HeyItsSara

Which upset were you must excited about - Cav getting the record or Binian winning 2 stages, first black African to do so?

McFlyRides

I love Cav getting the record, and a new rider like Binian getting a win (or two).

Jasper claiming last year he proved himself as the world’s best sprinter kinda leaves me rooting against him. Maybe he will mature and get some humility over the next few years.

rando_couche

Apples and oranges. #35 is Cav's last hurrah, and I'm over the moon about it. At the other end of the career spectrum, Bini is the first Black African to win a stage (two in fact!) of the Tour, and to WEAR THE EFFING GREEN JERSEY, which he may well hold all the way! Both of these stories are HUGE!!! More power to them both!

This is the kind of stuff that makes the Tour worth watching! (Along with JV's resurrection after the disaster in Itzulia.) VIVE LE TOUR!

slcbob

Who is Binian?

Jughed

Cav - the record is a thing of beauty.

While I like Biniam and see great things for him, he's more than just a sprinter - to me he's no different than any other rider with two stage wins.

HeyItsSara

I adore Cav - always have - but he's more Ghost of Christmas Past than anything else right now. Binian is more the future. I hate when my favorite riders retire and move on but he will definitely be One to Watch as the years progress.

Hondo6

You did note who finished 5th today, right - and likely only because he was cutoff and unable to find a clear lane at the end?

I wouldn't be so quick to call Cavendish passé just yet. A bit of good fortune and he might yet add to his stage win total.

MinnMan

Morkov has abandoned with COVID. That's going to make it harder for the Manx man.

Eric F 

I don't see it that way. Cav's best weapon throughout his career has been the ability to surf what other teams are doing and find his own hole, rather that relying on a leadout to get him into position. His 35th win was exactly that. Today, he was doing the same thing, but ran into a box behind Bini and WVA.

HeyItsSara

Oh, I'm not calling Cav passe. I'm sure he'll finish the Tour. But his days are limited; he's retiring this year.

MinnMan

Today was a problem, actually.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing...rance-stage-12

Eric F 

Yeah. He got a little nutty.

Hondo6

If he was relegated for the second swing left, IMO he has reason to be torqued.

Hondo6

Well, yeah. He's 39 y/o and is the 2nd oldest TdF stage winner. (Pino Cerami, Stage 9/1963, was the oldest at 41 y/o.) He's already almost 3 years older than the oldest TdF GC winner (Firmin Lambot, 1922).

His career is noteworthy for the fact that he's performed at such a high level for so long. But everyone in pro cycling calls it a career at some point.

MinnMan

I actually don't think this is right. Cav can surf other teams leadouts, but it was Sagan who was the surf master, not Cav. In his quickstep days, Cav won a lot of stages following Morkov and Renshaw. In fact, Renshaw was Cav's go-to leadout mean for close to a decade. There's a reason why Renshaw is in the Astana team car now.

MinnMan

And on the subject of lead outs, Teunnison did a spectactular job for Girmay today.

Eric F 

Renshaw and Morkov certainly have been part of the picture for Cav, and they were absolutely a factor many times. Maybe I'm just remembering wrong, but in the absence of that help, Cav's ability to surf and find his way is always something that jumped out at me. Sagan, too.

EDIT: IMO, Philipsen is not as adept at this type of sprinting.

79pmooney

@Sara, it's Biniam with an "m". I have Binian cousins I love but sadly, no tie to Girmay, even the name.

All records get broken. Yes, when they are a record of one of the greats, it's huge. I love it. But Girmay is paving the way for a whole branch of humanity. This is going to be remembered a long time. And so many firsts! Now 3 wins in the first half of the Tour by an African. An African getting complete support (I'd rate A+!) from his team. A focused pre-Tour build-up. A team built around him. That team delivering. Girmay is both getting stage wins and accumulating points in the intermediate sprints. Not a one trick pony. Better than many sprinters on hills, uphill finishes and still manages to beat the big boys out in the open.

It may be 50 years before Cav's record falls. But thanks to Girmay, the color of cycling will never be the same.

PeteHski

Both amazing stories.

Cav can now finally retire in peace having accomplished the ultimate goal. Last year’s agony now doesn’t matter. He did it against massive odds!

Also great to see Girmay breaking new ground for African cycling. Let’s not forget the rough ride he has had with crash injuries coming into this race. I hope he goes on to win the Green jersey and many more.

BTinNYC 

I really enjoy the Cav story and his win, but Biniam is the bigger deal for me. A door has been opened.

RB1-luvr

Cav's last chance today?

Eric F 

To have a chance, one needs to be there.

McFlyRides

the final stage in 2021 when cav had a chance for the record he got blocked in. Having a good lead out helps for sure.

I remember his unstoppable lead out train back in the day. No one could come around them in the final few kms and they’d drop him off in perfect spot to finish.

Stage 12 didn’t have much room to spread out at the end, and was slightly uphill. Not much room to go around, and Girmay seems to love an uphill sprint.

slcbob

Do you mean the day on the Champs when Wout van Aert single handedly defended the honor of Belgium! ??

For a few more years anyway.

McFlyRides

That’s the one!
Wout is a stud.

edit
I remember in 2022 when Wout was in a breakaway with Quinn Simmons, and Wout just rides away from him.

from an interview Quinn said:
“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced, and during the break, it was two and a half hours of motor pacing,” Simmons said. “It was not by choice [going back to the peloton]. I’ve never been ridden out of the wheel like that before.”