Cycling: Cavendish takes back seat in gruelling opener
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Mark Cavendish's 2010 race season started yesterday with maximum exposure to road cycling's toughest, least glamorous side – a four-hour ride through a freezing downpour in the hilly stage one of the Tour of Andalusia.
At the tiny mountain-top finish of La Guardia de Jaen, Cavendish finished 86th, over eight minutes down on the winner Sergio Pardilla. On a stage where Cavendish, as a sprinter, had zero possibilities of victory, the HTC-Columbia leader switched to team helper and spent much of the day weaving between the team car and the pack, bringing up rain jackets and water for his team-mates.
Cavendish then completed the stage far behind the leaders, shivering from the ice-cold rain and horizontal winds. The rest of the field had it equally tough. When Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins crossed the line his fingers were so cold he had to get a team assistant to do up his jacket. His team-mate Steve Cummings, the best British finisher at 20th, was barely able to speak.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments