Mark Cavendish Jumped into a Local Isle of Man Bike Race and Rallied Local Young Guns
With rumors swirling around Mark Canvendish’s status and race calendar this season, the sprinting-legend showed up at perhaps the least prestigious event of the spring—the 50-mile Isle of Man's Nick Corkill Memorial Race.
Not exactly the tuneup you’d expect for a WorldTour rider looking to make history? That’s okay, Cavendish has always done things a little differently, and he’s also always loved racing in and supporting his hometown.
The 34-time Tour de France stage winner surprised just about everyone when he pinned on a number last weekend. Cycling Weekly reported that, “According to one of the race organizers, Richard Fletcher, the plan was hatched just the night before. Cavendish, back visiting his home island, messaged a racing friend to ask if he could join the event. That request trickled back to Fletcher.”
According to VeloUk.net, Cavendish was a “surprise late addition to the field,” and worked with junior riders on the challenging 9.5-mile circuit before taking part in the main race, where he finished the day in 29th place.
Cavendish biked in from a nearby town, about 20-miles away, and then rode home after the race. Cycling Weekly reported that he kept a low profile during the 50-mile loop. “From the gun, he was very vocal with the other riders,” said 26-year-old rider James Meakin. “He made sure they were pulling their turn. There are a lot of junior cyclists who are future stars for representing the Isle of Man, and he was very good at getting everyone to work together and be a cohesive bunch.”
The presence of such cycling royalty didn’t faze competitors too much as Cavendish’s presence at local events is fairly common. He tends to jump into any event he can when he’s home. 18-year-old Callum Salisbury said, “He’s still Cav. He’ll shout orders, but he’s very supportive. Every time you go through, he’s like, ‘That’s great. Well done, you’re doing great there. Keep tight.’ Or, ‘Do this, do that.’ He’s always trying to help us, especially the younger ones. He’s not flat-out racing, he's not here to drop everyone.”
Cavendish casually rolled through the finish line, which seemed fitting for the event, a memorial race celebrating Nick Corkill, a man known for giving so much to the local cycling community.
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