Tour de France 2019 news - Rolf Aldag incensed by Mark Cavendish omission, could quit Dimension Data
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ByEurosport
Updated 06/07/2019 at 14:28 GMT
Head of performance at Dimension Data Rolf Aldag has been left so incensed by the decision to omit Mark Cavendish from their Tour de France squad that he is considering his position within the team, according to reports.
Rolf Aldag so incensed by Mark Cavendish omission, on cusp of quitting Dimension Data
Image credit: Eurosport
The 'Manx Missile', who has amassed 30 Tour stage wins, has appeared at every race since making his debut in 2007 but was cut from the eight-rider squad this week.
Cavendish, 34, has struggled for form after being diagnosed with Epstein-Barr syndrome in 2017 but had shown signs of recovery in recent weeks, finishing 22nd at the British National Championships in late June.
The decision means Cavendish misses the world's biggest cycling race for the first time in 13 years, and while he expressed his disappointment at the decision on social media, he added he would “be supporting my team-mates with all I have, wishing them safety and success in France.”
Team principle at Dimension Data Douglas Ryder told assembled reporters ahead of the Grand Depart that the decision was a “team decision”, only to be immediately contradicted by Aldag, who, according to reports, was insistent that Cavendish was included in the eight-man squad.
“Mark is a legend of the race,” said Ryder. “It is sad for the race that he’s not here. We took that into account and spoke to the organisers. We selected a team based on the route and how hard it is this year. It was a team decision.”
Aldag believed, according to Tom Cary of the Telegraph, that Cavendish was in similar shape to the 2016 Tour, where he won four stages, and that Ryder overruled him. The rift has been so severe, Cary adds, that the team had to deny that Aldag had left the team.
“There’s no secret about it,” Aldag said. “I wanted to have him here and I think he would have suited our strategy but ultimately it was a team owner decision.
“It’s within my responsibility to select a team and I called eight names and Mark was included.
“The team owner has the right to overrule me, which he did.”
With additional reporting from agencies
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