Geraint Thomas MYTHICAL Leadout for Mark Cavendish | Giro d'Italia Stage 21 2023

Lanterne Rouge presents highlights of stage 21 of the Giro d'Italia 2023 where Mark Cavendish took his first win for Astana Qazaqstan.
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Credits:
Footage | RCS Sport, IMG and Amaury Sport Organisation
Photos | Cor Vos (unless stated otherwise)

[@georgepace9797]

At some point will you cover older stages of the grand tours? Would love a breakdown of Froomes massive solo attack at the giro

[@wanderalmeida9584]

Nice pick 🙌

[@thomasbeasley3271]

Yes please

[@blocheadz]

Thermonuclear LT vids back for the off season!

[@jasonjohnson9072]

That’s been done to death. “He did a Landis” is everything you need to know.

[@egornikitin9787]

Yasssss I’d love to see that epic feat too

[@gungadin406]

Geraint Thomas was in tears at the end when Cav got the 35 th win today. Astana has been proved right and deserve this credit as well.

[@sateshmahadeo4366]

Will never forget this. Cav was awesome, as expected, and G just showed such class. In an post-race interview, G was asked about it and he said he look to his left and saw Cav and he thought, "[why not] help a brother out?".

[@Maggie_n_Mitch23]

When your mate who's not your team mate shout's over his shoulder '' Come on Cav '' !! He knew , , he was the equivalent of Great White on a bike ? First there gets the First chomp 🤔, , , and was he starving 🚴‍? Not Half 🌗 🥰

[@lolcat9744]

Absolutely it was the right decision to extend him, if he breaks Merckx record at the TdF it'll be in an Astana jersey for all time. All the pictures of him breaking the record will have Astana on his chest and live in cycling immortality. Definitely worth a roll of the dice with this.

[@padmanabhaprasannasimha5385]

And he did.

[@velcrohead8589]

A decision that has aged like fine wine.

[@spiderelc]

G's just such a class act, he really is.

[@holliefitzzz]

in ice hockey we call this type of player "a real beauty"

[@Pharmdfancy]

Shoutout to those who came to rewatch this after Cav won his 35th stage of the TDF

[@desfoley6335]

Ha ha! That's why i'm here

[@velcrohead8589]

👋

[@andreduplessis6215]

🎉

[@alastair7399]

Me too! 😂😂😂🎉

[@joshhidalgo2588]

Here!

[@michaelhall5297]

100% the right decision to offer him an extension

[@TheMonsterPool]

Mørkøv and Cav next year will be very exciting.

[@santiagobenites]

Exactly. Astana has now been able to get a few good leadout guys on the roster (Kantner, Ballerini, and Morkov), so Mark will have the best chance possible to go for that record winning stage victory.

[@scott4868]

G and Wiggo to Astana. Renshaw back on the bike. It’s like a heist movie where all the old thieves get back together for one last job. I need this!

[@mjcohnmd]

While Renshaw might be a stretch, could G going to Astana be a potential reality??? I’m far from well informed on these matters but it seems to me that to some degree G suffered with excess crashes this past year and short of retirement might he appreciate in the twilight of his career a gig where he could use his immense talent to be part of this historic “heist.” He would be super fresh at the end of the flat sprint stages and he could leisurely hang out with Cav in the grupeto on the mountain stages socializing about old times. Possible…???

[@santiagobenites]

@@mjcohnmd Thomas just signed for two more years with Ineos. People were just joking around here 😉

[@independentmind1977]

I never get sick of watching this man takes stages! What a legend! Cheeky calling out the reporter LOL he’s had his run ins with the media.

[@elsonboles]

I'm a novice, so your commentaries are so illuminating. And this one was heartfelt. Wish you had a playlist of material breaking down racing strategies...

[@wanderalmeida9584]

G and Cav 2 legends 🙌

[@Pshady]

Great to finally see the full footage of the lead out, all the highlights I saw made it look like a 3 second pull. Also the analysis was perfect

[@NielsDeBoeck]

G is so a nice guy, I LOVE him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Wouteri]

Excellent analysis. The way he searches, finds and holds Milans wheel is also very nice. He made all the right the decisions. Years of experience all come together in this sprint

[@roberteastwood6937]

G and Cav! Great to re-watch that beautiful combo! And Cav thanking him 😄

[@Olimorveu]

If Cav wins a Tour stage next year, that's my yearly cycling wishlist completed. Growing up with seeing him dominating with HTC Highroad, taking the record would be a fitting end to the career of a legend of his caliber.

[@naj114]

Your wish is granted sir 😉

[@Olimorveu]

@@naj114 It was. Amazing!

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Geraint Thomas is already a cycling bad ass, this beautiful move makes him moreso.

[@NielsDeBoeck]

G is so a nice guy, I LOVE him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@derfx89]

Thanks for the recap, I honestly never fully understood what the big deal was with the G leadout. It all makes much more sense now 😊

[@noahmiller91]

AND HE DID IT! Imagine if G hadnt done this, we might be celebrating 3rd July 2024! Small acts can have hige impacts (not that Gs act here was small!) Well done Mark. Hero.

[@RSChris1980]

Great to see this video appear again, but even better with a full breakdown of the last few km’s. I watched this unfold and was on the edge of my seat until the finish! Nice work

[@spanishlefty]

I've been watching you for years and never commented. One of your best videos. Keep on the great work.

[@RHP9898]

Lovely gratitude in the interview at the end.

[@marksmithWAH]

I said it at the time and it has remained true to this day “best moment of the 2023 season”. Thanks for your excellent content and analysis.

[@xx765]

Cavs have been in very decent shape in the past few years. Almost never the top favorite and definitely in the mix in the flat sprint stages. Somehow no team really wants him for the likely one stage win in the TdF and the huge amount of attention that comes with it. I would speculate that Cavs has got this funny sponsorship deal situation that makes it too difficult?

[@lordofdiamand6839]

He is on astasna for 24

[@fanda6122]

he makes way too much money for most teams is the problem. even if he takes a pay cut there's a certain amount he's owed in any contract

[@raemichaelbasbas1213]

Whatched that head move live. Knew something was cookin and kept my eyes glued on the screen for something special to happen. Didn't disappoint

[@cookiecrumbler79]

Love these videos, nobody does better breakdown of sprint stages, even better than blokes that have won them. 👍👍

[@Nozes..]

Fantastic ending to a memorable Giro. Even if Cavendish doesn't break the record, he's already the best.

[@davidmitn1816]

I think its definitely the right decision. Even if this doesnt work out with the TdF record Astana are still benefiting a lot marketingwise of it. Its putting a lot of attention on Cav and Astana

[@darthdowty]

This was my favourite moment of the giro, seeing it again put a massive smile on my face.

[@jedibusiness789]

A worthy smile😊

[@camillelively]

I'm a month behind, but this was excellent, thank you so much for this commentary. LR is the best cycling commentary on the internet, hands down.

[@PolarRed]

If he does get number 35 they're going to have their Brand plastered front and centre on what will be one of the most iconic sporting photos of all time, well worth the investment.

[@bobmatthews151]

That's what mates do!!!!

[@mototaco2132]

When G did that head move to Sanchez.... it was game on for Cav... great analysis

[@DPbike]

Beautiful to watch and beautifully described

[@emf6621]

Touching to see Cavendish hug G after. Looks like the victory really mattered to him!

[@garth8912]

One of coolest moments and finishes of the year. Nice part of bike racing. Thanks for vid.

[@fernandog.aguirre2791]

Geraint Thomas just a gentleman! and MC a misil o wheels!

[@MarvinWestmaas]

I don't know if he will get his final Tour victories, but I sure will be rooting for him. I think he's deserving of the chance, and I hope he get's it done.

[@VIEultimate]

He has good chance now, with some of his previous lead-out men now in Astana as well. A lot of his 2023 sprints have been without a good leadout but he's still doing well. Might not be as powerful as the new kids, but he's still fast enough.

[@MarvinWestmaas]

He just needs to be in the right place at the right time, with no one being just a bit earlier at the right place, at their right time. But yeah he's still close, and he has so much experience which should help with his positioning mainly. I hope Morkov will pull him toward at least one more TdF victory, he certainly is the guy who we would expect to be capable of it. There were two major let downs this year, both have been riders who were rumored / considering ending their professional careers. But both Mark, and Robert ( Gesink ) both decided to not make me feel old, vulnerable and mortal by 'prematurely' ending their careers. @@VIEultimate

[@g_y.rtz420]

Wow. Im so glad i came back to this sport. The 2010s was the era i watched and eventually life got hectic and i stopped watching. While it's the new generation that pulled me back, it's so nice to see the guys from back then rip it in this day and age. That interview at the end, cav seemed unsure about giving credit to people other than his team but wow Im glad he did. G is a class act and both him and cavendish are amazing being able to hang with these monsters of the current gen, despite their age. I am so glad i got pulled back into this sport like wow. I cant believe cycling can give me so much excitement and joy and this whole slew of emotions that i cant comprehend.

[@drewcama2488]

He will win! With one good lead out! Mark Cavendish will be remembered as the greatest sprinter of all time. He has guts and He doesn't give up even though sport directors have. Monumental crashes and set backs and loss of good teams he doesn't stop trying and proving his abilities. Shame on Eneios/Sky shame on Dekunic Quickstep. Shame on the UCI! Why cant I get a Mark Cavendish team jersey with his name and number on it?

[@wilsonrobb10]

Just an outstanding analysis. Well done man

[@sir_skullduggery4777]

never forget the 2021 TDF final stage where Cav was boxed in AND in the tour this year when his gears slipped when he appeared to grab a victory ahhhh so hard

[@rebeccabertrand3335]

I'll never forget that. G being a thoroughly decent human being, Cav still being the smartest sprinter around. I've loved hearing them both speak about that stage. I'm so happy Cav got another year and more support, including Renshaw as DS for the boys. Thanks LR for letting me easily watch this again 😍

[@peterneumann7145]

We are all talking about the possibilities of Cav doing it but he also has to complete all the tough mountain stages beforehand. Nice guy , he deserves it .

[@kevinmcclenahan]

Heck yes that was amazing of G to lead out Cav, I don't think the press understand how demanding and competitive the sport is, and you've got 2 guys that have stayed at or near the top of the sport for over 2 decades and more. It made me tear up when I saw that and confirmed what great sportsman these guys are to each other and to the new guys coming up, who do you think teaches the new guys coming up in the sport? Cav and G Thomas deserve all the props and respect. It is irritating that the press does not know the history of the sport and who these guys are to the sport and to the world. Step it up press!

[@alexmorgan3435]

A++++. Great analysis.

[@sergiodemichele6295]

I always support older guys, when competing against youngsters: being at the end of your career makes defeats far more bitter, 'cos there's less and less time to redeem yourself

[@harveyofclapham]

In the peloton, as in every pro sport, the next generations come of age and there are inevitable changes if the guard. I too will always support the genuine, experienced and passionate competitors who might be past their prime but continue to work and fight on in the face of sensational young talent challenging for their spots. I hope Cav can continue to rage against the dying of the light and give us one more. Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill. ;-)

[@markmitchenall5948]

That he wants to go for it, fit and healthy, see no reason why there isn't at least one or more TdF stage wins in him. Thanks for bringing up this sprint again. Was emotional. I wonder how many other 'mates' going to help him out.

[@Isaacbikker]

1:10 looks pretty cool (bini and phillipsen)

[@neilbathe]

Funniest part for me is when Gee takes the front, not only does he melt Gavirias train, the whole rest of his team (who are supposed to protect him) are trying to work out WTF is happening, so Gee melts them too!

[@ThisIsModus]

100% can't wait to see him go for it next year with some decent lead out riders this time around

[@shema02]

Astana didn't decide to give him another year or two, Cav decided to not retire for another year or two.

[@THECONTROVERSIALCYCLIST]

G is the most underrated rider in the Giro and thatbwas done I think that with a so so team around him. A 2 fingers up at the doped winner in the Giro as well. I think he was robbed of overall victory of the Giro, and an achievement of 2 Grand Tour Titles... This was pay back in helping Cav

[@nicolarossi4563]

Ballerini-Morkov-Cav should be enough to Win at the Tour

[@claudiocampuzano7364]

Don’t forget Schelling and Kanter! Astana didn’t have enough time in 2023 to build a team around Cav after the B&B collapse. They are making good and I think he will too!

[@OnlineFox29]

Could you please do Amstel Gold 2019?

[@craigraeside5706]

My heart tells me Cav can do it. The strength of the field and tactics will dictate the reality. I believe Vino understands the vision of what that unbreakable record actually represents once it is achieved. His signings tell us that so do management. Cav was flying last year in different types of races. I believe he wants this more than anything, despite the way he's always downplayed the hype. Can the greatest sprinter in history move the dial of exceptionalism one more increment? Into a headwind set by Father Time. I wouldn't bet against it. I think he'll train even harder because he knows he's so near the end. I believe he will win 3 stages of Le Tour De France and stand alone on the podium of greatest sprinter of all time, forever. The nature of the sport is constantly changing and unlikely to see his kind of dominance or longevity again.

[@independentmind1977]

Don’t forget personality and heart! I don’t see any of these qualities in the new blood in the peloton.

[@julen2380]

@@independentmind1977 Personality and heart, absolutely! Cav and G both. And I do hope that Cav breaks the record. Three stage wins - not sure how realistic that is but it would be so incredibly awesome and so well deserved!

[@independentmind1977]

@@julen2380 indeed, gotta wait and see how his fitness levels are, he usually really struggles on the mountain stages…but with the right people pulling him up, who knows.

[@louisrobert339]

G!!!! WHAT A TRUE LEGEND

[@foldupaudi7645]

Love this

[@NeilXDavis]

Even if he doesn’t get the TDF stage it’s gonna be a brilliant story - we need subplots they all add to the enjoyment. Plus hopefully Cav will get to finish the tour on his terms - just a shame there’s no champs finish!.

[@JeremySchultz]

I had missed this one...wow, when Cav is on he is unbeatable. Total no-brainer to sign him again, particularly given Astana's UCI ranking.

[@deathkampdrone]

Let's be honest, it was great to see Mørkøv and Cav do their thing on stage 4 of Tour Colombia. What an exciting side plot for the 2024 season. Oh, and G always comes off as a great lad. Absolute legend.

[@radicala246]

this is beautiful

[@acme181169]

I predict Cav will break the record ☺️

[@bejo-108]

With Morkov there for Cav they will be a great team

[@mgrant6607]

100% right decision, Cav still has it. This also made GT my favorite GC rider until he retires, what a class act.

[@AlbertBuckinghamEllison]

Honestly, how poetic would it be if all the Brit riders formed a secret plan to lead out Cav in the next TDF sprint stage, regardless of teams. Make it happen boys.

[@chriswitek9455]

i think he can do it, i also think sans mechanical he wins that tour stage. with the addition of an actual leadout especially morkov his positioning will be much better into the final few kms. not that i sprint at that level but that is my preferred way to end a race and i know how much more confident i am following guys i know to be good strong safe wheels to follow over the guys who maybe arent quite at that level. i often say it to my buddy i ride with frequently, i will happily sit right in your draft and not need to see a thing because i trust you to lead at all times. cav gets that again with morkov, confidence is a huge thing for a sprinter. he knows hes got his families support, the team as a whole, his fellow riders, and probably more then half the cycling world supporting him as he chases the wins record. will he? remains to be seen, the tour is such a demanding effort where everyone is peaking. but you gotta love the guys determination and passion for it. he could have, and was going to, retire happily. to still be keen on just another year shows how much he really loves the sport. a lot of people do it, but to have zero guarantees and still pour everything into it is pretty special. i hope he gets it, maybe even 2 for good measure

[@CelixFat]

G for Giro next season? I hope so.

[@Takbir2025]

ASTANA POWER TEAM 💪💙👈

[@Duncanclarkeiii]

In 30 years of watching racing, that's my favourite moment, get on my wheel! After he just lost. So much class!

[@gohumberto]

Cav never forgets the hard work of others. Kudos for Astana for supporting Cav when other teams didn't have faith. It paid of for them both. Cav for #35 and Astana for the publicity images.

[@BikeLifeandChill]

Lets go!

[@NielsDeBoeck]

INEOS Grenadiers!!!!!!!!!!

[@vinniamsterdam700]

That thumbnail shows both his gratitude and how much it means to him.👍👋

[@goofymanden26]

best moment in cycling

[@kieron88ward]

The fact that G had the legs to do this after competing GC for 3 weeks is impressive.

[@rdc5041]

They got nothing to lose keeping cav. I mean look at all the publicity around it and imagine he does get that record I imagine the sponsors would be very happy with that image of him celebrating going all around the world and probably coming back up every time someone talks about the record.

[@easternbrown]

Definitely worth a punt. If he sets the record in an Astana jersey the team will be remembered for years to come.

[@sahrealsound]

I reckon he’ll do it !!!

[@davidos3825]

Yes he will!

[@Ryyann1997]

It was right to extend if they’ll back him with the support team

[@tubbytoast2]

I hope he wins races next year, but some how if he doesn't get that tour win that would be good , two completely different rides from different times seems great to be equal with the record

[@benfinesilver2250]

Unbelievable… never give up folks

[@alexmorgan3435]

Geraint was the star here. You can see Cav was so grateful. Don't see why Cav would stay with Astana as they have been useless at supporting him in the sprints unless it was a condition of his extension that Astana would get him some good lead out riders so he could actually be at the front to win. We shall see. Great that he's still riding.

[@lamf4846]

Not really a lead out by G, but Cav's sprint was devastating.

[@MaxxerG]

He made it

[@bk34563]

Astana also signed Vasi from Quickstep to coach him again like in 2021, Merckx record is confirmed broken next year, you heard it here first.

[@ellipticalsoul]

Cav's still got te explosive speed, I think it's definitely worth it for Astana

[@amc5966]

Yes he will. And he will hug Geraint Thomas again when he wins his 35th stage of the TDF.......joking aside - this was my favourite ever Cav win.

[@bjarnestrand-henriksen]

Right decision. Now he got G and Mørkøv as lead outs in the tour

[@baldyslapnut.]

Cav will set the sprinters dial to '11' if he and Astana pull off a TdF stage victory. He must be rehearsing the salute already, he's left nothing to chance all career. LR's analysis of that moment could be worth a watch too.🙏

[@flyboy5168]

YES ! Cav just need 1 win in the TDF to put his name in history books !

[@newttella1043]

If Cav wants to be racing, he'll give us a show!

[@rumpwrangler1102]

Hope Cave can get in The Tour next year and get that win

[@FootyX_editszzz]

Thats Long time ago

[@jony7779]

Hello sir we would like to see top 10 thermonuclearear climbs of 2023, thank you

[@TellusJD]

Where are your top 10 climbing performances for 2023 you have done it for all earlier years as far as I can see? Have you stopped caring, since Jonas is dominating? It was this that made me interested in your channel along with general watt analysis of riders and stages, I feel like this was what made your channel take off.

[@aGhost0o]

Such a wholesome moment from Gee, really made me smile when I saw him do it. Cav was made up :)

[@willaherne2879]

From a business perspective its a no brainer, we'll be watching clips of him getting the record on his own for the next 30 years or more with sponsors names all over him.