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"It’s certainly not impossible" - Sean Kelly argues that Mark Cavendish's comeback could inspire other sprinters
CyclingSaturday, 04 November 2023 at 17:00
Mark Cavendish is a rider that has succeeded over several generations. He's seen riders turn pro and retire throughout his career, but despite all this time in the peloton he still has the legs to win. Having won at the highest level since 2007, Mark Cavendish's mental resilience should be of great inspiration to other sprinters, Sean Kelly argues.
“When you look at sprinters like Cavendish, he went through some bad times, and has had an amazing amount of stage wins at an older age. For riders like [Sam] Bennett and [Caleb] Ewan, you can go through a down period of a couple of years, and then come back to the top level again. It’s certainly not impossible to achieve," Kelly claimed in an interview with GCN.
Present at Rouleur Live this week, as did some of the big figures in cycling - both on and off the bike - Kelly shared insights on the Tour de France but also the Manxman, who has had a roller-coaster of a career over the past few years, but has returned to the highest level once again with a victory at the final day of the Giro d'Italia. He has since postponed his announced retirement after prematurely crashing out of the Tour de France.
On compatriot Sam Bennett, Kelly worries about the possible lack of a leadout into 2024. "Well that’s going to be a problem. It’s a complicated one but if he gets back to the level he had at QuickStep, he’s not going to be able to win as many races, but if he can get to that level he can win a couple," he says. Bennett has been linked to AG2R Citroën Team, but at the time being no contract has been officially announced. "If he can win a stage or two at the Tour, and a couple of other races, and it’s a brilliant season again.”
The best figure in the sprints this year without a doubt for the Irish legend was Jasper Philipsen. “This year we’ve seen he’s the best, not just in the sprints, but also in the other races like the Classics. The way Philipsen was riding in Belgium and France in the Spring, he’s a super talented rider," Kelly states. "He’s the best sprinter this year, certainly, but things can change for sprinters as well. We’ve seen Bennett going so well, and then he lost his edge. I think with Philipsen, and the age that he’s at, I don’t see that coming for the next couple of years."
"He still has age on his side. Philipsen is at the top of the rankings and then you’ve got Arnaud De Lie. He’s going to be an interesting one because he’s up and coming and very hungry. Then you have Fabio Jakobsen, who had a down and difficult year, but I see him coming back to the level he had in previous years. Olav Kooij is another one to watch but I can’t see him being in the Tour because of the situation with Jumbo, and then you have a list of other guys like Cavendish, Bennett, and Arnaud Démare if he gets it right. Merlier is on there too.”
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