Who was the salute aimed at?

I read an interview with him the other week and as a result I won't be buying his biography.

I can hear Team Sky clapping their hands with excitement.

he's a bloke who rides a bike and isn't yet subdued by corporate PR poison

Who was the salute aimed at?

Supposedly aimed at sports jurnos.

The guy is a fanny, he's got a whole load of growing up to do. Which is a shame is he is a fantastic sprinter, I can't stand him.

He also had a bit of a fall out with one of his team mates, Andre Greipel, I think.

According to the Cycling News website:

Mark Cavendish has apologised for an offensive gesture he made at the end of Thursday's stage at the Tour de Romandie. The HTC-Columbia said he made the two-finger salute as a response to critics who had written him off this season. It was only the second win for the sprinter in 2010

He'd be wise not to piss off the media.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you….

He's on record as saying that pro cyclists are nothing but rolling billboards for the sponsors, which makes this behaviour somewhat perplexing.

Either way, he might be a bit of a dick, but he's very entertaining.

Do the media feed him?

first off i consider myself to be neither a mountainbiker or roadie, just a chap who enjoys both. As such i tend t keep up wi roadie news. Cav is awesome at what he does, as such comes in fr a lot of criticism, yes a lot of praise too, but as with all things his life is not his own, personally i think it's awesome that he doesn't feel cowed by the media machine and will vent his frustrations just like any of us when he feels the need.

Do the media feed him?

They're a large part of the food chain.

Do the media feed him?

Erm, yes, actually…

He's employed by a team, who are in turn sponsored by various companies. These companies rely on media coverage to give their brands exposure. Pissing off the media could lead to negative coverage, which sponsors may feel has a negative impact on their corporate image. They might then choose to withdraw their sponsorship. The team then doesn't have money to pay it's employees….

He's on record as saying that pro cyclists are nothing but rolling billboards for the sponsors

He could always 'keep it real' and just race for an amateur team. Nothing's forcing him to suck Satan's cock…

Golly! He looks manly!

i think it's awesome that he doesn't feel cowed by the media machine and will vent his frustrations just like any of us when he feels the need.

Well in general people know how to behave in the workplace, you don't just do exactly what you want unless you're an idiot and want to get the bullet. He behaves like that because he's immature, it's that simple.

cock…

cav is a hero, passionate, outspoken very good at cycling

Well he might be your hero but he certainly isn't mine. I think the majority of proffessional sports people are passionate about their sport.

luckily for you there are lots of other cyclists for you to like! 😛

Cock who happens to be good at cycling.

luckily for you there are lots of other cyclists for you to like!

I'm not really bothered about 'liking cyclists', I don't need people to look up to.

Why can't he be more like a professional footballer, given the great example they set?

Fed by media – well yes but I meant sole feeder as in certain celebs; talent will always do well, as long as it doesn't self-destruct of course….

Many love him, so what if some hate him? Better than being anonymous.

Many love him, so what if some hate him? Better than being anonymous.

If your aim is attention seeking I suppose.

Attention helps get cash so that's fair enough?

Of course he's a cock he's a sprinter.

He should learn to suck up any criticism the media through at himas their only doing there job, he should grow up as the world doesn't revolve around him. There is no taking away his talent but one day he will piss the wrong person off, and as there is so much politics in cycling these days he could end up with a ban or without a team.

I'm not really bothered about 'liking cyclists', I don't need people to look up to.

You appeared to be bothered about disliking this one, all power to you.

You appeared to be bothered about disliking this one, all power to you.

What's your point caller? Clearly you want to have cavs babies and you're now getting irritated because folk think he's a fanny.

He's a cockweasel that has the maturity of a 15 yr old

he's fast though – maybe one day he'll grow up

I think its the other way round, I'm not irritated at all. I like cav you don't, happy days.

Why do you like him?

Most jurnos/critics are cocks imo. Hate the way newspapers lie, twist the truth and just tell/show what sells.
So I don't think he is a hero, but salute him for telling the (some in the ) media to f@k off!
And he is also not perfect , like you and me. Immature and needs to grow up a bit, but I like him and support any British cyclist that gives as much to the world of cycling that he does.
Whatching his sprint finishes is something to behold.

Everyone else puts it better than me, I only write professionally. I like Cav because he is good at what he does and he knows it, he's a show off, and he isn't cowed by the media. He is immature, but then we all were once, unless some of you were born mature which is pretty amazing. I like Cav's immaturity, there is a lack of cynicism which is refreshing. If I could trade my perceived maturity and fat old useless body for Cav's success, and his gob, it would be a good deal for me. I think most of the vituperousness shown for Cav is a form of jealousy. I cannot find anything to gain from disliking him.

I cannot find anything to gain from disliking him.

why must there be something to gain [or lose]?

I neither like him nor dislike him but he's bloody fast

(out of interest, this "team withdrawing him" from that race – I don't suppose all the following stages were mountainous ones that he'd never win, by any chance ?)

Well there doesn't have to be anything to gain or lose, it's just that I find negativity unprofitable. That's what floats my boat. You don't have to see it that way.

I think most of the vituperousness shown for Cav is a form of jealousy. I cannot find anything to gain from disliking him.

How ridiculous. Firstly why would I be jealous of him, it’s not as if I operate in the same sphere as he does, I don’t see him sprinting past me on my commute. Secondly why should I hope to gain something from disliking him, I dislike him for the reasons you like him (apart from the fact that he is very good at what he does), and I just don’t like attention seekers.

What do you ‘gain’ from liking him – a warm glow?

No one is forcing him to be a pro, if he hates what surrounds it as much as he appears to then maybe he should do something else.

Well there doesn't have to be anything to gain or lose, it's just that I find negativity unprofitable.

What about Cav's negativity?

I'm not interested in getting into an argument about this, like I said I like him you don't. As long as we are all happy.

What about Cav's negativity?

I cant see much profit in it for him either. Unless he/his team like the attention it brings, people do lay into him though, and he reacts , its like throwing a dog a bone, and then these things tend to escalate. Oh dear. But I still like him.