The Comeback story of Mark Cavendish electrifies the Tour de France, the pictures of him are omnipresent.
It is tempting to speculate whether he will really be able to set Eddy Merckx's record (34 stage wins).
Cavendish, whose career seemed to be in ruins a few months ago, was twice the fastest of the day on this tour of France.
"Cav" won the fourth stage in Fougères as it did in 2015, and he won the sixth section in Châteauroux on Thursday as it did in 2008.
Cavendish's tour saga took its course in this very central French town of Châteauroux. Thirteen years ago, the man from the Isle of Man achieved his first of 32 stage victories on the tour in the sprint. In 2011 he let another one follow, and after difficult years, the 36-year-old suddenly knows how to accelerate his bike again and to find the smallest gaps in the mass sprint like back then. “I can hardly believe it: It's been ten years since I last won here. Something special, ”said Cavendish.
2008? 2011? For the tour and the cycling circus, influential professionals such as Tadej Pogacar or Mathieu van der Poel, it has to sound like: A racing grandpa tells about the past. When Cavendish's first Tour day win, Pogacar was just nine years old. The current triumphal procession of Cavendish looks like a rebellion of the dinosaurs in the peloton against the background of the developments in cycling over the past two years.
Because the current over-30 generation, which shaped their sport for years as a matter of course, has lost access to the victories in the major races.
If you look alone at the big country tours, it becomes clear that the changing of the guard does not begin, but is more or less completed.
At the Tour de France 2019, the then 22-year-old Egon Bernal triumphed.
Last year, Pogacar was at the top of the podium on the Champs-Elysées - at the age of 21.
As a 22-year-old, he is now on his way to his second Tour triumph.
The overthrow of the throne happened suddenly
The last winners of the Giro d'Italia were Bernal (now 24 years old) and 2020 Tao Geoghegan Hart (then 25). In the big one-day races, the two 26-year-olds Wout van Aert and Van der Poel began to be the measure of all things. With a different, more offensive style than the one that was previously dominant. And with the Belgian Remco Evenepoel (21 years old) another “child prodigy” is in the starting blocks. World champion Julian Alaphilippe is already 29 years old, but he also started to build up his impressive trophy collection at a younger age.
In cycling it is not the same as in tennis, where the scene has been wondering for ages when the boys will succeed in the overthrow of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic. In cycling it didn't happen slowly, but rather suddenly. To the chagrin of professionals such as Geraint Thomas, Peter Sagan, Jakob Fuglsang, Nairo Quintana or Alejandro Valverde, who only seem like old masters who have occasional golden days.
"It's really impressive how cycling has developed, driven by these extremely fast young riders," says John Degenkolb from Oberursel.
The 32-year-old is one of the drivers who are currently left behind by the pace of the young and has not been nominated for this year's Tour of France by his Lotto-Soudal team.
36-year-old Tony Martin welcomes the “characters and skills of the young drivers.
They are good for cycling. "
The current tour classification is also evidence of the shift in strength.
With the Colombian Rigoberto Uran (34) and the Italian Vincenzo Nibali (36), there are only two professionals over 30 in the top 10. An age at which cycling was only declared capable of absolute top performances not long ago .
How long is that going well?
What is this development based on? Individual training control, comprehensive nutritional advice or detailed work on aerodynamics have not only moved into the professional field, but the young drivers can also enjoy all of this. Even in the U-23 class, the best lead a professional life. With training blocks, (altitude) training camps and races including permanent pressure to perform, they mature earlier and faster.
The Danish top professional Fuglsang (36) recently said that he wasted years of his career because he didn't eat enough.
Fundamental mistakes in the structure are unlikely to be made by the younger generation.
The 31-year-old Sagan doesn't seem to trust the hype about the young guys yet.
He, said the Slovak, had been up there for many years and stayed there.
The boys should prove themselves first.
In fact, it is speculated that Pogacar and Bernal could not keep up the enormous pace of their careers in the grueling bike business until their 30th birthday.
Because their young bodies were pushed to their maximum performance too early.
The time will tell.
But one thing is clear: this young generation has already ignored some of the former conventions in cycling.