'You miss the big sprinters' : How absence of Cavendish & Kittel has changed the Tour de France sprints
Riders give their views on how Tour de France sprints change without two of the race's best ever sprinters
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gbYYc7QasmwTbpz33cbP8g-415-80.jpg)
Mark Cavendish and Marcel Kittel at the Abu Dhabi Tour 2017 (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto)
After Mark Cavendish was excluded from the Dimension Data Tour de France roster and Marcel Kittel took indefinite leave from the sport, how have the race's sprints changed?
Riders at the Tour explain how the absence of Kittel, who won 14 stages, and Cavendish, with 30 stages, has affected the 2019 edition.
>>> We spoke to the person who took 'that' picture of Geraint Thomas' Tour de France crash
"It's not that much different because there are other sprint trains, but certainly, you lack these big important sprinters who are important to the cycling world. However, the Tour remains hard," Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) said.
"It's maybe more interesting because it's uncertain, before maybe you'd know that Cavendish was so strong and that he'd win. Now, there's uncertainty, there's Elia Viviani, Dylan Groenewegen, Caleb Ewan... Life always goes on."
Kittel raced with Katusha until this spring. The German, 31, will decide later if he will race again or not.
Dimension Data's boss Doug Ryder left Cavendish off the team even though performance director Rolf Aldag said he was more than ready to compete for sprints.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"The riders come and go, that's normal with age. The Tour de France stays," Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) said.
"Like every year, we can see some new faces coming through."
Both Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma) and Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step) won their first Tour stages in sprints. Sagan and Groenewegen added more to their palmarès.
"I think the sprints are maybe less organised. When you have those big sprinters here, they also bring lead-outs so the sprinters are more controlled and less chaos," Michael Matthews (Sunweb) said.
"It's a totally different sprint really. Now it's really just messy and who every can get to the front at the right time has a really good shot. Yeah, it's a different style, not good or bad.
"Whether it's good or bad, we don't know, you can only race the guys who are in the race."
Everyone agreed, the Tour remains hard and success is difficult to come by regardless if Cavendish and Kittel race.
"It's significant, lacking different riders of that calibre, Kittel and Cavendish, you feel it a bit, but that difficulty and fatigue hasn't changed at all!" said Sagan's lead-out man, Daniel Oss.
"It's always the same work and level is still so high..
"The world keeps spinning, a new generation emerges. You mention those sprinters, but now there are others, completely new. Cycling keeps going. And nothing changes with the speed or the difficulty of these stages."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
How to watch the Olympic cycling time trial at Paris 2024
Get all the information you need to watch the action of the men's and women's Olympic cycling time trial at Paris 2024
By Cat Glowinski Published
-
Ribble Cycles looking to capitalise on 'big summer of sport' with 30% off highly-rated models
Direct-to-consumer Ribble Cycles has always been rated highly among the Cycling Weekly tech team. This is our pick of the best Road, Gravel and E-bikes from their 'Summer Sale'
By Matt Ischt-Barnard Published
-
'I've lived everyone’s dream': Mark Cavendish hints at snap retirement after last ever Tour de France stage
The Manx Missile is the 2024 Tour's lanterne rouge
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
'I'm so tired': Emotional Mark Cavendish thanks teammates after surviving Tour de France time cut
The Briton is just two days away from finishing the Tour de France for an eighth time
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Mark Cavendish makes time limit on stage 19 - and four other tales of riders who survived the Tour de France cut-off
Brit finishes with more than five minutes to spare on Isola 2000
By Tom Davidson Published
-
End of an era: Witnessing Mark Cavendish's last ever Tour de France sprint
The Astana Qazaqstan rider finished 17th in Nîmes in what is almost definitely his last ever sprint at the Tour. Cycling Weekly was there to see it
By Adam Becket Published
-
Mark Cavendish 'upset and angry' after being relegated for 'deviation' on Tour de France stage 12
The Astana-Qazaqstan rider originally finished fifth, before being relegated
By Adam Becket Published
-
Rod Ellingworth 'totally open' to Mark Cavendish making Tour of Britain appearance
'There will always be a place for Mark' says race director after Cavendish’s Tour de France record breaking triumph in Saint-Vulbas
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Mark Cavendish says he has 'one' opportunity left to take another Tour de France stage win
The Manxman was left frustrated after finishing 18th on stage 10
By Adam Becket Published
-
Mark Cavendish fined for drafting behind race car at Tour de France
Sprinter receives 200CHF sanction and points deduction after stage six
By Tom Davidson Published