Professional Cycling For the Fans - Cavendish is GOD

that is all.

Can't argue with that. :thumb:

Shades of Mario Cipollini, Tom Steels, Djamoloudine Abdujaparov, (a younger) Erik Zabel. Columbia execs must be grinning! :D

Not really. Well, not yet. He's not even in green. He's only got 2 stage wins.

Overall Points
1. Oscar Freire (ESP), Rabobank at 119pts
2. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Team Columbia at 119
3. Thor Hushovd (NOR), Credit Agricole at 105
4. Erik Zabel (GER), Milram at 92
5. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), Caisse d'Epargne at 87
6. Mark Cavendish (IDM), Team Columbia at 86
7. Robert Hunter (RSA), Barloworld at 82
8. Romain Feillu (FRA), Agritubel at 64
9. Cadel Evans (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 62
10. Robbie McEwen (AUS), Silence-Lotto at 60

I wouldn't put him in the same conversation as Cipo:

Mario Cipollini
1989 1 stage, Giro d'Italia
1990 2 stages, Giro d'Italia
1991 GP de l'Escaut
3 stages, Giro d'Italia
1992 Ghent - Wevelgem
Points Competition, Giro d'Italia
4 stages, Giro d'Italia
1993 Ghent - Wevelgem
GP E3
GP de l'Escaut
1 stage, Tour de France
1995 2 stages, Tour de France
2 stages, Giro d'Italia
1996 1 stage, Tour de France
4 stages, Giro d'Italia
1997 Points Competition, Giro d'Italia
2 stages, Tour de France
5 stages, Giro d'Italia
1998 2 stages, Tour de France
4 stages, Giro d'Italia
1999 4 stages, Giro d'Italia
4 stages, Tour de France
2000 1 stage, Giro d'Italia
2001 4 stages, Giro d'Italia

or Zabel:

1994 Paris - Tours
1995 2 stages, Tour de France
2 stages, Tour of Switzerland
1996 Points Competition, Tour de France
2 stages, Tour de France
1997 Milan - San Remo
GP de l'Escaut
Points Competition, Tour de France
3 stages, Tour de France
1 stage, Tour of Switzerland
1998 Milan - San Remo
Points Competition, Tour de France
1999 Frankfurt Grand Prix
Points Competition, Tour de France
2000 Milan - San Remo
Amstel Gold Race
Points Competition, Tour de France
1 stage, Tour de France
World Cup Winner
2001 Milan - San Remo
Points Competition, Tour de France
3 stages, Tour de France
Points competition, Tour of Switzerland
2 stages, Tour of Switzerland
HEW Cyclassic, Hamburg
3 stages, Vuelta a España

I wouldn't put him in the same conversation as Cipo....etc

Oops sorry, it wasn't meant to be a comparison of their illustrious careers vs. his that is just beginning.
Only that his raw speed is reminiscent. I'm willing to give him a few years and see how things stack up! :)

are you kidding? 2 stage wins? did you see how fast he was going? he must be doping.

/sarcasm

yeah i agree he's doing bad-@ss, and doing my kenda fantasy proud :D. i just had to make that prior statement because i hate people who think anyone who wins is cheating.

Not really. Well, not yet. He's not even in green. He's only got 2 stage wins.



Cavendish is 22.
Of course he doesn't have those palmares yet. But he might.

God sprints like Cavendish IN HIS DREAMS!

Geist, this is his first tour. The jersey includes sprint points other than the finish. McEwen's doing better than him, but is yet to win a stage this year.

He's the fastest man in the final stretch. He's shown shades of McEwen too, in terms of being able to find the openings. Robbie was nowhere to be seen until the last bit, where all of a sudden he'd appear and cross the line first.

Geist, this is his first tour.

Not its not.

He looks strong. He held up well in the Giro and is doing fine here. I love the comment about not being tired enough yet following today's stage.

And you can't say enough about the team. They were killing the last 2 miles of the stage today. Let's see if he can make it to Paris. He should have a few more opportunities to add to the list of wins.

Michael

Your idea of God is awfully small

Do not forget the team that puts him there to have his chance to sprint. Have not heard a speed but has to be over 40 mph.

Columbia is doing OK don't you think? I do hope and pray drug free. But they are going great over all.

God sprints like Cavendish IN HIS DREAMS!

Who's God's sponsor?

Not its not.

Sorry, I meant to say second.

He's certainly an awesome sprinter and probably the best in the tour but it's a little early to put him on the god pedestal.

I'd like to see him against Boonen, McEwen, Zabel, Hushovd and Freire in a dead 100m sprint. That'd be a good old fashioned gunfight, friends.

somebody has a crush, that is all.

somebody has a crush, that is all.

He's too short for my taste...I'm liking Jens Voigt instead. :love:

no, cavendish is a bike racer. clapton is god. well, he was until he went solo. everything he's done since blind faith broke up is crap. but i digress...

Clapton's From The Cradle is awesome.

If Cavendish is God, Lance must be impossible for us mortals to comprehend. But yeah, Cavendish rocks, Team Columbia is pretty hot. However, if Astana were present, things would be very different.

Not really. Well, not yet. He's not even in green. He's only got 2 stage wins.

I wouldn't put him in the same conversation as Cipo:


Neither would I , yet ,:) don't forget Cav has only been a pro for 18 months, I'll bet if you asked the Lion King at the start of his career if he'd have been happy with a road palmares like Cavs after just 18 months he'd have said yes. Don't forget the track as well.
He started the tour with the aim of just riding part of it and going for a stage and then going back to Manchester / Newport for Olympic preparation so the green jersey probably didn't enter the picture. Now he's talking about going to Paris, but as far as I know hasn't said anything about going for green.
:)

*** POTENTIAL SPOILER HERE ***









Ummm, 3 stage wins in a (relatively) sprinter-unfriendly tour?:thumb::thumb::thumb:

he's *almost* making it boring to watch the sprints now... no one is even close

he's *almost* making it boring to watch the sprints now... no one is even close

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

As an older rider, I was very pleased to see that a 38 year-old took second, half a bike length back, although GOD did back off and sit up just before crossing the line.

he's *almost* making it boring to watch the sprints now... no one is even close

Yeah, I sat there and thought "he's boxed in, too far back, this is steegmans' to lose". Good thing I'm not a betting man.

he's not God, he's good. God is a myth, and Cavendish is very real.

Do not forget the team that puts him there to have his chance to sprint. Have not heard a speed but has to be over 40 mph.It's an unfair advantage in training that the Isle of Man doesn't have any speed limits.

The very strong winds on the Isle of Man must have been a very favorable training enviroment.

I really really hope he makes it to Paris, but I strongly suspect he'll drop out before Tues...

The sprints are now so exciting for us Brits who never really had anyone to cheer before!

Hopefully in the next couple of years he will start to become green jersey material...

Some other sprinters no likey the young man. He's dead fast - but the riders speak of his recklessness in the pack when sprinting for the line. Going for impossible windows to get up front, crossing wheels erratically - etc...

He's young - he'll learn.

God is sponsored by Saunier Duval, and hes loaded...

Pulled out another one.

He's certainly doing what he can to make up for the black marks on the tour. Means I get to marvel at his Manx accent again when they interview him.

Best accent ever.

****SPOOOOILLLLERRRR*********SPOOOOILLLLERRRR*****
****SPOOOOILLLLERRRR*****
****SPOOOOILLLLERRRR*****
****SPOOOOILLLLERRRR*****
****SPOOOOILLLLERRRR*****


Make that 4 stage wins! He is so exciting to watch!

I'll castrate him if he's doping...

Oh.


My.


God.


WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!




*please don't let you be loaded Mr C. I will cry.

If Cavendish is God, Lance must be impossible for us mortals to comprehend. But yeah, Cavendish rocks, Team Columbia is pretty hot. However, if Astana were present, things would be very different.

Where do you place Coppi, Hinault and Merckx? Are you allowed to speak their names?

Bah, I was just excited about the wins. He's fun to watch for sure.

Dammit. Thats why you shouldn't read from the bottom up.

Where do you place Coppi, Hinault and Merckx? Are you allowed to speak their names?Who are they again? They're so awesome even knowledge of them is forbidden, LOL.

I'm so sorry jeep! I should have posted the *SPOILER* at the bottom as well. I read from bottom up sometimes too.

It was a beautiful sight though, definitely still worth watching.

Oh no worries. I have a really bad habbit of looking up the winner while I am at work before I watch it at night.

:beer:

Does anyone think that if (barring injury) a rider fails to finish the race, then the stage wins that are part of that race shouldn't count?

no

Let's see your god in the Alps...

I think he will have become Buddha by then.

It was a beautiful sight though, definitely still worth watching.

You weren't kidding. WOW.

:beer: !!!

Cav's kick is stunning. Not sure I could hang with him in my car!