TDY - has Mark Cavendish had his day?

[Doobiesis]

Watching the race today, Mark Cav just didn’t have the legs for the third brutal climb. I thought last summer after he didn’t make it till the end in the TDF that maybe he would retire, so was a bit shocked to hear he was riding in the TDY.

I know he was ill and lost it a few years ago. But I can’t work out if it is either, he has lost his mojo or the riders now are just a lot quicker than him.

Who else has noticed this?

 

[Doobiesis]

I’m a huge Cav fan, I do miss him being in the front at the end tho. He was such a tactical rider.

Bearing in mind I would have trouble walking up that climb let alone cycling up it. So I’m not judging him, just be nice for his plans at the beginning of the race play out.

 

[derrick]

On his way out. He is now past his sell by date. He has had a good run. Always one of my favourites. Time to hang up his shoes.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

@13 rider and myself were having this conversation when on our ride today.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cav is talking of taking up Audax.

 

[wisdom]

I'm a big fan but I think it's the autumn of his days on the road.

 

[Milzy]

That Epstein-Barr will fudge you up for a full year then still might not be 100%.
He has got kids to think about too. He used to have to work really hard on the hills to get him to the sprint finishes & I don’t think he trains like he used to do.
He came 8th the other day. If they had caught the break in time he may have won. Of course it’s near the end of his racing career now though too.

 

[Sharky]

Cav is talking of taking up Audax.

He would probably have to cut down his mileage to train for Audax

 

[Globalti]

He was a thrilling sprinter, who can ever forget that win on the Champs Elysées when he suddenly appeared right of frame and shot past the leaders like an Exocet missile?

Watching him interviewed two days ago I thought he was sliding towards middle age.

 

[Jimidh]

Always sad to see our sporting heroes diminish in front of our eyes.

I was hoping he could get another couple of TDF stage wins before he retires but it’s looking less and less likely but I wouldn’t totally write him off yet.

 

[Crackle]

Watching him interviewed two days ago I thought he was sliding towards middle age.

He's 33, when does middle age begin?

Whether he is or isn't past his best and I'm not writing him off yet, he's probably the greatest sprinter of all time and at his peak, unbelievably quick. I can't think of anyone who's looked that quick, had that kick and the instincts that went with it, so it's quite possible we won't see his like again.

 

[Globalti]

At 33 you're still young but by 40 I guess most people would consider you middle aged.

Cav did say a couple of years ago that he thought the future of sprinting belonged to the big powerful riders like Kittel and Greipel, not the smaller more compact riders like himself.

 

[wisdom]

He's 33, when does middle age begin?

Whether he is or isn't past his best and I'm not writing him off yet, he's probably the greatest sprinter of all time and at his peak, unbelievably quick. I can't think of anyone who's looked that quick, had that kick and the instincts that went with it, so it's quite possible we won't see his like again.

Totally agree.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

He's 33, when does middle age begin?

Whether he is or isn't past his best and I'm not writing him off yet, he's probably the greatest sprinter of all time and at his peak, unbelievably quick. I can't think of anyone who's looked that quick, had that kick and the instincts that went with it, so it's quite possible we won't see his like again.

Middle age is considered to start in your mid 30's so he's getting close.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Not very keen on him as a person but there's no denying he was up there with the best sprinters of all time in his day, which I think he's had.