"Only morale is a bit affected" - Mark Cavendish overcomes dramatic high-speed crash at Giro d'Italia sprint
Cycling
Mark Cavendish has not struck out at this Giro d'Italia when it comes to luck, having been put out of contention for a sprint on stage 2 due to a crash, and spectacularly crossing the line off the bike to a fifth place last afternoon.
"I'm back at the hotel. I've had my wound cleaned. My knee is a little sore, but I don't think anything is broken," Cavendish said in a message shared by Astana Qazaqstan Team following the stage yesterday. The Manxman managed to avoid all the crashes in the run-up to the final kilometer and was in contention for victory. His sprint was anything but normal however. The Manxman was in the battle for the first places but with the wet roads, he slipped on road paint already mid-sprint.
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Then after getting back to the saddle he had a very close call with Alberto Dainese, which caused him to lose balance and swerve into Filippo Fiorelli - who himself held it up after sliding against the barriers. After such a chaotic few seconds the Manxman went down, sliding past the finish line already on the floor, with other riders coming down after the finish line.
However the wet roads were of some help to the veteran however, who has avoided any major injury despite the high-speed incident. "I haven't checked it yet. At least it doesn't hurt, like something was broken. Only morale is a bit affected. I was in the perfect position. Came into the sprint with the rear wheel on the white line then the bike slid," he explained.
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He ended up being promoted to fourth place in the end as Dainese was relegated but that was of little difference. "That's what sprints are. Alberto Dainese called me, but it's part of sprinting," Cavendish concluded. If the peloton race again very conservatively he stands another chance at success today in Napoli.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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🇮🇹 VIDEO: @giroditalia @MarkCavendish talks on this crazy Stage 5 ⬇️ #Giro #GirodItalia #AstanaQazaqstanTeam
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