Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka have announced on today’s second rest day that their sprinter Mark Cavendish will not start tomorrow’s seventeenth stage. This is to allow the Manxman time to prepare for the forthcoming Olympic Games in Rio.
Cavendish has enjoyed an incredibly successful Tour, having won four stages in addition to wearing both the yellow and green jerseys.
The statement from the team was as follows:
Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka has enjoyed extraordinary success in the Tour de France. Among the many highlights so far for the Team, the stand out wins on Stage 1, 3, 6 and 14 by Mark Cavendish and the Stage 7 win by Steve Cummings were exceptional. Our African team was also proud to enjoy time in both the Yellow and Green Jerseys, worn by Cavendish, who extended his Tour de France stage win record to 30 wins taking him to 2nd on the all-time Tour Stage Wins record.
After analysing his workload from the previous stages and his current levels of fatigue, the Team has supported Mark leaving the Tour to give him the best opportunity to recover and prepare for the Olympic Games in Rio. He will not take to the start of stage 17.
Mark Cavendish – “After an extremely enjoyable and successful couple of weeks at The Tour de France with Team Dimension Data, it is with great sadness that I took the decision today to leave the race. After the heat and intensity of the previous stages, we analysed my fatigue levels and decided I’m at a point that would have a detrimental effect on my other big goal for the year, the Olympic Games.”
“To leave a race and organisation that I hold so much respect for and a team that I have such a special bond with, has not been an easy decision at all. I want to say thank you to them, along with all the fans for their support and encouragement, today and over the past 16 stages.”
“I wish Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka and all the other competitors luck in the final few days into Paris, a special place that I will definitely miss the emotions of this year.”
Douglas Ryder – Team Principle – “Mark raced an incredible Tour de France, winning 4 stages and extending his palmarès to 30 stage wins at the Grand Boucle. He managed to put on his first ever Yellow jersey and to carry the Green jersey into the first rest day in Andorra was just exceptional.”
“He has been a great team leader over the past two weeks and a great ambassador for everyone involved in this team and for the greater cause we ride for. Mark is really sad to leave the tour, we are committed to support him in his dream goal of receiving a medal for Britain at the Rio Olympic games.”
maybe he’s pulled to train for https://t.co/NOxc3ICEbu charity #sportive for @IsabelHospice & @Qhubeka
Has this been confirmed by the team? He originally said he would stay.
It was the team that announced it. Their statement is in the article.
Click on the article.
I have now, the original post said it was not available grrrr.
It’s on their Twitter feed Len Harvey been rumoured all day, now is true. Guess he wants his Olympic medal, don’t blame him TBH
Saw the announcement but could not get any news, all updated now guess there was some delay.
servers probably couldn’t handle the traffic, everyone wanted confirmation at the same time. Seemed like a done deal during highlight show at 7pm. They said he had left hotel, but news wasn’t official then. Guess they wanted to get him away from press intrusion before official announcement
Yep confirmed by the team on their twitter page!
Why ??? He could win on the Champs Elyesses..
Makes sense if he really wants to be ready for the Olympics. The man is an inspiration to my cycling and watching him cycle makes me push myself harder when I’m out.
Nothing else to prove.
He can overtake Merckx next year.
Say it isn’t so!
No point in watching the paris stage now
🙁
Thank you Cav
Makes sense really
Oh no!
Rommel Peralta
Gutted.Com
He had Paris virtually nailed on.
Not really sure of what I think about entering TDF just to win certain stages and not complete the tour, but I think I don’t like it, it goes down as dnf
Why enter in the first place, knowing your going to pull out to get ready for Rio. Those stages could have been won by dedicated riders, not impressed.
He’ll never be a team player, it’s all about him.
What a load of rubbish, his four wins have been great for the team
What a great reason to bow out……
Shame, would have been nice to see him win in Paris.
Bigger than this though Cummings is going to Rio, at last justice
Not very manly. Typical from him.
Cav has had a great Tour,4 wins, he would be unhappy in the Alps, so a great time to withdraw and go get a gold medal!!
No surprise there. Thinking about himself again.
Totally NOT shocked…