TechnicalDescent said:
UCI world tour teams have to ride the monuments. Given he was obliged to do it, and clearly not going for the win, shows you how different a situation it is.
I don't know why we can't just come together and praise Cav for staying on in the Giro when all the non-Italian sprinters have gone home, and for getting his hands dirty. He's a great example to others.
So many things that he does that are a great example of how not to behave. It's like one of those really naughty kids at school, that when they actually do what they're told for fifteen minutes expect to be lavished with praise and gold stars.
Bettini didn't have to ride Lombardia. But he was the World Champion and the defending winner.
It's great that he's stayed on, but then Tyler Farrar stayed on in 2010 until missing the time cut meant he was docked 25 points, and he realised he couldn't keep the jersey. If he could have kept the jersey he'd have stayed in the race. Cavendish can keep the jersey, so he's stayed in the race. It's disrespectful to the race to retire when wearing it for one thing.
It's good that he's stayed on, and it's good that he doesn't consider himself above doing the occasional bit of domestique work when asked. But it isn't something special or worthy of particular praise other than to say "look, he's not all bad".
Something like the way he won into Aubenas in 2009 or the way he's acted for Jonny Bellis in the last couple of years? THAT's doing something praiseworthy. Not quitting a race and collecting a bottle or two is hardly on the same scale.