Blazin' Saddles: Will Cav give MTN-Qhubeka a new Dimension? Data suggests yes
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Updated 06/10/2015 at 21:29 GMT
Cycling's worst-kept secret was confirmed last week as Britain's Mark Cavendish signed on the dotted line with the team formally known as MTN-Qhubeka.
British rider Mark Cavendish
Image credit: AFP
But has the most successful sprinter of his generation got what it takes to revive his career at Dimension Data next year? And, more importantly, do the South African Pro-Continental team actually need Cav?
Cavendish's three years at Etixx-QuickStep were hardly a resounding success: in a sport dominated by the Tour de France, the Manxman only added three stage scalps to his name to move within two victories of Bernard Hinault's career tally of 28.
Prior to leaving Team Sky, his now former Belgian employees would have hoped Cavendish would have reached Eddy Merckx's record tally of 34 Tour stage wins in the QuickStep colours. Instead, poor form, injury, bad luck and the rise of a certain Marcel Kittel (not to forget the resurgence of Andre Greipel) has made even Hinault's second-best total look at times unreachable.
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Belgian Eddy Merckx rides uphill in the Col de l'Aubisque during the 17th stage of the Tour de France between Luchon and Mourenx on July 15, 1969
Image credit: AFP
But reunited with his old HTC-Highroad leadout man and good pal Bernie Eisel - who also joins Dimension Data on a three-year contract - Cavendish could rekindle the kind of form that made him a faster finisher than Jim in American Pie.
Still only 30, Cavendish has many years left at the top level. If evergreen Greipel can bag four stages in France at the age of 33 then there's reason to believe that even Merckx's target could be attained.
Bearing in mind that 21 of Cavendish's 24 Tour victories came alongside Eisel, reuniting the pair was a no-brainer for Dimension Data. Throw in another member of the dream team - Mark Renshaw - and add that to existing former HTC men on the team's roster - Gerald Ciolek, Edvald Boasson-Hagen and Matt Goss (although the latter seems very much to be on his way out) - and there are reasons to be excited.
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Norway's Edvald Boasson Hagen rides in the pack during the 181.5 km eighth stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 11, 2015, between Rennes and Mur-de-Bretagne, western France
Image credit: AFP
This year MTN-Qhubeka at times seemed like a collection of washed-up leadout men without a man to lead; Cavendish and pilot Eisel could well prove the last pieces of the jigsaw.
Although the Cavendish-to-MTN rumours had been doing the rounds practically since the start of the summer, many believed there were far too many stumbling blocks for the switch to happen.
More obvious was the huge boulder of Cavendish's salary. While a rider apparently on the wane could not realistically match the €3.5m he received from Etixx on a yearly basis, Cav's proven track record would still see him command almost a third of MTN's current budget of €7.5m.
With this in mind, Cavendish's arrival was always dependent upon a collaboration with a co-sponsor to cover his salary and that of his entourage. This materialised with the signing-on of global financial consulting giant Deloitte, who with Dimension Data, the South African information technology company responsible for last year's Tour rider tracking, will more than fill the void left by the parting telecommunications company MTN.
But even more important than these not inconsiderable financial trifles was the effect a rider of Cavendish's calibre (and sizeable baggage) would have on the team's current dynamic and overall vision.
Only a few weeks ago, MTN-Qhubeka general manager Brian Smith talked down the mooted arrival of Cavendish on the grounds that he would rock the boat.
"This team is about giving riders opportunities, and letting them race for themselves. That's how we won stages in both the Tour and Vuelta," he said.
"So bringing in a big GC rider or a big sprinter, we would have to consider how it would fit in. It would change the dynamics of the team a lot. Do we need a rider like Mark Cavendish? I don't think we do."
Put differently: MTN's Tour de France was deemed an overwhelming success off the back of Steve Cummings' stage win at Mende, Daniel Teklehaimanot's stint in polka dots and Serge Pauwels 13th place on GC.
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Eritrea's Daniel Teklehaimanot (L), wearing the best climber's polka dot jersey, rides in the pack during the 181.5 km eighth stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 11, 2015, between Rennes and Mur-de-Bretagne, western Franc
Image credit: AFP
Should Cavendish only win one stage and wear the green jersey for four days in 2016, however, then Dimension Data's debut Tour will seem very much a failure.
And this is not even taking into consideration the team's overall vision of developing an African Grand Tour contender over the next few years. Indeed, Louis Meintjes' surprise departure to Lampre-Merida seems to have put that plan on hold for a while.
Furthermore, it's not inconceivable that Meintjes jumped ship because of Cavendish's imminent arrival.
In 2015, Smith's team became the first professional African team to ride the Tour and did so with five Africans on its roster. With Cavendish, Eisel and Renshaw coming in - and Meintjes going out - it looks like that's a stat that will not be replicated in a while.
Will someone like Pauwels get a chance to build on his performance and break into the top ten in a team built around Cavendish? Will a South African youngster - like Songezo Jim did this summer - get the chance to make his debut in the Tour? Would Meintjes have had the chance to continue his development had he stayed? It remains to be seen.
And in the meantime, Kittel - the man Cavendish has never beaten in a major head-to-head sprint - is filling the British sprinter's boots at Etixx, who themselves will welcome on board a new lead sponsor in European budget supermarket chain Lidl.
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Marcel Kittel of Germany smiles prior to the start of stage one of the 2015 Tour Down Under cycling competition in Adelaide on January 20, 2015
Image credit: AFP
After the season he had just had Kittel's arrival may seem as a large gamble - especially considering Giant-Alpecin were prepared to write-off the final year of the German's contract. But if the bequiffed 26-year-old can reproduce just a fraction of the form that saw him deliver eight stage wins in two years, then Etixx have an instant (and younger) upgrade on Cavendish.
All things considered, Cavendish remains one of the biggest names in the sport; his performances will hog the headlines and his arrival will guarantee invitations to every race in the calendar.
Through Cavendish, Dimension Data should easily be able to make the step up from Pro-Continental to WorldTour - if not in name then in spirit - especially with Deloitte now on board: a sponsor whose size and stature is unparalleled in professional cycling.
Regardless of results, Cavendish guarantees more exposure and more sponsorship opportunities. So while his arrival may upset the team's current dynamic and put their initial vision on hold, it could well provide a firmer foundation for the team going forward.
It's now up to Cavendish to prove that he and his new team have what it takes to be the Whole Foods to his former employers' Lidl. Every little helps.
Felix Lowe - on Twitter: @saddleblaze
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