It would be funny if after all the bluster QS were to spend most of next season finishing 3rd behind Ewan and Bennett.
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And Ewan becomes his lead out man*,
Is what I believe you meant.
Though they’d both be bad leadout men, too small and aero.
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What does ass on DQS mean? Shouldn't the fastest guy with the most wins be the main sprinter?
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They’ve been asking for it and they finally got it. Their hubris coming back onto them. As the day came closer and closer I felt that he was not going to win. Green is still a huge accomplishment. There’s always next year and gosh dang it go to the Vuelta this year.
Some of the spitefulness is sickening that has been seen today around the forum.
He didnt win today but that does not take away the comeback and what he has achieved. You dont have to like him or be a fan, I never been the biggest supporter of him, but he is arguably the best sprinter of all time and that is something that will stand for a long time. Maybe forever.
He didnt win today but that does not take away the comeback and what he has achieved. You dont have to like him or be a fan, I never been the biggest supporter of him, but he is arguably the best sprinter of all time and that is something that will stand for a long time. Maybe forever.
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Just wanted 7 and green :’(
Doubles up what Petacchi did 10 years ago. Would be even bigger if accomplished next year.
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I think there's both a bit of a disdain for sprinters and a deification of Merckx in particular. Some other sports do it with the earlier legends too. But let's be real. A bunch of Merckx wins were half stages, and he rode in days when a bunch of riders were semi-pros at best.
There seems to be this underlying idea Cav wouldn't be worthy of the stage record for some reason, or that he's unworthy of being a legend of the sport in his own right.
- May 5, 2010
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True... I would be surprised if he won on Angliru!
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If he did that, that would truly be the most epic way to sign off. I mean, Abdou's final win in Tulle has gone down in legend, and that was more a hilly, medium-mountain stage at most, although him attacking solo on the final climb is what made it. If Cav, of all people, won on Angliru, that would be a moment to retire on, lest he be swallowed by the vortex of the universe collapsing.
Although IIRC there was one time the live ticker mixed up some race numbers one year (probably 2011 but might have been 2008) and suggested that Bert Grabsch was in the 5 riders at the head of the field halfway up Angliru, that would have been a sight to behold.
I think he will be able to command a substantial salary. Not the kind of salary he might get if he was expected to be able to do this again next year, I agree, but a substantial one. He has a huge profile, he’s a big story again and he’s winning again. Somebody will pay good money for that publicity.
What he does from here is an interesting question though. Presumably with his career earnings he’s not as strongly motivated by a few hundred grand here or there as most riders would be. If he rides on, he might take below market pay for a ride with a team that can support him.
Lefevere is a man who appears to have few absolute and permanent principles, but his belief that you don’t ever pay market value for a sprinter when you have the best sprint support unit comes pretty close.
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I haven't seen what the man himself said about today's stage.
It felt like DQS were caught out at the bottom of the last Champs descent. Wrong side of the road and it shuffled them right back for the tunnel. Then the lead out never got properly reorganised and for whatever reason Cav jumped off Mørkøv's wheel and onto Van Aert's. He briefly had a gap that he should have gone for, then Philipsen closed the door. It was that moment of hesitation that cost a chance, maybe he didn't have the legs but he had to go for it and didn't.
It felt like DQS were caught out at the bottom of the last Champs descent. Wrong side of the road and it shuffled them right back for the tunnel. Then the lead out never got properly reorganised and for whatever reason Cav jumped off Mørkøv's wheel and onto Van Aert's. He briefly had a gap that he should have gone for, then Philipsen closed the door. It was that moment of hesitation that cost a chance, maybe he didn't have the legs but he had to go for it and didn't.
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I think this wouldn’t sting as much for himself, the team, and the fans if they actually tried on the two breakaway stage wins. People have been saying they should go for everyone win just in case. It is ironic two Belgiums stopped it, one boxing him in and the other bossing the field.
View: https://youtu.be/qCEygANCIWQ
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I hope he goes to the Vuelta. I’ve long wanted him to have 35 Tour, 20 Giro, and 10 Vuelta stages. If he chooses to retire or continue I’ll support that. Hopefully he can get win or multiple next year.
I believe QS are backing Jakobson for the Vuelta, so neither Cav nor Bennett will likely be there.
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Most likely for Jakobsen but there’s a lot of flat stages to go around, at least according to PCS. I don’t know the profiles. Plus he likes riding Tour of Britain and I feel like isn’t a fan of the heat.
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And something I forgot to mention. While usually tactically smart and able to surf wheels, he has made 3 and almost 4 mistakes that caused him to get boxed in when racing for something big that causes him to only focus on that and get desperate.
He almost got boxed in at 2011 Worlds and got lucky Goss didn’t close the door on him, 2014 Tour crash for yellow was because he became boxed in and desperate to win in his mother’s home town, 2016 Worlds boxed in and if he had followed Blythe he might have beat Sagan (good thing he didn’t as 2017 would have been even more miserable as Word Champion), and today where if he went on Morkov’s wheel on the outside instead of following up the middle he could have had a better chance.
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Oh well, it's all good I think. The record stays, maybe forever (although he'll surely try again next year if it's at all possible), and that's ok. Even fitting in a way.
Gaining the record on the Champs would have almost been too cheesy and Cav's proven what he set out to prove regardless.
Great job all in all, Cavendish!
Gaining the record on the Champs would have almost been too cheesy and Cav's proven what he set out to prove regardless.
Great job all in all, Cavendish!
Cavendish was on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning and said that he won't be riding the Vuelta, they are taking Jacobsen and he thinks that's the correct thing to do. He didn't sound too down about not winning the sprint and is looking forward to a bit of quality time with the family. His whole family were in Paris, so he said it quickly brought him back to earth.
As has been mentioned, this might increase the likelihood of him competing next season now. And whilst most people won't give him a chance at a TdF stage win in 2022, not with Ewan lining up (and actually staying up!), Bennett likely there supported by Bora, and other sprinters upping their game, no one really gave him a chance at a TdF stage win in 2021 and he got four, so who knows?
And surely whatever team the TdF Green Jersey is riding for gets the opportunity to defend it if they want to?
Although personally as a big Cav fan there is a part of me that would like this Tour to be the end of his TdF career; 4 time stage winner and green jersey winner, even with another fortunate set of circumstances it's almost impossible that he'll repeat that next year and pretty unlikely he'll grab one stage win, never mind multiple. Wouldn't it be better if this was his last Tour de France, rather than a potential dud?
As has been mentioned, this might increase the likelihood of him competing next season now. And whilst most people won't give him a chance at a TdF stage win in 2022, not with Ewan lining up (and actually staying up!), Bennett likely there supported by Bora, and other sprinters upping their game, no one really gave him a chance at a TdF stage win in 2021 and he got four, so who knows?
And surely whatever team the TdF Green Jersey is riding for gets the opportunity to defend it if they want to?
Although personally as a big Cav fan there is a part of me that would like this Tour to be the end of his TdF career; 4 time stage winner and green jersey winner, even with another fortunate set of circumstances it's almost impossible that he'll repeat that next year and pretty unlikely he'll grab one stage win, never mind multiple. Wouldn't it be better if this was his last Tour de France, rather than a potential dud?
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