"We weren't worried, it's always like that with Mark" - Cavendish's difficulties not stressful for Astana and Alexandre Vinokourov
Cycling
Mark Cavendish struggled right from the very start of the Tour de France and his difficulties were one of the main stories of the first day. However from Astana Qazaqstan Team and team manager Alexandre Vinokourov there wasn't much stress, the Kazakh admits himself.
"We knew that this stage was going to be difficult. With almost 4000 meters of elevation, it's hard for the sprinters. We did everything at our own pace", Vinokourov said in words to Cyclism'Actu. The Manxman was dropped with 160 kilometers to go and was suffering from digestive issues due to the heat that the riders were feeling on the day. Michele Gazzoli, who was left supporting Cavendish, was forced to abandon the race because of the same reason.
There were certainly reasons to worry for the sprinter since the day was just starting and there was still plenty climbing left to deal with. The main concern was him making it to the finish, but even if that was then guaranteed, a time limit still had to be respected. In the end both were successful as the Manxman somewhat recovered from a very bad patch.
"We weren't worried, it's always like that with Mark. With such heat, it was hard for everyone, not just for us," Vinokourov says. Perhaps correct, as later on the Cavendish group joined up with Fabio Jakobsen and his trusted support rider on the day Bram Welten. "We lost a guy, it's a shame for the first day, a young rider (Michele Gazzoli, ed.), on his first Grand Tour. In my opinion he got too much sun, now he's in hospital."
The Kazakh team leaves the first day of the race battered and bruised whilst Alexey Lutsenko and Harold Tejada didn't show themselves in the front of the race. Stage 2 will be a less difficult day, but certainly there will be tension heading into the first day in the mountains this Tuesday.
Read also
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.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
🇮🇹🇫🇷 RACE: @LeTour Well, it was not the start of the race we were expecting for, but 7 our riders, including @MarkCavendish all finished the stage inside the time cut. #TDF2024 #AstanaQazaqstanTeam
Write a comment