And can he still beat Merckx’s record stage tally? Vern Pitt asks around...
Mark Cavendish’s fall out of the Tour de France after missing the time cut has reignited questions over whether he will be able to return to winning form.
Cavendish rode into La Rosière last Wednesday over an hour behind winner Geraint Thomas, and more than half an hour outside the time cut.
Privately, there are those in the Tour paddock who say Cavendish won’t win another Tour stage, even suggesting he should focus on the track ahead of a bid to win gold in the Madison at Tokyo 2020.
Certainly Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stages is now significantly more difficult to beat as the Manxman is stuck on 30 for another year. That’s valuable time lost. Cavendish was 31 the last time he won at the Tour, he’ll be 34 before he gets another chance. Merckx was 30 when he won his last stage.
When CW asked Rick Zabel (Katusha-Alpecin) if he’d bet on Cavendish getting to 34 said: “No. But I hope it. It’s always a balance between passion and realism.”
He added: “From the bottom of my heart, I hope he’ll at least win one more stage in the Tour. I’d be happy to see this.”
Denne historien er fra July 26, 2018-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
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Denne historien er fra July 26, 2018-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CLASSIC BIKE - JOHNNY BERRY
Johnny be good at making beautiful lightweight bikes
UK SCENE - WUNDERKIND HUDSON WINS YORKSHIRE CX
Newly crowned junior hill-climb champ shows his versatility by winning round seven on the mud
WATT WORKS FOR ME TADEJ POGAČAR
The man himself - subject of this special issue - explains the key performance changes behind his record-breaking year
11 WAYS TO POG-UP YOUR PLAN
Tadej Pocačar's performance is out of reach but you can adapt his training to raise your game. Chris Marshall-Bell consults the experts to find out how
Why do modern aero bikes look less aero?
Are today's aero bikes really faster, or is marketing just getting better? Joe Baker investigates...
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
An Olympic year is always special and the cycling season once again delivered a year of highs and lows, from Pogi's triple to Katie Archibald's pre-Olympic trip
MEET THE PARENTS
What made Tadej Pogačar the phenomenon he is today? Chris Marshall-Bell went to Slovenia to meet his mum and dad, Mirko and Marjeta
HALF MAN HALF GOAT
Tadej Pogačar may have had a phenomenal season, but has he done enough to cement his status as the greatest of all time? Chris Marshall-Bell weighs the arguments for and against
Lefevere cashes in his chips and leaves cycling management
The news that Patrick Lefevere will step down as Quick Step boss marks the end of an era, after 22 years in charge
Mathieu van der Poel weighs up skipping Tour de France
Dutchman hints at missing Tour in favour of mtb Worlds bid, reports Tom Thewlis from Dénia, Spain
