No Tour de France record for Mark Cavendish in 2022 — teammate Fabio Jakobsen says Manx Missile will race Giro d'Italia

visionset wrote:

I'd have thought the potential of such a massive record being broken was media/advertising gold.

Yes but...I speak as a massive Cav fan but he will be 37 by the time the 2022 Tour begins, his injuries from Ghent were pretty shocking and, as I mentioned below, there are fewer pure sprint opportunities on this year's parcours. Also have to factor in that Cav probably wouldn't have equalled the record last year if Ewan hadn't crashed out...

They'll have to weigh up the positive publicity if Cav can do it against the negative associations of taking him and him being the main story throughout the Tour then not making it.

Really hope Cav gets a chance but I can see good reasons for preferring Jackobsen if he goes well in the early part of the season.

I agree with you, this will be Fabio claiming his turf.

From a sporting management perspective however it doesn't really make sense. Cavendish's performances at last year's tour were pretty much faultless, which backs on to a palmares with literally unrivalled sprinting success at the tour. 

For the world's biggest stage, I'd take the rider with the proven track record as long as that rider is still performing. I wouldn't be benching the 'present' to support the 'future'.

Should be fund to watch as the season progresses. 

Awavey wrote:

Not withstanding can you really not fit 2 sprinters in a team of 8?

Not really if they want (as one assumes they will) stage wins, a high placing and/or an extended spell in yellow for JA, he'll need workhorses and some good climbing assistance. Additionally there are fewer opportunities for out-and-out sprinters on the 2022 route than usual, so from a pragmatic point of view there's little point in using a quarter of your places for smallish returns. Also, with two star sprinters, who gets to boss the leadout train? I think it has to be one or the other, though as you say Jakobsen saying this way before the season's even started seems a bit more like pre-emptive scent marking rather than a serious declaration of the definite.

Awavey wrote:

The Tour is more than 6months away, it really is pointless stating who is going to ride what this far ahead as definite, as all manner of things can happen between now and the start of the race.

Although from the live blog, it looks like other teams are stating about the tour already.

well Id imagine FDJs thing is just to keep the French sponsors happy, how can Pinot not ride the Tour would be the cry if he wasnt automatically and obviously picked for it, but alot can happen in 6 months, theyll still have the uncertainty of covid to deal with, other illnesses can crop up, youve got the risk of injuries and crashes both in training rides & in races leading up to the Tour to deal with and then the whole thing of which riders are actually in form in July anyway.

i just think its way too soon to be making selections like this rider is on the tour team and this rider isnt, and its just a mix of positioning by riders and teams for sponsors, being picked up by the cycling media who are bored there are no actual road races to report on at the moment.