Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

Cav's frustration boils over as bike and helmet end up on ground

HTC-Columbia star reacts after sprint disappointment

Mark Cavendish yesterday showed his frustration with what is turning out to be a nightmare season by throwing his bike to the ground and his helmet out of the HTC-Columbia team coach at the end of Stage 4 of the Tour de France in Reims.

Moments before, the Manxman had been well beaten in the sprint by Lampre-Farnese Vini’s Alessandro Petacchi, with Cavendish crossing the line in 12th position after seeming to ease of once the Italian had passed him.

Unfortunately for Cavendish, whose more vocal critics seem to fail to acknowledge not only the catalogue of problems he has faced in the past year but also the fact that he is riding the Tour de France despite receiving some serious road rash wounds in the Tour of Switzerland last month, the episode was caught on camera by several film crews – here’s Norwegian broadcaster 2 Sporten’s take on it on it.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
therevokid | 14 years ago
0 likes

didums .....

Avatar
The Good Shepherd | 14 years ago
0 likes

What a load of crap.

Avatar
gandberg | 14 years ago
0 likes

Has anyone not considered that he might have been desperate for a shit, hence the dropping of the bike, and that his helmet got dislodged and fell out of the bus as he ploughed his way down the aisle fighting off his lycra whilst trying not to spill any steaming hot gravy?

Avatar
TRs Blurb n Blog | 14 years ago
0 likes

I think he should practice throwing.

Avatar
cat1commuter | 14 years ago
0 likes

Pram > rattle.

Avatar
John_the_Monkey | 14 years ago
0 likes

He's gone from winning at will, seemingly, to a nightmare of a year both personally and professionally, and when it comes to it, he's still pretty young.

I hope the team are helping him through it, and he's getting his head straight, regardless of how the racing pans out for him.

Avatar
simonmb | 14 years ago
0 likes

The next couple of the weeks will be critical for Cav. If he continues his petulance he'll be of the right frame of mind to quit this Tour. However, if he buckles down and finishes, accepts that this year he's not going to win the Green Jersey nor possibly more than a single sprint it'll be much to his credit and the making of him. He started this Tour as the 'Boy-Racer', he could finish it as a man.

Avatar
step-hent | 14 years ago
0 likes

The main reason the press (and everyone else) gives him stick is because he talks himself up - "I'll just go at 85% instead of 80%". If he came in saying "It's been a difficult run-up to the Tour, but I'll be giving it everything for the green jersey and we'll see how it goes" then people might lay off him. As it is, he doesn't seem to be giving it everything for green (as he claimed he would) - he cruised to the line on Tuesday missing out on valuable points, and then sat up yesterday, again missing out on points. It's a disappointing attitude - he claimed he was going all out for green but appears to have given up as soon as it looked like there was a battle for it.

I really enjoyed Cav's drama over the last few years (including his cock-ups - shows he is human), but I'm finding it hard to like his attitude this year. Hushovd is looking more and more like the class act, and Petacchi is looking like the fastest bunch sprinter.

Avatar
Jon Burrage | 14 years ago
0 likes

pathetic. If he is having a bad season then work hard and get back on form...throwing your toys out of the pram (or helmet out of the bus) isnt going to solve anything

Avatar
djcritchley | 14 years ago
0 likes

Poor baby  22

Latest Comments