Will Mark Cavendish win in Montpellier? Former pro Barry Hoban thinks so
British former pro Barry Hoban won in Montpellier in the 1974 Tour de France, and thinks that Mark Cavendish can do the same on Wednesday
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

British sprinter Mark Cavendish has won three stages of the 2016 Tour de France so far, and currently leads the points classification after stage nine. There's a another opportunity for Cavendish to take a victory – and add to his 29 Tour stage wins – on Wednesday, as stage 11 of the Tour has a flat run-in to Montpellier.
Former British pro Barry Hoban won a sprint stage in the French city, and he thinks that Cavendish can do the same.
“I think Mark has got a different sprint this year, and I reckon it could be because of all the training he’s done for the track,” says Barry Hoban, winner of eight stages in the Tour de France, including one to Montpellier in 1974, the year he also scored what is still the only British victory in Ghent-Wevelgem.
>>> Tour de France 2016: Latest news, reports and info
“In the last couple of years Mark has had a lead-out train, but when the last man peels off he’s tended to go backwards and get swamped. This year he hasn’t had a lead-out, but has picked the right wheels to follow, and he’s much more explosive.
"He’s just as fast, if not faster than he used to be. He looks back to his best, and I wonder if it’s because of his track ambitions for the Olympic Games. And he looks like he’ll go and win stages in future Tours now.
“I definitely think Mark can win in Montpellier on Wednesday. He has to watch out for splits because stages to Montpellier always get crosswinds, but Mark knows that because the stage split up the day he won there in 2013. Mark made sure he was with the front group, it was the same the day I won.
Smithereens
“Eddy Merckx and his Molteni team were great at forming echelons in crosswinds, and they did it that day, and it was split to smithereens. Coming into the last 10 kilometres I was looking, looking, looking for landmarks and trying to hold position, but not get blocked in.
>>> Barry Hoban recounts his fight to place third in the 1972 Paris-Roubaix
"A Dutch guy, Piet Van Katwijk kept trying to come up into the wind and block me in. So I dropped back, bumped him with my shoulder, I said; 'Piet, bloody hell, don’t bother me, don’t bother me.' I must have bumped him about three times.
“Coming towards the finish I started to notice something. I’d always been an observant rider, and earlier that year I’d won a stage into Montpellier in the Midi Libre. So I thought; well, they normally use the same finish line for whatever race comes to a town, but you don’t know whether it will come in from the right or the left.
Watch: Tour de France 2016 stage six highlights
“I remembered that there was some high-rise apartments, then straight after you passed them there was a corner to the left, and after that the finish. But suddenly I noticed the apartments were coming up before I thought I’d see them, I thought something’s wrong here.
"You have a road book on the Tour, and it describes the run in, and in this case it said there’s a final right hand corner, then it would be 300 metres to the finish line.
“Well, my mind mulled this over quickly, and I thought, it’s not 300 metres, we are coming in the other way. I don’t know if they changed the route mid-stage and had to divert.
If you want to read more about Barry Hoban’s pioneering career, his autobiography, Vas-y-Barry is available from www.chrissidwells.com by clicking the ‘book shop’ button.
"The finish was 100 metres after the corner, so I started sprinting. I went round that corner as fast as I could go round it, as fast as it was possible to go without crashing, and I came out well clear of everyone, and I won.
"Jacques Esclassan was second, and I think Patrick Sercu was third. All the other big sprinters were well behind us.”
Thank you for reading 10 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
Chris has written thousands of articles for magazines, newspapers and websites throughout the world. He’s written 25 books about all aspects of cycling in multiple editions and translations into at least 25
different languages. He’s currently building his own publishing business with Cycling Legends Books, Cycling Legends Events, cyclinglegends.co.uk, and the Cycling Legends Podcast
-
-
Jess Roberts doubles up at British Track Championships as 19 year-old sprinter topples Olympian
Comeback queen wins her first solo national title in the scratch race
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Extinction Rebellion stages anti-Shell protest at British Track Champs
Two people carried a banner through the stands at Newport's Geraint Thomas National Velodrome
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Speed Demons of the peloton: The six best sprinters of 2022
We take a look at the standout performers of the fast men and women in the professional scene this year
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Where next for Mark Cavendish after B & B Hotels-KTM's collapse?
We look at where the ‘Manx Missile’ could find himself next after the collapse of B & B Hotels-KTM
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
British UCI Continental team makes pitch for Mark Cavendish’s signature
Saint Piran boss Ricci Pascoe says he would gladly provide a short term place for Cavendish, if it helped him to achieve Tour de France dream
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
B&B Hotels, the team that was set to sign Mark Cavendish, collapses
Multiple riders left scrambling to find places on alternative teams after demise of French ProTeam confirmed
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
B&B Hôtels boss: 'Mark Cavendish wants to be with us. I want him to be with us.'
Team's hunt for sponsors intensifies after missing UCI registration deadline
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Time running out for B & B Hotels, the team expected to sign Mark Cavendish
Team still without major sponsors as UCI impose deadline of 22 November for team to complete registration for new season
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Movistar quick to quash Mark Cavendish signing report
Italian press speculation over future of sprinter denied by Spanish team
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish: Tour de France 2023 has 'ample opportunities for bunch sprints'
Fast man thinks there might be seven or eight sprint chances, but he has to find a team first
By Adam Becket • Published