Mark Cavendish turns up at local Isle of Man race, finishes 29th
Junior talents benefit from a Worldtour patron,
The Isle of Man’s Nick Corkill Memorial Race had a surprise last-minute entrant last month. His name wasn’t on any of the start lists, but there, signing on with everyone else, was Mark Cavendish, former world champion and 34-time Tour de France stage winner.
“When I turned up, I could see his bike, and that was the telltale sign,” says James Meakin, one of the day’s competitors. “It’s weird to see an elite pro like him, and his bike, outside a village hall, pinning on a number with all the amateurs. But there he was, chilled and casual like any other amateur road racer.”
According to one of the race organisers, Richard Fletcher, the plan was hatched just the night before. Cavendish, back home and recovering from a cold, messaged a racing friend to ask if he could ride. That request trickled back to Fletcher.
“I was at a party on Saturday night,” he says. “I messaged Cav back and said, ‘Bring your licence and bring 20 quid.’ And that was it.” Fletcher laughs. “He was like, ‘Cheers mate.’ And that was the exchange.
“Although we have to be quite strict with entry closure, we all sort of agreed that if it is a Conti-level rider or a Worldtour rider, we always put them in.
That’s the only slack we cut them. They rock up, pay their entry fee, and none of them complain about it.”
During the race, a 50-mile loop, Cavendish offered support to the peloton. “From the gun, he was very vocal with the other riders,” says 26-year-old Meakin. “There are a lot of junior cyclists who are potential future stars, and he was very good at getting everyone to work together and be cohesive.”
As the action headed into its finale, and Chris Lawless broke free from the bunch
“It was quite funny seeing him at the presentation”
to win, Cavendish eased up and rolled towards the finish. The results sheet shows he finished 29th, behind a host of promising juniors.
“It was quite funny seeing him at the prize presentation,” says Meakin, who finished 16th. “He was tucking into a brew and having a few bits of cake as well. Everyone knows him on a local basis, so it’s not quite the fanboy kind of response to him, but it’s always nice to see him.
“He’s done quite a bit for the cycling community here on the island, and it’s even nicer that it was the Nick Corkill Memorial Race, which celebrates a guy who was renowned for giving back to the cycling community.”