Cav ** May contain spoilers **

[rich p]

Nothing really, but just to register my disappointment that he's 'sacrificing' another season, after a couple of difficult years, to try to win a bronze medal at th e Olympics. He may, of course, win gold but I think that's a long shot and he's not even sure of selection yet.
I'd like to have seen him either slugging it out with Kittel, Ewan, Greipel etc or becoming a rider who could do well in the classics.
I regard the Olympics as waste of his talent although I'm aware that he thinks he has unfinished business.
Thomas gave up a year for the last Olympics even though he already had gold medals which irked me too. I realise they may have a different view but I'd get more of a kick out of them winning P-R than an Olympic medal.

 

[martint235]

2008 is probably still irking him to be fair. I known I'd still be p'd off.

 

[oldroadman]

All the people who have won Olympic medals seem to have come through the GB Cycling Team system, run by BC. So they will feel a loyalty to that. Plus, as I understand it, BC get a lot of funding from public bodies, and I suspect some of them have hardly even heard of Paris-Roubaix or anything else other than TdF. So Olympic medals must be a focus, and probably the bulk of the money is tied to medals once every four years. Which seems daft, but that's how the world outside view most sports except the old "traditionals" (e.g. footy, cricket, rugby) who don't do much or even appear at Olympic level. But that's how it goes, sometimes you have to follow the money. All that said I can understand Cav, the only top level GB Olympics rider from without a medal and his desire to put that right. Correct he's not even selected yet, but he always seems to deliver when it matters. Wouldn't be a surprise to see him in the omnium at Rio. What we really need is to have the Madison back.....

 

[rich p]

What we really need is to have the Madison back.....

I agree with that!
Surely the money can't be his motivation though. It's not as if he's Jon Dibben or someone needing to raise their profile. Losing a year of a relatively short career seems perverse to me when there is so much uncertainty that he'll get selected or even medal. (verbal noun, dontcha know!)

 

[Crackle]

He's not the obvious choice is he. If he wasn't Cav I don't think he'd get selected on his results at the worlds, that other young fella, name forgotten temporarily, did a few cracking rides and can pursuit as well.

I thought he might do well on the road this year, pressure off with Dimension Data, certainly had a good start. A few more big wins would cement his position as one of the greatest sprinters of all time (which I know he already is).

I can understand it though. so many of his peers are all Olympians as well.

 

[oldroadman]

He's not the obvious choice is he. If he wasn't Cav I don't think he'd get selected on his results at the worlds, that other young fella, name forgotten temporarily, did a few cracking rides and can pursuit as well.

I thought he might do well on the road this year, pressure off with Dimension Data, certainly had a good start. A few more big wins would cement his position as one of the greatest sprinters of all time (which I know he already is).

I can understand it though. so many of his peers are all Olympians as well.

He is an Olympian already, but the only one of his peers without a medal. Which is what he wants to get if at all possible.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I am fairly sure I saw something today saying he was riding Paris-Roubaix.

edit - here you go:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/racing/mark-cavendish-race-paris-roubaix-219328

 

[rich p]

Cav all but confirmed as the Rio omnium man and the 5th team pursuiter. I don't think thyere was much competition once Dibben broke something?

 

[fimm]

Dibben broke something? I didn't know that. That's a shame.

 

[Crackle]

Cav all but confirmed as the Rio omnium man and the 5th team pursuiter. I don't think thyere was much competition once Dibben broke something?

Are we looking for a large sum of money leaving Cav's account and ending up in some nefarious 'arrangers' account because I thought Dibben should have that place.

 

[oldroadman]

Are we looking for a large sum of money leaving Cav's account and ending up in some nefarious 'arrangers' account because I thought Dibben should have that place.

Possibly the funniest post this week so far.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Cavendish has been confirmed ... or is this old news? Anyway, it was news to me.

The other names are on the linked tweet, but it's an image so I can't cut and paste them .

https://twitter.com/BritishCycling/status/746338748175163397

 

[resal]

Andy Tennant was stuffed at London 2012 easily should have been used in one of the rounds. Is anyone saying Cav is faster than Tennant in the TP ? Not sure I have heard that anywhere.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ten...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Hacienda71]

Unfortunately I am not sure Tennant has ever reached his full potential. He has an outstanding ftp and was tipped to be the next Wiggins. If this is down to selection politics or performance on the day, I don't know but I would have liked to have seen him there.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Politics in cycling? Surely not.