Mark Cavendish’s chances of being selected for Tour de France hurt by lack of racing, says Rod Ellingworth
The British sprinter does not have a guaranteed spot on the Tour team, his boss has said
Mark Cavendish’s hopes of a Tour de France comeback have been hurt by coronavirus, his boss has said.
Rod Ellingworth, the new team principal at Bahrain-McLaren said that the suspension of racing due to the global pandemic means Cavendish has missed out on chances to prove himself.
British sprinting star Cavendish was left out of Tour by his old team last year, but was hoping for a fresh start as he moved to Bahrain-McLaren for 2020, teaming up with his old coach and mentor Ellingworth.
But after starting his season in supporting roles in the Middle East, Cavendish has missed out on opportunities to hone his form after the UCI suspended all racing in March.
Ellingworth, a founding member of Team Sky who left the British squad in 2019, told the PA news agency: “We made an agreement that if he was winning races, that would be enough to go to the Tour.
“Unfortunately that changes and with so little racing beforehand it cuts his chances of being able to prove he’s back at a decent level.”
Ellingworth added that Cavendish, who is now with Bahrain-McLaren on a one-year contract after struggling through illness and injury in recent season, is still technically one of the best sprinters in the world and that he contributes to the team with his mindset and goal-setting.
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While Cavendish has not been given a guaranteed spot on the Tour squad, even with his star status, Ellingworth said the 35-year-old wouldn't want a place handed to him if he didn't have the form.
Despite being the most successful sprinter in Tour de France history, with 30 stage wins to his name, Cavendish hasn’t crossed the line first for more than two years and hasn't won a Tour stage since 2016.
>>> Chris Froome says Team Ineos will have three leaders at the Tour de France 2020
WorldTour racing is currently scheduled to return in August, giving Cavendish just a month to score some results in smaller races before the Tour stars in Nice on August 29
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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