Why Mark Cavendish won’t be riding the 2019 Tour de France

Tour de France veteran, Mark Cavendish,  will not be part of the 2019 race. It’s the first time since 2007 that the 34-year-old veteran will not be part of Le Tour.

Cavendish wasn’t named in Team Dimension data’s squad, but he took the snub in his stride. He took to social media to say that while he was gutted to miss out, he will be supporting his team – and by extension the charity his team rides for. He wrote on Twitter:

“Well what can I say?” Cavendish wrote in the first of four linked tweets. “I’m absolutely heart-broken by the decision that means I won’t be @letour this year. As I have done for my entire career, I targeted a specific time to be at peak form. This has pretty much always resulted in me hitting my goals or coming damn close.

“Predominantly at the most beautiful, special race that is Le Tour de France, where 30 of these victories have defined my career. After a long, difficult fight back from trying to compete for the whole of last season with Epstein Barr Virus and after following a specific … training program to peak in July, I feel I was in the perfect place,” Cavendish wrote.

He added:

“Nevertheless, I truly came to @teamdidata with the purpose of making a difference, by mobilising entire communities in Africa with bicycles through our incredible charity @Quebuka,” Cavendish wrote. “Though I won’t be there, as always I’ll be supporting my teammates with all I have, wishing them safety and success in France and hoping we can get even more children on bicycles. Thank you all for your support.”

Team Dimension Data largely built their team around Cavendish since first signing him, so leaving him would have come as a surprise to many.

Cavendish’s battle to get back to his best

The 34-year-old sprinter, who has won 30 stages on the Tour de France, has struggled for form since returning to action this year after a second bout of the debilitating Epstein Barr virus.

He has only made the podium once in 2019 – third place in the third stage of the Tour of Turkey in April – and could only finish 22nd in the British National Championships road race recently.

Cavendish is just four stage wins shy of Eddy Merckx’s record of 34.

The South African team include two previous stage winners in the shape of the Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen (three wins) and 38-year-old Briton Steve Cummings (two wins). Italian sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo makes his Tour debut at the age of 30.

Disagreement over Cavendish’s inclusion

The official statement about the squad selection for the 2019 Tour de France from Team Dimension Data said:

 “Selection for our Tour squad was a highly-competitive process and one in which a panel weighed up the options provided to us not only by Mark but indeed all of our riders.

“As you’d expect among a selection panel, there were a number of different preferences of the final squad make up with our team principal, Doug Ryder, making the final decision on it.

“This selection is one the team believes will be best suited to meet the goals set out for the race.”

The Press Association reported that there was disagreement over whether Cavendish should be included. The team’s management were reportedly at odds. The team’s head of performance, Rolf Aldag, wanted him to race at the 2019 Tour de France, but team principal Doug Ryder made the final call.

While it’s not unusual for management of elite sports teams to disagree, many pundits feel that Cavendish should have made the cut. As the so-called ‘box office rider’  – he’s a key attraction to sponsors. Nevertheless, Team Dimension Data will be eyeing stage wins at this year’s tour with the assembled squad.

Cavendish signed for the South African team in 2016. He signed an extension to 2020 with the team, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll stay on.

Dimension Data for the Tour de France 2019: Lars Bak, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Steve Cummings, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Ben King, Roman Kreuziger, Giacomo Nizzolo, Michael Valgren.