This is why most all of us could never have the speed, guts and bike handling skills to be WorldTour sprinter.
In a horrible, wet, miserable sprint stage in the Giro d’Italia. Riders going down right and left. Race leader Evenepoel goes down twice, the first time when a dog wanders into the road and takes down aa dozen guys. (Why would you allow your dog to be off leash with grand tour zooming past?)
Riders in the break slide out. Roglic barely escapes a crash in front of him. A dumb ass move by a rider in front of Evenepoel knocks him off onto the sidewalk. It’s an actual miracle that he wasn’t injured and his Giro plans destroyed.
It was the unlucky Cavendish who suffered the most in this terrible conditions in a dangerous bunch sprint. With a few hundred meters to go, he’s in great position and hits the gas, pure instinct, wattage and ambition.
But his rear wheel slips sideways on the slick white painted line as Cav does everything physically possible to avert disaster. Somehow he defies gravity and momentum and remains upright. In that moment Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) attacks and in passing the Manxman, clips his front wheel.
Instantly Cavendish swings widely off course, slamming into Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè sprinter Filippo Fiorelli. Exhibiting incredible balance and reflexes, the Italian stays up, sliding his shoulder again the barrier and regaining control.
Unfortunately as Fiorelli rebounds off the wall, he knocks Cavendish off balance. The British sprinter pinwheels thru the air, legs flying all in directions and slams to the tarmac, taking out another rider, pinball-style.
The fact that Cavendish sustained no serious injuries is almost inconceivable. It seems physically impossible that he wasn’t physically hurt. He didn’t even blame Dainese for starting the chain of events — although the DSM rider was later relegating. Which ironically moved Cavendish, who slide across the line minus his bike, into fourth.
For all of us at home, it was a reminder that WorldTour riders are not only way, way faster than us. They’re also tougher, braver and more resilient. Chapeau to everyone for just surviving the day.
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