greenjersey

Mark Cavendish was his usual confident but charming self during yesterday’s interview with Gabby Logan on Inside Sport. Perhaps unsurprisingly he was uncertain about coach David Brailsford’s suggestion that he could be cycling’s Wayne Rooney!

Who could argue with his frustration over the British public’s obsession with the Olympic Games to the exclusion of the classic races and major Tours. Perhaps if he takes the green jersey in the Tour he will become as famous as Rebecca Romero !!

It was surprising to learn that last year he was dope tested 64 times and remarkable that he has to contribute ten percent of his winnings toward the costs of testing. He played down his former career as a ball room dancer saying that being the best in the Isle of Man didn’t count for much.

It is hard to understand why Cav would choose not to ride the Scheldeprijs and turn up the chance of an amazing treble. The organisers have prepared a great poster highlighting that both Boonen and Cav are on two wins and this year was to be the decider. Apparently Columbia have decided to send their reserve team that doesn’t include Cavendish. This race was in 2007 Cav’s breakthrough win and 2008 when he sneaked under Tommeke’s left arm confirmed that he is the best sprinter of his generation. Let’s hope there is a change of heart before Wednesday.

In the fifty years that I have followed bike racing I have never been influenced by nationalism. From Ercole Baldini onwards it has been the rider not the country that mattered. No longer, I now get an extra buzz everytime Cav wins because he is a Brit. In fact in cycling terms he is English because the Isle of Man was in my day part of the BCF Merseyside division and when Cav speaks that doesn’t seem surprising at all. Best of all, better even that him keeping on stuffing McEwan is the sheer joy he shows when he wins. It is infectious stuff.