IT has not been the Tour de France that we Manxies have grown to expect over the past four years with Mark Cavendish racking up an incredible 20 wins between 2008 and 2011.
Quite where you even begin to start to explain why the most successful name in Le Tour’s recent history has ‘only’ added one more stage win to that tally over the past three weeks is difficult, to say the least.
The simple answer is this: Every cycling team’s ultimate ambition is to win the Tour de France (ie the yellow jersey).
Cav can never win yellow. He is an out-and-out sprinter and, while he could quite feasibly become the most successful rider in the history of the great event as far as stage wins are concerned, he is physically not capable of winning the yellow jersey as his inability to ascend the major peaks as well as some rivals will always handicap him.
Few sprinters can climb, so Cav is not unusual in that respect, but some incredible individuals (Eddy Merckx being a prime example) have been blessed with an ability to be sufficiently proficient at all disciplines of cycling to become great all-rounders.
When HTC-Highroad disbanded at the end of 2011, it broke up a team ostensibly built around Mark Cavendish and his amazing ability to sprint. They didn’t really have a general classification rider to challenge the likes of Alberto Contador or Cadel Evans, so were satisfied to gain their glory and exposure from our Cav.
But Sky Procycling are a completely different ball-game and they currently have two men capable of securing the yellow jersey.
At the time of writing this article, midway through two gruelling days in the Pyrenees, Bradley Wiggins was leading Chris Froome in a Sky 1-2 only previously dreamt of.
It’s obvious that Mark has had to toe-the-line this year and provide support primarily for his old friend and GB team-mate Wiggins in the ultimate bid to win yellow.
ITV4 race co-commentators, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, were praising the Manxman highly a couple of days ago. ‘Cav has been largely invisible this Tour,’ said Liggett, an authorative voice on the event for precisely 40 years.
‘But although there have only been rare sights of him in the sprint finishes over the past couple of weeks, he has been kept busy as a super domestique ferrying bottles, rain jackets, food and other items to the GC men.’
Sherwen agreed, adding that he had done a sterling job for the team. ‘It’s a complicated situation. Sky have got a man [Wiggins] that can win the Tour de France. They’ve also got the champion of the world.
‘But they have got to make sacrifices and I have to say that I think this year the sacrificial lamb has been Mark Cavendish.’
Asked about his new role in the team after stage 15 in Pau - where he won 12 months earlier - Cav answered: ‘It’s been different, but I’ve enjoyed the job.
‘It’s great to be part of the team that’s wearing the yellow jersey. I miss not being able to sprint, that’s no lie, but supporting the rest of the team has been nothing but a pleasure.
‘The fact that I’m wearing the rainbow jersey is irrelevant. This jersey was won by an incredible team last year [in the World Road Race Championship]; a team that included Bradley Wiggins.
‘I’m part of a little line that’s now supporting him, along with others in that team such as Chris Froome. I’m wearing the jersey on behalf of a few guys who are here and some who are not here.
‘If I can return a favour then that’s simply part and parcel of cycling.’
Bradley Wiggins, who now looks almost invincible in that yellow jersey position, had this to say: ‘Mark is so committed to my cause. He has been fantastic these last two-and-a-half weeks - he’s a great champion. . . . an absolute gentleman.’
The sprinters have half-a-chance in Friday’s 215km run from Blagnac to Brive la Gaillarde, but with a time trial on Saturday the last serious chance for Cav is the big showpiece stage into Paris on Sunday. A stage he has won for a record three times in succession.
Wiggins acknowledges that: ‘Obviously there is still the stage to Paris for him and we’re going to lay it down on the Champs-Elysees and try to get him the win there.
‘He’s also got the Olympic road race which he’s been quite open about. That’s his main objective this year.’