On October 2 this 12 months the Prince of Wales presided over the ceremony during which celebrated professional bicycle owner Mark Cavendish was knighted. On the time Sir Mark was requested about his future plans for the Tour de France and he informed the BBC “I’ve already stated I gained’t do one other Tour de France,” Cavendish stated: “That’s public information, I gained’t do one other Tour de France.” In fact, current on October 29 on the unveiling of the Tour’s 2025 route, Cavendish was coy and was not ruling out one other go. This previous week his crew, Astana Qazakstan, launched a video documenting his exceptional record-breaking trip on the 2024 Tour on the age of 39.
Cavendish, nicknamed “the Manx Missile,” has had a powerful profession since turning skilled in 2077 after a profitable observe profession the earlier two years. In all he can boast of 165 victories, the second-highest in biking historical past, exceeded solely by one Eddy Merckx at 279. Cavendish has gained the Factors Classification in any respect three Grand Excursions and in 2021 his 4 wins on the Tour de France tied him with Merckx on the variety of Tour levels gained. After years of up-and-down outcomes, he was given the chance by Astana Qazakstan Group in 2023 to go for a thirty fifth stage win on the Tour and riders have been introduced in to assist him in a crew not famous for sprinter expertise. It didn’t finish nicely as Cavendish broke his collarbone in a crash throughout Stage 8 and needed to withdraw. Nonetheless, crew basic supervisor Alexander Vinokourov insisted that Cavendish couldn’t finish his profession like this and prolonged his contract for an additional 12 months. And that 2024 season is what “Venture 35” is all about.
The video opens with crew coaching camps and options conversations between Cavendish and his key leadout riders. Introduced in particularly to assist Cavendish, these veterans embrace Davide Ballerini and Michael Mørkøv, each previously of Fast-Step, and Cees Bol, beforehand with DSM-Firmenich. Mørkøv, thought-about the very best leadout man in professional racing, is identical age as Cavendish, and on the verge of retirement, whereas the others are round 30, so all have appreciable expertise. The DS is the personable Mark Renshaw, 42, who was additionally introduced aboard in late 2023 and is famous as being Cavendish’s greatest leadout rider throughout the Manxman’s heydey.
Cavendish remarks that he was by no means enthusiastic about the report, which is disingenuous as his 2021 autobiography (his third one!) about that 12 months’s season is subtitled “My Historical past-Making Tour de France,” and, frankly, why would a 39 12 months outdated sprinter have a squad constructed round him apart from the chance (and publicity for a not-recently-very-successful crew) ensuing from exceeding Merckx’s tally. One very a lot has the texture of a “final hurrah” within the video as, frankly, everyone seems to be wanting type of worn. Cavendish is reflective all through the video. We don’t see the petulant man-child that he typically was previously, infamous for crashing different riders in his aggressive dash finishes. Moderately we see him as an Elder Statesman of Racing, a devoted household man.
The 2024 Tour de France launched in Italy and the primary stage was brutally laborious. Cavendish, by no means a notable racer within the mountains, was in problem as a result of warmth in addition to the climbing. Whereas these of us following the Tour thought it could be the top of the venture, Renshaw and the others have been, looking back, skilled sufficient to know the time restrict wouldn’t be handed. Nonetheless, it will need to have been harrowing as an Italian teammate blows up totally however, as everyone knows, the crew persevered and obtained Cavendish throughout not solely on that day however the next ones. Then on Stage 5 there got here the somewhat sudden triumph when he rode to victory within the dash kind of with out his leadout prepare.
35 levels gained and we’re barely midway by the video. The following probability for Cav got here on Stage 12 however issues collapse as Morkov can’t begin as a result of COVID and teammates get caught up in crashes. Cavendish should a tough effort, ending fifth however relegated for failing to carry his line.
The rest of “Venture 35” is an anticlimax. With just one aim and that already met, Astana is within the place of simply dragging Cavendish throughout the mountains to the end of the Tour in Good. With 4 wins every by Philipsen and Girmay he’s not actually aggressive towards a youthful technology however, to his credit score, desires to complete the race.
What does the report imply in the long run? Mark Cavendish is arguably the very best sprinter there was in professional biking and profitable probably the most levels a rider has within the Tour de France is a powerful accomplishment. He has bounced between quite a few groups the place the match was not superb, handled career-threatening well being points, and went for years with no wins in any respect so to be aggressive in any respect in 2024 is certainly one for the report books. However within the fixed comparability to Merckx it shouldn’t be missed how exceptional was the size of the Belgian’s achievements. He not solely gained the Tour de France outright, profitable 5 instances within the seven editions when he participated (Cavendish has achieved 11 Excursions) however gained dash levels, climbing levels and time trials so a really totally different type of rider. This doesn’t diminish what Cavendish has been capable of do.
What subsequent? Retired prime professionals in all probability have issues to do—Sir Mark is already an “Ambassador” for carmaker Aston Martin. However along with his “Yeah, we’ll see” about driving the 2025 Tour on the reveal on Tuesday it’s fairly clear that he nonetheless wants the fun of racing so we can be in suspense for some time. Astana Qazakstan Group had a horrible season, with Cav’s Stage 5 on the Tour its solely World Tour degree win and solely 11 different race victories, so is in actual hazard of relegation to Professional Tour degree. A crew with a historical past of controversy, it has but to file registration papers for 2025 as of this writing (one thing that has occurred previously as nicely). In July there was heavy publicity a few deliberate main funding within the crew by XDS Carbon Tech, a Chinese language firm primarily based in Shenzhen. The primary signal of this appears to be the current look of recent X-Lab bicycles for the riders. XDS seems to be a significant subcontractor for the bicycle business, in addition to promoting a variety of bicycles beneath its personal XDS model.
“Venture 35” is a pleasant memento, a slice of Tour de France historical past, from the standpoint of some prime riders, an incredible DS and Cavendish’s personal coach, but additionally has glimpses of what makes bike racing the nice sport it’s: the fantastic thing about the surroundings, the hazard of 65 km/h sprints, the struggling, and the triumphs.
“Venture 35”
directed, filmed and edited by Michiel van der Meer
37 minutes, launched October 22, 2024
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