Originally Posted by
RaceTheSweeper
I really like Cav and always have. I totally agree though that his best years are now gone. Not his athletic and bike riding ability but his nerve. Maybe with his little one he now sees his own mortality and would like to live to see his child grow up. That is not a bad thing it's just as it is. MrRTS was a free climber until the girls were born then he saw life as a little more precious :-)
He makes a great commentator so he needs to look at that career now. (Cav that is not MrRTS)
Cavendish has always been reckless and prone to blame others when things go wrong - until this Tour when even he is having to face that he is old, slow and tactically lacking. In a recent interview he explained why he didn't contest the Green Jersey these days - "they have changed the rules". Well he has only ever won one. Zabel won six, Sagan has five already and is on his way to his sixth.
Because he is from these islands he gets far more attention than he deserves - but that is OK - it is what one would expect from British journalists who are mindful of their readers. But what I find offensive is the reporting of his aspiration to equal (or better) Merckx's record of 34 Tour Stage Wins.
Cavendish - protected by his team throughout the stage and brought to the last couple of hundred meters to start work for 15 seconds to win a sprint.
Merckx - simply the greatest road cyclist who has ever lived - or will ever live.
I don't know how Cavendish has the gall to even speak his name.