Mark Cavendish: I can't repeat World Championships victory

Last updated on .From the section Cyclingcomments19

Defending world road race champion Mark Cavendish has told BBC Sport that he "can't win" Sunday's race in Limburg.

Last year, the 27-year-old became the first Briton to win the race in 46 years, but does not believe the hilly 261km Dutch course will suit him.

"I can't win," he said. "I haven't got a chance, so I will be in a support role for the other guys in the team."

Cavendish said GB would be "putting their money on" Jonathan Tiernan-Locke who won the 2012 Tour of Britain.

"He's an attacking rider and it is going to be a really open race and there are so many different options and riders who can win," the Manxman added.

Although the finish in particular does not suit the sprint specialist, a 1,200m climb up the Cauberg hill coming in the closing couple of kilometres, Cavendish said there was never any doubt that he would defend his title.

"There are not many sports where you win a world title and then get to wear a jersey for a year," he said, referring to the white top with rainbow-coloured bands that he has worn for the past 12 months.

"I'm here out of respect for the jersey and whether you can win or not you go and defend the jersey."

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins raced on a similar course 15 years ago as a junior and he too has no qualms about trying to help his team-mates in the Netherlands.

"Jon [Tiernan-Locke] is in great form at the moment and is probably going to be our leader," Wiggins said. "We'll go out with a game-plan and try to implement it for Jon. Perhaps it won't be as straightforward as last year but we will have a go.

"Steve Cummings is also an outsider. He's got this great knack of popping out when it matters although he is probably more of an underdog. But I certainly wouldn't discount Steve."

Tiernan-Locke admits the "lumpy" course should suit his strengths, but is wary of raising expectations given the quality of the field and his relative inexperience at the highest level.

"People talk about the Cauberg [hill], but the finish comes 1.5 km after that so it is going to be more open than just for the climbers," he said.

"Maybe I will have a free rein but I don't think it will be a case of just everyone behind me. I am pretty unproven at this level and this distance as well."

Chris Froome, who finished second at the Tour de France, third in the Olympic time trial and fourth in the Vuelta a Espana, might have been a contender himself, but given his heavy recent workload, does not believe he will be challenging in the closing stages.

He said: "If [this race] was around Tour de France time I might have a chance.

"But I am feeling stretched and I don't think I'll be in contention in the final two laps."

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19 comments

  • I hope BBC do better today than yesterday. It was advertised that the women's road race would be shown in entirity on the red button. It wasn't, they showed some past F1 race while showing F1 qualifying on BBC1. Then they had 1 hour of cycling on BBC1 as the race ended, but showed none of it, instead the time trials that happened days ago. This is disrespectful and marginalising of womens sport.

  • @15 Cav is there because he is the defending champion, and that's what champions do: they defend their title.

  • 7.mpjacko
    Sky never let Cavendish down in the TDF,it is well documented the overall win was and still is their main priority in the major tours,it also pays to give Cavendish credit for actually winning three stages,still a brilliant sprinter,it will be interesting to see where he ends up and if that team dedicates their resources to him like the HTC team did.

  • The Cauberg is a paper tiger. They'll only do it 2 or 3 times at full pelt

  • @ 18.

    Fair enough.

    I was just hoping he might actually go for it.

    But well done to Gilbert, he deserved it.

  • @14
    The BBC as they cant report cycling well
    and then people that dont understand the sport

  • Sky have never let Cavendish down, a team based around GC now. Cav has still won sprints despite not being team leader. Sky train when set for Cav is immense. Giro d'Italia, ToB are classic examples. Today doesn't suit Cav but Tiernan-Locke, Wiggins or possibly dark horse Cummings are GB's best hopes but still think Gilbert is the man to beat

  • JTL will be a surprise winner today...

  • It's simply not a sprinter's to win, be that sprinter Cav or anybody else. If one of them did then it would be a monumental achievement, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

  • Again the BBC 2-3 days behind at best..
    Not a course for Cav's. Too hard anyway let alone when 200 of the very best riders will be charging at the race. Doesn't stand a chance no puncher will let this get to a sprint. Both Wiggins and Froome are overdone by a long season. JTL is untested and underclass to win.
    Gilbert, Purito and Valverde should win. Or a Freire type rider, not Sagan, not on form.

  • The race this year is suited to the Gilbert, Rodriguez, Valverde kind of explosive climber, Cav simply can't stay with that, there's no need to pretend to be optimistic. Maybe there will be a small bunch sprint if someone like Boasson-Hagen, Sagan or Degenkolb can get over the climbs. Nevertheless it should be an exciting race regardless of whether there is British interest in the final few Kms

  • Mmm, I dont think hes sitting on the fence, rather hes being pragmatic. Hes had so many good years with Renshaw and his train at HTC right up until last years Worlds and even this year with Sky, where he has performed superbly. Then the Olympic race went wrong because the race unfolded differently than GB expected. You could forgive him for keeping his head down and removing pressure.

  • It's good to see the lads taking the pressure off each other in this way, especially after the Olympic Road Race.
    British cyclists have been an inspiration yet again this year. Something I never thought I'd see since my early interest and participation in the sport in the 60's and 70's.
    Good luck to all of you and keep your cards close to your chests :o)

  • Cav is my favorite rider of all time, but I don't understand this. If there is no chance of a bunch sprint then why is he there? He is not suitable to be a domestic.

    May be he is secretly hoping for one and is just taking the pressure off if it does n't happen such as what happened in the Olympics.

  • Who made Cycling so confusing!

  • I too think that Cav is being realistic about his chances this year. True the course is not to his style, but he will also be a marked man, again.
    And although many have won multiple world road championships, relatively few have achieve it in consecutive years.
    Even the great Eddy Merckx (1967, 1971, 1974) was not able to do it.

  • Seems to be conflicting views. Is he pulling out legs or what? The hills don't seem too bad, surely if the team can get him up them he still has a decent shot?!

    Come on Cav, cap of this incredible year for all of us.

  • Had it been the HTC train, I would say yes, Cav could do it but as the majority are Sky riders, I would say no. The Sky / GB train doesn't give me any confidence. Even on the final Sprint in Paris, I was hoping sky wouldn't mess up due to my lack of confidence in the train and due to the amount of times Sky let Cav down in that tour.

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