Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[SHAD0W93]

At least it wasn't anything major but still terrible. Hopefully he is done crashing and can still ride.

Cav has a lot of motivation to win and keep winning to the person that said he might not be motivated from his accomplishments.

 

[Craigee]

He may need to go to an optometrist. Crashing too much.

 

[movingtarget]

What a terrible season he is having so far.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Cav and Peta had a baby boy. I didn't even know they were expecting. Hopefully he can win some Tour stages so their new baby can have the lion.

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/mark-cavendish-wife-peta-todd-welcome-baby-boy-389248

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Cav and Peta had a baby boy. I didn't even know they were expecting. Hopefully he can win some Tour stages so their new baby can have the lion.

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/mark-cavendish-wife-peta-todd-welcome-baby-boy-389248

I knew Jimmy Casper was his idol.

 

[SHAD0W93]

http://cyclingpub.com/article/4062/Mark+Cavendish+about+Marcel+Kittel%3A+I+don%27t+think+that+my+teammates+are+my+staff

Hopefully he is at his best.

 

[yaco]

Tour of Slovenie is a mini sprinters TDF - Kittel, Cavendish, Groenewegen, Ewan and probably Greipel.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Funny how such a relatively 'big' rider has been so irrelevant for 2 years now. Not been doing anything apart from crashing. Di Data curse, or just standard pretty unversatile sprinter crashing out of the only races that matters? Then he probably pops up and wins a couple of stage now.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Funny how such a relatively 'big' rider has been so irrelevant for 2 years now. Not been doing anything apart from crashing. Di Data curse, or just standard pretty unversatile sprinter crashing out of the only races that matters? Then he probably pops up and wins a couple of stage now.

A couple of crashes and a bout of mono account for most of the problem

 

[SHAD0W93]

Yea, last year he had bad luck all the way around that staryed into this year. I hope he wins as many stages as he can. What is good for him is everytime people start doubting him he comes back hard. Take 16 tour for example. I had to read 5 different news reports saying he won the first stage before the excitement hit.

Besides with Contador or Klöden riding well and about to win Cav is the other person I will get up out of my seat to cheer for.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

Funny how such a relatively 'big' rider has been so irrelevant for 2 years now. Not been doing anything apart from crashing. Di Data curse, or just standard pretty unversatile sprinter crashing out of the only races that matters? Then he probably pops up and wins a couple of stage now.

Irrelevant for 2 years seems harsh. Two years ago he won 4 TdF stages, his first yellow jersey, an Olympic silver, Qatar overall, silver in the WCRR and the Madison WC. That's a careers worth of victories for many.

2017 he was ill in the first half of the year, got taken out in the TdF and didn't return to racing until the Six Days of London in October.

So far in 2018 he's crashed 3 times. That's pretty worrying.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Funny how such a relatively 'big' rider has been so irrelevant for 2 years now. Not been doing anything apart from crashing. Di Data curse, or just standard pretty unversatile sprinter crashing out of the only races that matters? Then he probably pops up and wins a couple of stage now.

Irrelevant for 2 years seems harsh. Two years ago he won 4 TdF stages, his first yellow jersey, an Olympic silver, Qatar overall, silver in the WCRR and the Madison WC. That's a careers worth of victories for many.

2017 he was ill in the first half of the year, got taken out in the TdF and didn't return to racing until the Six Days of London in October.

So far in 2018 he's crashed 3 times. That's pretty worrying.

Excluding the Tour 2016 obviously.

Forgot about the Worlds, but not that many people cared. It was a flat course in the Middle East after all....

 

[Red Rick]

It was a dumb course. Yet he made it in the crosswinds as pretty much the only pure sprinter there.

I've always liked Cav. I hope he's got some fire in his short legs yet. Least I hope for is some good fortune that he at least gets to defend his chances in the sprints.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

It was a dumb course. Yet he made it in the crosswinds as pretty much the only pure sprinter there.

I've always liked Cav. I hope he's got some fire in his short legs yet. Least I hope for is some good fortune that he at least gets to defend his chances in the sprints.

I have a feeling that this Tour May be a bridge too far for Cav in terms of results. Kittel, Sagan, Demare and Matthews are at the peak of their game and Gaviria and Ewan are going to unleash all kinds of fury.

I also expect Greipel and Kristoff to be off the pace as well.

 

[SHAD0W93]

The more he is underestimated, the more lethal he is for winning as well as he wants to prove everyone wrong.

 

[Akuryo]

Re:

The more he is underestimated, the more lethal he is for winning as well as he wants to prove everyone wrong.

Still, the odds are against him. Gaviria beat him 3 years ago already. One got faster and a better team, while the other got older and probably a bit slower. But then again, both have trouble staying on their bikes these days, so maybe a third one will be laughing at the end.

 

[Netserk]

The more desperate he is, the more likely he is to be involved in a crash. Again... I just hope it won't mean that a an actually likeable rider will have to leave the Tour early again.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

The more desperate he is, the more likely he is to be involved in a crash. Again... I just hope it won't mean that a an actually likeable rider will have to leave the Tour early again.

Yeah, you can never be sure when Cavendish crashes. Are you behind him, you might crash and get injured; are you in front of him, you'll probably be disqualified if he decides to ride into you and then crashes.

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

Funny how such a relatively 'big' rider has been so irrelevant for 2 years now. Not been doing anything apart from crashing. Di Data curse, or just standard pretty unversatile sprinter crashing out of the only races that matters? Then he probably pops up and wins a couple of stage now.

Irrelevant for 2 years seems harsh. Two years ago he won 4 TdF stages, his first yellow jersey, an Olympic silver, Qatar overall, silver in the WCRR and the Madison WC. That's a careers worth of victories for many.

2017 he was ill in the first half of the year, got taken out in the TdF and didn't return to racing until the Six Days of London in October.

So far in 2018 he's crashed 3 times. That's pretty worrying.

Excluding the Tour 2016 obviously.

Forgot about the Worlds, but not that many people cared. It was a flat course in the Middle East after all....

I know people like to rubbish races that everyone thinks are meant for sprinters, but the top 10 in that race pretty much reads like a who's who of spring classics/monument favourites (ignoring the Ardennes obviously). Cav managing to get 2nd in those winds, over that distance, against those riders with only national riders to help is very impressive.

You can't discount the Tour as his whole season was built around winning an Olympic medal, multiple Tour stages and the WCRR. 2016 put him squarely back in line with his '10-'12 form CQ points wise and that doesn't include the Olympic medal or World Track title.

It's arguably an even better season considering how poorly, results wise, 2014 and 2015 went for him.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

The more he is underestimated, the more lethal he is for winning as well as he wants to prove everyone wrong.

Still, the odds are against him. Gaviria beat him 3 years ago already. One got faster and a better team, while the other got older and probably a bit slower. But then again, both have trouble staying on their bikes these days, so maybe a third one will be laughing at the end.

Imagine this; they're neck-to-neck approaching the line and then… they crash!
If that were actually to happen, how would they determine the winner? Does the rules explicitly state that is has to be the front wheel across the line first, or can it be any body or bike part? (Obviously in most cases it is indeed the front wheel that crosses the line first, but take a guy like Ewan; I think his hair might cross the line first.)
Of course if one of them is deemed to have caused the crash, then I guess the other will be declared the winner, and if they're both found responsible, then the person crossing the line in third position might be declared the winner.
However, just imagine someone winning a TdF stage because his elbow happened to slide across the finish line first after a crash.

 

[yaco]

Never underestimate Cavendish in the TDF - He's every chance to win a stage with the right luck.

 

[Akuryo]

Re: Re:

The more he is underestimated, the more lethal he is for winning as well as he wants to prove everyone wrong.

Still, the odds are against him. Gaviria beat him 3 years ago already. One got faster and a better team, while the other got older and probably a bit slower. But then again, both have trouble staying on their bikes these days, so maybe a third one will be laughing at the end.

Imagine this; they're neck-to-neck approaching the line and then… they crash!
If that were actually to happen, how would they determine the winner? Does the rules explicitly state that is has to be the front wheel across the line first, or can it be any body or bike part? (Obviously in most cases it is indeed the front wheel that crosses the line first, but take a guy like Ewan; I think his hair might cross the line first.)
Of course if one of them is deemed to have caused the crash, then I guess the other will be declared the winner, and if they're both found responsible, then the person crossing the line in third position might be declared the winner.
However, just imagine someone winning a TdF stage because his elbow happened to slide across the finish line first after a crash.

We had that recently with Gaviria against Walscheid: The German was with his shoulders already over the line but still lost, cause Gavirias wheel was over it first. So bike before body!

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

The more he is underestimated, the more lethal he is for winning as well as he wants to prove everyone wrong.

Still, the odds are against him. Gaviria beat him 3 years ago already. One got faster and a better team, while the other got older and probably a bit slower. But then again, both have trouble staying on their bikes these days, so maybe a third one will be laughing at the end.

Imagine this; they're neck-to-neck approaching the line and then… they crash!
If that were actually to happen, how would they determine the winner? Does the rules explicitly state that is has to be the front wheel across the line first, or can it be any body or bike part? (Obviously in most cases it is indeed the front wheel that crosses the line first, but take a guy like Ewan; I think his hair might cross the line first.)
Of course if one of them is deemed to have caused the crash, then I guess the other will be declared the winner, and if they're both found responsible, then the person crossing the line in third position might be declared the winner.
However, just imagine someone winning a TdF stage because his elbow happened to slide across the finish line first after a crash.

We had that recently with Gaviria against Walscheid: The German was with his shoulders already over the line but still lost, cause Gavirias wheel was over it first. So bike before body!

His shoulders surely weren't over the line before his front wheel. But I think it's the front wheel in all cases, although I'm not certain (if a rider walks over the line carrying his bike turning backwards, would it then be the back wheel since that is the first part of the bike?).

 

[Akuryo]

Re: Re:

The more he is underestimated, the more lethal he is for winning as well as he wants to prove everyone wrong.

Still, the odds are against him. Gaviria beat him 3 years ago already. One got faster and a better team, while the other got older and probably a bit slower. But then again, both have trouble staying on their bikes these days, so maybe a third one will be laughing at the end.

Imagine this; they're neck-to-neck approaching the line and then… they crash!
If that were actually to happen, how would they determine the winner? Does the rules explicitly state that is has to be the front wheel across the line first, or can it be any body or bike part? (Obviously in most cases it is indeed the front wheel that crosses the line first, but take a guy like Ewan; I think his hair might cross the line first.)
Of course if one of them is deemed to have caused the crash, then I guess the other will be declared the winner, and if they're both found responsible, then the person crossing the line in third position might be declared the winner.
However, just imagine someone winning a TdF stage because his elbow happened to slide across the finish line first after a crash.

We had that recently with Gaviria against Walscheid: The German was with his shoulders already over the line but still lost, cause Gavirias wheel was over it first. So bike before body!

His shoulders surely weren't over the line before his front wheel. But I think it's the front wheel in all cases, although I'm not certain (if a rider walks over the line carrying his bike turning backwards, would it then be the back wheel since that is the first part of the bike?).

No, Walscheids shoulders were over the line before Gavirias. That was the point I was trying to make. But the wheel was the deciding factor and the Colombian won that sprint, even though his body crossed the line second to the German.

 

[RedheadDane]

Judging by that picture they didn't exactly crash over the line.

As for how your shoulder could cross the line before your front wheel; if you're doing the classic head-dive-over-handlebar trick...

Though, I suppose if body parts counted, then riders could just punch the air in front of them to get their hand ahead…