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.”
This story is from the July 26, 2018 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 26, 2018 edition of CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
"We tore around the Sydney suburbs at 60kph in a terrifying, feral pack"
Fast, furious and furry tales from Australia
RIDDEN AND REVIEWED BROMPTON G LINE £2,499
A Brompton for running riot in both town and country
How do different gravel conditions impact your tyre choice?
There are a myriad of tyres on the market but selecting the right one is easier than you think
FEAST OF SWEDEN
Soon after landing in Gothenburg, I began to realise how little I knew about Sweden.
THE WORLD'S GREATEST GRAVEL EVENTS
Globe-trotting gravel racer Joe Laverick chooses his eight favourite events, from coastal Wales to the wilds of Kenya
THE CALL OF THE WILD
Tempted to embark on a long-distance bike adventure? Let former round-the-world record holder and author Julian Sayarer inspire you to strike out and hit the road
Saint Piran accused of using non-UCI legal bikes
Cornish team also alleged to owe former staff tens of thousands of pounds
JOE LAVERICK GETTING INTO THE FEED ZONE
I've ridden through hundreds of feed zones in my time racing a bike.
Lowden not ready to stop after retirement
Former Hour record holder eyes UK time trial scene
Pogačar makes history (again) at Lombardia
Slovenian makes it four in a row at the late-season Italian Monument
