register to 888sport
888sport time:

Featured Sport News

Cavendish suffers setback

Author: Rose Young
Date: 20/07/2009

Isle of Man sprint sensation Mark Cavendish is fast emerging as one of Great Britain's all-time leading road racers.

Cavendish won four stages at last year's Tour de France and has already repeated that feat this time around.

He is trying to secure the green jersey for being the overall leading points scorer in the race although that task was made harder on Saturday when he was penalised for barging rival Thor Hushovd in the sprint finish.

He has also won five stages during the last two Giro D'Italia, to show that he is undoubtedly the top sprinter in world cycling at the moment, although Alberto Contador remains the online betting favourite to win this year's Tour de France.

The Manx Missile announced his arrival on the international stage while he was still an amateur, winning gold in the Madison at the 2005 Track World Championships alongside Rob Hayles.

He would win the same title three years later with partner Bradley Wiggins, although the duo would finish out of the medals in the same event at the Beijing Olympics.

That meant that Cavendish left China as the only member of the GB cycling team without a medal, but in typically bullish fashion he was quick to point out that the Olympics were not his top priority.

He had already proved his point by winning a British record four stages at the Tour de France and at the tender age of 23 Cavendish was already a top-class performer.

Can anyone stop Alberto Contador winning the 2009 Tour de France? - Latest Cycling Betting

As if to highlight his standing, Cavendish has already matched his 2008 efforts in the 2009 Tour and has set his sights on finishing the race and going for glory on the Champs Elysees.

Much has been made of his sometimes arrogant statements, with Cavendish not shy about singing his own praises.

He recently told reporters: "When journalists at the Tour de France ask me if I'm the best sprinter, I answer 'yes' and that's seen as arrogance.

"I don't see how that can be seen as arrogance when it's just telling the truth. But people can take me as they want."

Cavendish is certainly unusual among British sportsmen who are often too cautious about singing their own praises, but as the Manx Express is quick to make known, his boasts are backed up by a string of impressive race results.

Still only 24, he should have a number of years left at the top and has every chance of rewriting the record books for British road cyclists.

Eight Tour stage wins mean that he is currently level with Barry Hoban, but he took eight years to rack up eight victories.

Cavendish is certain to move clear sooner rather than later, but his prowess in sprinting alone means that he will never challenge for an overall race victory.

However, that failing should not alter the fact that Cavendish is currently one of Britain's finest performers in any sport in recent times.

online betting