MARK CAVENDISH HAS been left out of Team Dimension Data’s line-up for the upcoming Tour de France.
Cavendish has won 30 Tour stages — the second most in history — and took the points classification title in 2011, but he has not been selected for the first time since 2006.
The 34-year-old sprinter has struggled for form since returning to action this year after a second bout of the debilitating Epstein Barr virus.
He has only made the podium once in 2019 — third place in the third stage of the Tour of Turkey in April — and could only finish 22nd in the British National Championships road race on Sunday.
Cavendish was not mentioned in a news release to announce the Dimension Data team on Tuesday.
Dimension Data instead went with Edvald Boasson Hagen, Stephen Cummins, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Michael Valgren, Roman Kreuziger, Giacomo Nizzolo, Ben King and Lars Bak.
Team principal Doug Ryder said: “[I am] really excited to announce this great group of riders who we feel will be the best suited to meet the team’s objectives we have set out for this year’s Tour de France.”
Cavendish signed a new contract with Dimension Data in October and outlined his desire to chase down Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour stage wins.
“It’s no secret that it’s the one goal that I have left in cycling,” he said at the time.
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Disappointed to see Cav miss Letour. Have followed his career for years and he was definitely the best sprinter of his generation. I will always remember his amazing 4 in a row on the Champs-Elysees. Time not on his side now to catch Eddy Merckx’s record.
@Maurice Kane: whereever he goes to next he will need to take a serious paycut. He hasnt been value for money results wise for a few years and to be frank he and riders like him are as useful as condom vending machines in a convent when the race gets into the mountains. The otherside though is that there is a level of exposure he would bring to the team by his presence alone. That is obviously not enough for the team however. I think they are hedging their bets on Kreuzinger getting in a few breakaways rather than a below par Cav hanging on just in front of the broomwagon like hes trying to reenact a scene from Spielburgs first feature film.
@Andrew Tuite: Totally agree Andrew. He will never get back to the level he was at a few years ago. Too old now. Think Dimension-data were right to leave him out for Letour. Hasn’t shown any form that would suggest he could win stages.
Would have loved to have seen Kelly in his pomp against Cavindish, going for the Green in tdf,think Kelly might have pipped him. What do ye cycling heads reckon?
@running man: Yes Kelly would have pipped him every time. Kelly wasn’t just a sprinter but a puncheur too, hence his success in 88 Vuelta.
@running man: yeah Kelly was the best all rounder there ever was. He could win a grand tour or he could win a classic. And he did all. I’d nearly say if you trimmed the muscle he’d pull hard up the mountains. Cav wouldn’t get within an arses roar of him.
@Andrew Tuite: I know Kelly won nearly everything compared to Cavindish, but would have been great to see them eyeballs out going for a sprint, Kelly was probably a lot stronger, could have went for the line early enough and get even stronger as the line approached, a short sprint maybe 80/100m Cav might give him a fright, although probably not….
@running man: why are you comparing them? Kelly wasn’t an out and out sprinter like Cavendish. Kelly was more like Valverde or Sagan.
@Ardmore02: I know, just would have been interested in seeing them in different types of sprint finishes, Kelly in his day was top sprinter as well.Not comparing them really as Kelly was light years ahead of him overall with everthing he won, still would have been good to see them go at it for the line though! Kelly world no.1 rated a good few times, not sure Sagan or Valderde were? Could be wrong though…..
@running man: Kelly, like Sagan in Cav’s time , would win. Why? Kelly , like Sagan , can and does score lots of points via placing and immediate sprints (little competitions mid way in a race) on any terrain. They both were able to at least ride up the mountains and survive for another day . Sagan could win hilly races too. Imagine winning 4-5 stages and still not win the Green Jersey? That happened to Cavendish. I love him by the way, but that is my reasons for my answer. Sagan is not a pure sprinter but is close to being an all rounder , one of the finest . Pity he can’t TT
@running man: A sprint? Please. Cavendish gets his train right, he wins . Hands down. Kelly was not a pure sprinter. What Kelly has, is that he does not need a train, and he can survive mountains , even go close in hilly races . Saying that , the Sprint competition has been properly hotting up since Keittel and now the Aussie coming in
@running man: ” know Kelly won nearly everything compared to Cavindish, ” World Championship , cough. 30 MASS Start TDF’s (more than Eddie M) vs 5 TDF’s . 15 Giro wins and 3 Vuelta stages, (Cav didn’t do the Vuelta much) add Silver Olympic medal and gold in world track too.He never really rode the monument races in March -April bar the Milan San Remo. I think the “rode” Flanders once but never something like Paris Roubaix
@running man: “Kelly in his day was top sprinter as well.” He wasn’t really. Christ Le Mond out sprinted him for a World Championship win. Kelly blames the choice of gears for that . He had more seconds in the TDF stages that anyone could care to remember. (which is a great result considering he was so consistent with his placings and contention for the green jersey)
He won 5 Stages of TDF and a hair pulling 21 second places and 17 Thirds! He got pipped to the line often (no shame, they were sprinters)
Only Sagan (also not a sprinter) and Zabel, both Green Jersey champs have more 2nds, but they at least have over 10 wins
When Mark was near the line, he often won (I wonder how good was the competition, in his pomp)