Mark's Final "Race"

[weisan]

Tour de France Singapore Critérium 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctSmKQf8t2w

[jamesdak]

OH YEAH!!

[Jdm]

I’m happy he won. I read articles about how Girmay and Philipsen purposely didn’t win, but who cares.

If anyone has t watched the Netflix special on Cavendish, it’s excellent.

[carpediemracing]

I have been enthralled by Cavendish's sprinting from day one. I was fortunate enough to have briefly met him when he was just starting, and it was that brief interaction that made me realize that these riders are just regular people, and at least when they start, they're kids at that.

The post Tour crits are scripted so things play out the way they're supposed to. Generally the locals get into a break that looks good, the pros do their pro stuff, and the anointed rider gets the win. There's a ton of stuff related to the crit that draws the crowds, like a chance to meet your heros etc. I think it's appropriate, it's a show.

This is another crit where Cavendish wins. You can see Petacchi (in front of the camera, in Lampre kit) nudge the guy in front of him, who is not a teammate, and basically says "Hey, it's time". The guy obliges and does a monster pull. Then Petacchi does a little surge / pull, then McEwen does an appropriate sprint to the line. Cav waits and pips McEwen at the line. In real life they wouldn't line up like ducks in a shooting gallery like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Utw-6yGOow

I do the same if it's appropriate.

For example, in this Zwift open race (not a league or anything) I realized at some point that the rider that was attacking all over the place was an 11 year old. I made it my goal to try and get him to win, and I'd try to get second. The easiest way to do it is to break away with him and then sit up in the sprint, but the group wouldn't let us go. So I hoped he could sprint, and when he went, I think everyone let him go to see if he could win. Then everyone jumped to try and get 2nd. I waited as long as I dared so that I could pass people but not pass him. I almost messed up but managed to lose by 0.14 seconds. The Strava of that ride is here, along with some pictures (you can see when we were away, etc): https://www.strava.com/activities/10441727395

And finally, real life riding. At one race, one of the last ones I could actually contest the finish, this is a real sprint still from my helmet cam (I got 4th):


Same day, about 10 minutes later, "sprinting" against my son:

[Nomadmax]

I'm all for the post tour crits. But they shouldn't be counted as wins on the rider's record.

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

I'm all for the post tour crits. But they shouldn't be counted as wins on the rider's record.

I would agree, but they historically have been, though.

There used to be far more of them than we have today and they all counted toward a rider's win tally for the season.

[Fat Cat]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

I'm all for the post tour crits. But they shouldn't be counted as wins on the rider's record.

If everyone who is in the game is down with it what does it matter ?

[hokoman]

Originally Posted by Jdm

I’m happy he won. I read articles about how Girmay and Philipsen purposely didn’t win, but who cares.

Slowest sprint I have watched in a long time!

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by Nomadmax

I'm all for the post tour crits. But they shouldn't be counted as wins on the rider's record.

They don't count on ProCyclingStats: https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/mark-cavendish

[redir]

Originally Posted by Jdm

I’m happy he won. I read articles about how Girmay and Philipsen purposely didn’t win, but who cares.

If anyone has t watched the Netflix special on Cavendish, it’s excellent.

It's part of the many things that makes this the best sport on the planet imho.

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by prototoast

They don't count on ProCyclingStats: https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/mark-cavendish

They have long counted in the wider context, though.

Take Eddy Merckx, for instance. PCS shows him with 279 career wins. However, posterity credits him with something north of 500 wins.

The Eddy Merckx brand even named a model the '525' to celebrate the number of wins he supposedly achieved in his career.

What makes up the difference between that 279 and the 525? Some track races, for sure, but also a great many exhibition races and criteriums.

[prototoast]

Setting aside the legitimacy of these exhibition races, I continue to be impressed that Cav won an actual Tour de France stage this year.

Imagine if someone in 2018 told you that in the 2024 Tour de France, Cavendish would win a stage and Chris Froome wouldn't even be selected for the team. Virtually unimaginable.

Or go back to the 2013 Tour de France, when Marcel Kittel was the hot new sprinter who won 4 stages and Cav only won 2. More than a decade later, and Cav gets another win, while Kittel has been retired for 5 years.

Just incredible longevity, especially for a sprinter.

[BdaGhisallo]

Originally Posted by prototoast

Setting aside the legitimacy of these exhibition races, I continue to be impressed that Cav won an actual Tour de France stage this year.

Imagine if someone in 2018 told you that in the 2024 Tour de France, Cavendish would win a stage and Chris Froome wouldn't even be selected for the team. Virtually unimaginable.

Or go back to the 2013 Tour de France, when Marcel Kittel was the hot new sprinter who won 4 stages and Cav only won 2. More than a decade later, and Cav gets another win, while Kittel has been retired for 5 years.

Just incredible longevity, especially for a sprinter.

Indeed. There's no doubt in my mind that Cavendish is the greatest road sprinter in the history of the sport. Nobody else comes close.

Others had flashes of brilliance, but none have had the kind of sustained success and dominance that Cavendish displayed when he was in his pomp.

And the fact that he could still win 4 stages in the 2021 Tour, 13 years after he won his first TdF stage, is nothing short of amazing.

[weisan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCUD0CPKJSM

[ridethecliche]

His longevity is incredibly impressive. It's been a joy to watch him over the years.

That said, when I was in college I fancied myself a bit of a sprinter and CDR above actually helped me out a lot (for which I'm extremely grateful)... the one sprinter that I found got me going like crazy was Robbie McEwen.

This clip still gets my heart pumping.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlc-s7eI5Cg