The world’s top sprinter Mark Cavendish has long been the focal point of his HTC Columbia team, but the British rider has revealed that he feels taken for granted by the squad, and has not been offered a new contract after 2011.
The highly-surprising disclosure came at a press conference prior to tomorrow’s Commonwealth Games road race. Cavendish, who has clocked up 15 Tour de France stage wins in three years and is the team’s headline rider, claimed that he has been paid nothing extra despite his success.
“I'm committed to a contract I signed a few years ago. There's been no goodwill, no bonuses, nothing,” he said, according to the BBC. “I'm kind of abused for what I've achieved but I've been contracted to do it, so I have to do it.”
Cavendish had a difficult start to the season and was clearly a rider under a lot of strain before and during the Tour de France. This stress dissipated when he took his first win on stage five to Montargis, and the tears he cried gave an insight into how wound up he had been.
“The pressures are incredible,” he revealed. “I know the people around me appreciate that it's like that [but] I'm not sure any more if my team does, not my team as a whole but the manager. I haven't been offered another contract yet so I don't know why that is.”
Cavendish is known to be on Team Sky’s wish-list, but his HTC Columbia squad made it clear last year that he was not up for sale. Team owner Bob Stapleton said that there was no question that the British team would snap him up while he was under contract.
Given that the team’s other sprinter Andre Griepel is leaving, it was thought that the team had long-term plans to chase major victories with Cavendish. Today’s revelations cast doubt on that, however, and will fuel speculation that he could be bound for Team Sky at the end of next season.
“Fundamentally I ride my bike because I love to ride my bike. But [with] the pressures, the normal person's life that I've lost, you should see the benefits coming with that and I don't get that. I'm disappointed with that.”
Dealing with tag of race favourite:
Meanwhile Cavendish has said that he is feeling some pressure of expectation in advance of tomorrow’s road race, but is letting another nation worry about controlling things. Australia has been the dominant force thus far at the Games, winning a staggering twelve out of fourteen events, and the Isle of Man rider believes it is their responsibility to make the race.
He accepts that all eyes will be on him, though. Having taken 15 stage wins in the Tour de France and won the points title at the recent Vuelta a España, he’s used to the presumption that he is the one to beat.
"If I win, it's normal. If I don't win, the story is 'Cavendish loses'. If I get beaten once in 15 races, it's 'Cavendish has lost his throne'. If I lose or come second now, it's failure,” he told the Guardian. “It's frustrating rather than anything else."
Cavendish went to the world championships in Australia dreaming of taking the rainbow jersey, but once he saw the course he knew it would be very difficult to be in the fight for gold. The tough hills on the course did indeed put paid to his hopes, and he did not finish.
Heading to Delhi gives him a chance to get back on top, providing the opportunity to add gold to the world titles he took on the track and his 2006 Commonwealth Games points race win. Tomorrow’s circuit is a mainly flat one, and he knows that a bunch sprint should be the most likely outcome. However he’ll also be aware that his dominance in bunch finishes will mean that the other strong teams will do what they can to disrupt that scenario.
Cavendish said that he is looking forward to the race, and to competing with the Isle of Man team. "I'm going to muck in and get on with it," he enthused. “I want to be with my mates on the team. I love representing the Isle of Man – there are some good lads in the team. I only get the opportunity to do this once every four years, so I'm glad to be doing it. These are the guys I've grown up riding my bike with, the guys I train with when I'm on the island, so I want to be with them.”
Dealing with testing conditions:
That desire to be part of the group saw him pass up an offer from his HTC Columbia team to put him up in a five-star hotel. Instead, he decided to stay in the athlete’s village, disregarding the pre-Games publicity that depicted it as dirty and unfinished. According to his agent Chris Evans-Pollard, the 25 year old wanted to be with his team-mates.
One who will be missing is his friend Peter Kennaugh, who has been racing with Team Sky this year. He is one of the British riders who decided not to travel to Delhi due to concerns about the conditions in the village and the possibility of fever.
Another factor which put some off were the reports of possible terrorist threats. Riders have found it difficult to be given permission to get outside the athlete’s village this week, with security personnel turning competitors such as Northern Ireland’s Michael Hutchinson back.
Those concerns were heightened last month by a gun attack at Delhi’s largest mosque. As a result, tomorrow’s men and women’s road races will see very tight security along the 13.7 kilometre circuit. Steel barricades have been erected along the route, spectators will be searched and there will be police snipers on rooftops.
“We have provided fool proof security and left nothing to chance," New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told AP, although he declined to say how many policemen will be in action. “We have made extensive arrangements for the race. Suffice it to say we have surrounded the area completely," he said. "The main thing is that the route is clear."
Cavendish and the other male competitors will compete 12 laps of the circuit. The women will do eight, and a bunch sprint is also likely there.