Winning isn’t everything

Today Mark Cavendish visibly sat up metres from the line once he knew Greipel had taken the stage.  Historically, Cavendish has always done this, and why not?  All or nothing, if you’re not first, you’re last right?  Except today, had he given everything to the line, his teammate would have worn the maillot jaune tomorrow. Tony Martin; the teammate that had buried himself on the front so Cavendish could be in that position in the first place, the teammate who has destroyed himself on countless occasions to ensure Cavendish could pad out his palmares.  We all saw it, but Mark Cavendish then decided to go ham on Social Media and label his critics ‘imbeciles’ and insinuating that they didn’t know what they were talking about and he had in fact given it his all but couldn’t hang on. Ignoring the fact he stopped pedalling before Cancellara came round to grab third, the time bonus and crucially, the yellow jersey.  Then both Patrick Lefevre and Brian Holm joined the band of critics and suddenly his ‘imbeciles’ outburst looks a bit silly and even more petulant than it already did. He then blamed his lead out man for ‘leaving him hanging’. But why are we surprised?

I am very often railed upon for criticising Cavendish, I’m also abused for the fact that I’ve never liked Bradley Wiggins or Team Sky.  These days, when I cheer Joaquin Rodriguez, Tom Boonen, Thibaut Pinot, John Degenkolb, Alexander Kristoff, Thomas Voeckler or any ‘foreign’ rider I get battered by a high number of British cycling ‘fans’ for doing so.  When I was a kid, no-one cared and it didn’t matter who I liked, but these days it does matter. Why?  Because apparently I should cheer the British riders and the British team. Wiggins winning the 2012 Tour undeniably did a lot for the UK cycling scene, but it also brought out a whole new breed of cycling fan.

The thing is, they give me no reason to cheer for them. Cavendish is a supremely talented cyclist and will go down as one of the most accomplished sprinters in history.  But he has always come across as selfish, arrogant, spoilt, crass and a bit of a douchebag to be honest.  Why should I ignore that because he wins and shares the same arbitrary borders as myself?  Likewise Wiggins, dripping with ego, a lack of respect for his opponents, also spoilt, and tops it off by being one of the most boring cyclists to watch ever.  Again, you can’t deny his achievements but why do I have to ignore all that just because he rides for the same country I was born in?  An occurrence in which I didn’t get a choice?

Then we have Team Sky.  Who I again apparently have to like because they are the British team, despite the fact that they are abhorrently dull to watch and, Ian Stannard aside, don’t have an ounce of panache or charisma amongst them.    Not only that, I have never supported a ‘team’ in cycling, the closest I got to that was when Mapei had more riders I liked than didn’t.  I have never seen so much teddy throwing or pant wetting as when these ‘fans’ feel their riders or team have been hard done by. The whole Porte wheel gate thing in the Giro was embarrassing.  The Wiggins v Froome selection farce last summer even more so.

Then we have the hypocrisy: Astana ride on the front for a whole stage and shell the peloton – doping.  Sky do it – excellent tactics.  Talansky goes for a ride with Lance – doping.  Wiggins invites Millar, Bruneel, McQuaid etc to his hour record – mixing with the cool cats.  Astana train with Ferrari – ban them.  Sky train with Leinders – honest mistake.  Boom flagged up for low cortisol levels by the MPCC – British fans and media go nuts. Sky win tours with corticosteroid TUEs and would have had the same issue flagged up had they been a member of the MPCC, which goes some way to say why they aren’t – fact ignored.  Bouhanni cuts his competition up in a bunch sprint – dangerous, despicable bastard. Cavendish deliberately takes out Tom Veelers and Simon Gerrans – That’s racing.

But still, anytime I express a negative opinion regarding the above on social media or in British cycling circles I get vitriol, normally from people who have Sky avatars, jerseys or Union Jacks plastered everywhere.  It’s like we’re leaking into football fan territory with some of this.  The normal counter argument is that I’m just jealous.  I don’t really get jealous though, I’m pretty content with my lot in life in all honesty.  I seriously cannot remember the last time I was genuinely envious of anything.  Except maybe when I go to a restaurant and my wife orders something better than I do, which is often.

I find it strange how some people hold the belief that, just because someone represents the same country as the one you had no choice in entering the world in, you automatically have to support them regardless of their value as a human being or how they go about their business.

You see fans from all nations supporting their boys and girls with flags and painted faces at the sides of the roads in every race around the world, which is great.  But I don’t watch cycling to extend my patriotic compulsion.  I watch it to be entertained, to see acts of bravery, superhuman effort, sacrifice, team work and most of all, swashbuckling fucking awesomeness.

Give me a British rider that does that and I will support them (Stannard) the same way I’ll support any rider that strikes a chord with me.  But I’m not going to want anyone who strikes me as a bit of a tool to beat a nice bloke in any walk of life.

Winning isn’t everything.