[Closed] Ok I know this is Roadie content but - is Cav a Hero or a Cock?

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:

[i]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[/i]

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]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.[/i]

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.

[i]luckily for you there are lots of other cyclists for you to like![/i]

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.

[i]You appeared to be bothered about disliking this one, all power to you. [/i]

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

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.

Was a pretty dumb move but he's got eve more media coverage now...whether it works for him is another thing.

Maybe he pointed his hand the wrong way...

He's proved he is good on the bike but also an idiot which is a shame.

I like him... makes the sport a lot more interesting. OK maybe he can be a bit of a cock but I admire his confidence and he usually backs it up with decent results.

Road racing would be duller without him.

I'd rather have dull.

I think he's a bit of a cock, but I can't say I particuarly dislike him. Cycling's better for having him, that's for sure.

You could say the same about a lot of sportsmen, Cristiano Ronaldo for example, seems a bit of an idiot off the pitch but entertaining to watch on it. Alonso and Hamilton are similar.

Such a shame to ruin a good victory by doing something so stupid 🙁

Whilst i recognise him as a good cyclist, I'm not a fan myself.

I'm glad that his team took a stand though and removed him from the tour, but I wonder if that was more down to sponsors rather than team wishes.

I was saw a group of roadies out the other day and one of them copied Cav's actions and they all chuckled away to themselves.

Talented sprinter, but his legs clearly left his brain behind sometime ago.
That was a totally dumb ass thing to do, lets face it he crossed the line and told everyone to f*** off.
As for the book, I can only assume it's up there with Jordans.

[img] [/img]

Dare I say it but I actually found the book really interesting. I think he's a bit of an idiot on occasions (such as with his 2 finger salute, although I did laugh!) but he probably is immature. He's hugely successful at a young age, at least he isn't out beating people up and committing a variety of other criminal offences like certain other sportsmen, plus it's nice to have a Brit at the top of his game in cycling and I will continue to support him and cheer.

Sprint finishes in the Tour this year should be good.

I'm a fan.
I'd like to think his ego doesn't get much bigger that at present, but I thought the vickies gesture was pretty funny -if any of you have ever met a sports journalist (especially the average football-focused British ones) its better than they deserve.
Theres many more nasty pieces of work within the pro cycling scene than Cav. (at least he doesn't dictate to his team which brand of coffee they can drink or what haircut they're allowed)

He has seemed a bit of dick when I've heard him interviewed. If he hadn't become a cyclist I'm not sure a career which required the use of his noggin was ever going to be on the cards. I remember the likes of Millar & Wiggins ripping the piss out of him in interviews during his first tour for being so naive and gullible.

But then again, I've never been a big fan of sprinters - just doesn't seem an honourable way to win a stage in my opinion. Give me a lone breakaway merchant or at least a member of small breakaway that out sprints his former collaborators to the line any day.

I remember the likes of Millar & Wiggins ripping the piss out of him in interviews during his first tour for being so naive and gullible.

Aye, cause they've won how many stages of the Tour between them?

I don't particularly like or dislike the guy - never met him to have a personal opinion about him. He seems pretty gobby at interview, but I seem to recall him being prepared to publicly apologise for some comment he made last year. Given he's a talented lad in a world of proven drug cheats, I'd rather have my kids looking up to him than some of the EPO bunnies.

Millar at the time - 3. Cav at the time - 0. Why is that important?

(Mr MC posting)

he is passionate, hotheaded and immature but also has some awareness of that. After dissing thor hushovd for having to make an appeal in order to win a stage, thor rode off on his own and proved he is a better all-round rider than Cav. Cav then approached him in parc ferme, apologised and said as much.

If he was 100% c*ck he wouldnt have thought it necessary or appropriate to do that.

I would also ask the cynical question that was he punished by being withdrawn from stages he would not have competed in? He's also generating wider press interest in the sport, and anything that isnt a drugs expose is good publicity.

Hero, anyone that sprints out of a bunch doing 40mph+ has to be respected
and the books well worth reading

Hero.

Probably some **** in an Audi/BMW cut him up 😉

He has a lot of growing up to do, he's good at what he does (proved himself last year) and will make stupid mistakes like that photo for a couple of years.

Cock? No, there are, and have been in the past, and will be (pardon the expression) bigger cocks in the peloton that Cav.

If the commisaires don't like it, they can penalise him.

Most people's impressions of him must surely be derived from the media?

I remember seeing an interview of him on the TDF last year where he clearly showed his passion and knowledge of the sport, did his research on his rivals and how they operate and came across as confident in his own ability.

At that level of sport confidence and arrogance are part of the arsenal of weapons available. If you're not bigging yourself up then you probably don't have the self belief.

Millar at the time - 3. Cav at the time - 0. Why is that important?

Cav aint a druggy cheat though ¬!!

It could have been worse ie. [b]the[/b] finger!

Some people are too easily offended 🙄

Cav [strike]aint[/strike] hasn't been found to be a druggy cheat yet though ¬!!

fixed it

I saw a cyclist give 'the finger' to a motorist who had the audacity to beep his horn at him for riding a red light and swerving to avoid a pedestrian.

Pretty sure this thing would never have happened without Cav setting the precedence. I have never seen behaviour like this in all my time, completely outrageous. Lock him up I say.

Another idea might be to replace any potential personalities with Indurain-style robots. That’d liven things up a bit, and make for safe family viewing.

The two fingers was a bit OTT especially with families spectating but I also think it's refreshing for someone not to be stifled by a PR machine. He can come across as a dick when interviewed straight after a stage but he's just telling things straight as he sees them, away from races he actually comes across as pretty mature when interviewed.

I'd still rather see Cav stick 2 fingers up than Vino win a classic...

I like Cav - I remember one of his early interviews after a stage win at the TdF. He was sitting on the grass being interviewed and his phone rang. He said "I can't talk now mum - I'm on the telly"

His stage win on the Champs Elysees was an amazing show of power - after Big George peeled off Cav almost wheelspun away.

🙂

(Funnily enough one of my other fav wins on the Champs Elysees was the Vino break a few years ago - but we won't talk about that now)

😉

He's British, of course we dont like him! All this winning is bad form and we need to bring him down a peg. Bloody hell you will be expecting us to celebrate success soon!

[img] [/img]

This fella did a similar thing!
The irony is the press will love it, the sponsors will love it and it will probably do him more good than harm, in the grand scheme of things its relatively harmless.

[img] [/img]

He's a Cock and a one trick pony.

the sponsors will love it

Well, following his childish display of petulance, I've cancelled my order for a HTC 'phone, and won't now be buying a Scott bike. I'm sure I'm not alone in making these decisions, either.

So there.

Well, following his childish display of petulance, I've cancelled my order for a HTC 'phone, and won't now be buying a Scott bike. I'm sure I'm not alone in making these decisions, either.

So there.

You are a sensitive soul! However I am sure the balance will be redressed given the additinal publicity this has brought about.

a one trick pony.

What - he only rides road bikes?

no - he only wins stages/races.

oh...

of course they all love it really... got his pic on here didnt it? no such thing as bad publicity etc...

I don't much like the attitude. It's a sad business when coverage of a British rider winning things is dominated by the fact that he's decided to be a tool.

Also, the total lack of understanding shown in his book about why skipping out of competition tests matters is infuriating. Everybody who skips a control "just forgot", no-one's going to say "well if I get tested like that it'll pick up that I'm doing a quick course of 'roids". So anyone who wants to be presumed to be clean can't afford to be flippant about the issue.

So anyone who wants to be presumed to be clean can't afford to be flippant about the issue.

True...

For clarity, I'm absolutely not suggesting that Cavendish is a doper.

He's a Cock and a one trick pony.

Cav is very good at what he does, the best in the world in fact. so he's arrogant and very confident in his own ability, good I say, you need to be at the top level of sport, he just doesn't hide it as well as others do.

yes he's good

yes we like him (mostly)

yes, what he did was daft

why are so many British sportsmen a bit thick?

I think he's alright. If journos had slagged him off (they can be really bad) then he's perfectly right to show his displeasure when the spotlight's on him. Absolutely fair enough.

I've learned in life that everyone presents a certain front to the world, and it's up to you to learn how to read that and understand what's behind it. After having seen some interviews with him I can completely empathise.

TBH - if the press are winding him up, he'd be well advised to start sucking up to them a bit more
Normally I'd say stand up to them but I really don't believe he has the maturity or constitution yet to beat them at that game
He's just not up to it, the more he baits them, the more they'll come after him - they'll get to him in the end & leave him a jibbering wreck if he's not careful

why are so many British sportsmen a bit thick?

Spend too much time practicing their sport, and not enough time in school, maybe? I dunno.

Ultra talented, but will never be a real hero, no matter how great he keeps telling us he is.
His ability inspires admiration, but his off the bike whinging does not.

Bit like Carl Fogarty really.