NFR - Mark Cavendish

[Herbie]

Sorry for something that is not even remotely Fulham related, but a sad day to see Mark Cavendish have to pull out of his last Tour de France. I really hoped he might get the opportunity to take the record for stage wins. The Tour will be missing something without the prospect of the Manx Missile

[andrew G]

Sorry for something that is not even remotely Fulham related, but a sad day to see Mark Cavendish have to pull out of his last Tour de France. I really hoped he might get the opportunity to take the record for stage wins. The Tour will be missing something without the prospect of the Manx Missile

I have been watching le tour for years and love it. isaw the coverage today and wow it was so deflating. very sorry that it ended this way for him. maybe he will try his luck next year just to get the record. but I think not.

[I Ronic]

He's been a truly great athlete but so unlucky.

[Eton White]

It sounds like his team are offering him the chance to compete again next year, so it might not be all over for him just yet.

BBC News - Mark Cavendish: Tour de France record possible with team to offer place in 2024 race
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/66147017

[RaySmith]

It sounds like his team are offering him the chance to compete again next year, so it might not be all over for him just yet.

BBC News - Mark Cavendish: Tour de France record possible with team to offer place in 2024 race
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/66147017

Great news - well he wasn't at one time selected to be in this year's Tour, but he was actually in great form, and so unlucky not to win a stage, but for last minute gear problems, then the accident - I thought it was all over for him to break Mercx's record of stage wins.

I wonder if he will reconsider his retirement,and take this offered team place for next year, for one last hurrah.
An incredible career whatever he decides.

[wback]

I wonder if he will reconsider his retirement,and take this offered team place for next year, for one last hurrah.
An incredible career whatever he decides.

If his gears hadn't slipped the day before, he'd have the record. Very frustrating. I don't think he'll be back unfortunately. He'll have to share the record.

Very sad for him though, one of the greats, and seems like a nice heart-on-the-sleeve bloke.

[RaySmith]

No

I wonder if he will reconsider his retirement,and take this offered team place for next year, for one last hurrah.
An incredible career whatever he decides.

If his gears hadn't slipped the day before, he'd have the record. Very frustrating. I don't think he'll be back unfortunately. He'll have to share the record.

Very sad for him though, one of the greats, and seems like a nice heart-on-the-sleeve bloke.

He looked certain to win that sprint if his gears hadn't slipped, from the 11 sprocket to the 12 apparently, a cruccial sudden loss of power - gutting, but that's cycling for you , I suppose, which Cav is well aware of, but to come so close, with a perfectly timed sprint, coming from way back at exactly the right time was definitely gutting, not just for Cav, but all of us rooting for him.

Then the accident - again, that's cycling, and another broken  collar bone.  Ex-pro cyclists have to live with a lot of physical repercussions from their careers, and all the inevitable crashes and falls.

A cyclist only recently  died coming off on a descent and falling down a drop - Gino Mader, 26, in the Tour de Suisse  - and when I watch them at full speed  going down those twisty, winding descents off of high mountains, going on forever seemingly, my heart is in my mouth as  a cyclist myself, though obviously not at this level- but they are so skilled, and brave, but it's amazing more aren't killed or seriously hurt.

But, I agree, I've a feeling that Cav won't take the chance to ride next year's Tour, having made the decision to retire, and saying he wants to commit himself to his family, but it's great that he's been given the opportunity.

Also agree, that he is definitely an honest, open bloke, who wears his heart on his sleeve - seems a decent bloke, that's another reason why he's so popular with fans.