future. Right now, there is no sprinter really likeable.
 
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Now I can say Mark, it was a pleasure to see you during these 16 years. You truly become the best sprinter of all times, an impressive acceleration, a fierceful desire of winning and an outstanding madness made you unbeatable (in your prime) and a record holder of Tour's stage wins.
You are one of the best things that happened to cycling. You brought so much joy and entertainment on and off the bike. I never saw someone similar to you in interviews after races. They were full of details and authenticity, man, I will miss you! Of course he is not the same type of rider but Remco is similar to you and I hope he never change his outspoken personality and his "big mouth" (saying childish things sometimes). These guys are nuclear to this sport to bring entertainment, truth, passion. Hope to see more "Cavendishs" in the future. Right now, there is no sprinter really likeable.
MvP has a dry wit and a killer finish. Also has World titles in multiple disciplines so there is that guy.
 
My top 5 Cav wins, in order...

TdF 2012 Stage 18
TdF 2012 Champs Elysees
TdF 2010 Stage 18
TdF 2010 Champs Elysees
Giro 2022 Stage 3

Hard to leave out many others. I won't be swayed on that top one though - that was insane.
Just TdF I’d have:
2016 stage 1
2021 stage 4
2024 stage 5
2012 stage 18
2011 stage 5



On the reverse end my 5 disappointments with his career:
Not taking Hushovd serious enough in 2009 potentially costing green,
Not continuing his sprint on stage 4 in 2010 when Petacchi blew my him 100 % costing green,
Not racing Vuelta more than twice and picking to race it over Tour of Britain along with showing up out of shape in 2010,
2012 Giro getting crashed out of the sprint by Ferrari on stage 3 or the stage 9 crash not occurring keeping him out of red,
Not racing the Vuelta after the 2014 TdF crash which caused him to start his sprint earlier than usual at the 2015 Tour.
 
Just TdF I’d have:
2016 stage 1
2021 stage 4
2024 stage 5
2012 stage 18
2011 stage 5



On the reverse end my 5 disappointments with his career:
Not taking Hushovd serious enough in 2009 potentially costing green,
Not continuing his sprint on stage 4 in 2010 when Petacchi blew my him 100 % costing green,
Not racing Vuelta more than twice and picking to race it over Tour of Britain along with showing up out of shape in 2010,
2012 Giro getting crashed out of the sprint by Ferrari on stage 3 or the stage 9 crash not occurring keeping him out of red,
Not racing the Vuelta after the 2014 TdF crash which caused him to start his sprint earlier than usual at the 2015 Tour.
Disagree with your Vuelta 2010 comment. Won 3 stages and points jersey, on the back of 5 Tour stages.
 
Disagree with your Vuelta 2010 comment. Won 3 stages and points jersey, on the back of 5 Tour stages.
And he could have 3-4 more if he was in shape. In his book he talked how he can into the Vuelta under shape and to gain form for the Worlds that year while practicing sprinting from 300+ meters out in case Worlds was a sprint finish due to team Britain believing it’d be a long sprint.
 
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His swansong TdF win this year will probably remain the most memorable for me though, just because of how unlikely it was.

tagging onto this: i feel his comeback TdF win for quickstep in 2021 must be his most memorable. The whole storyline where he slowly faded, feared that his career was ending at bahrein and then getting a lifeline at QS that year. Love him or hate him that was the storyline of 2021 for me, and boy did it deliver.
 
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tagging onto this: i feel his comeback TdF win for quickstep in 2021 must be his most memorable. The whole storyline where he slowly faded, feared that his career was ending at bahrein and then getting a lifeline at QS that year. Love him or hate him that was the storyline of 2021 for me, and boy did it deliver.
Yeah, that was one of the more unexpected phoenix moments in cycling. But I'd say it's more about that season overall. He was already going quite strongly again with Quickstep even before the 2021 Tour. Big respect to him pulling it off, despite him costing me the win in the CQ game that year. :laughing:
 
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I'd have said 2011 was Peak Cav. It was all downhill from there on...

The worlds in particular was the greatest moment in his career. What a performance from Cav & esp the whole team all season long to ensure a full team qualified. They did exactly what needed to be done to deliver Cav to the line.
 
tagging onto this: i feel his comeback TdF win for quickstep in 2021 must be his most memorable. The whole storyline where he slowly faded, feared that his career was ending at bahrein and then getting a lifeline at QS that year. Love him or hate him that was the storyline of 2021 for me, and boy did it deliver.

You can even expand that storyline to include the last several years.

2020:
Had been fading for years, feared his career was about to end.

2021:
Got the mentioned lifeline with QS, and started winning again. Was unexpectedly selected for the Tour, where he achieved four wins, thus equaling his win-tally to Merckx.

2022:
Was not selected for the Tour, causing some drama among fans who thought Jakobsen being selected instead was unfair.

2023:
Signing with Astana with the expressed goal of achieving that one last TdF stage win that would make him sole holder of the record, announcing his intetion to retire at the end of the year. Getting close to the win, but sadly crashing out the next day.

2024:
Extending his career by one year, to have one last attempt at the Record - and also just to, you know, not finish his last TdF in an ambulance - getting his win, thus beating a record that had stood for several decades.
Receiving the ultimate reward of Knighthood.
 
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