Originally Posted by
MinnMan
I'm not sure I understand your point. Sprinters aren't concerned with GC rankings.
Oh, I agree with what you're saying when it comes to today's standards! Not to take anything away from Cavendish, but I was only pointing out that the race has changed dramatically over the years. Tour leaders like Merckx and others of the day weren't as concerned with specialized skills as they are today. Rarely did you see the top sprint winners sitting near the bottom of the overall standings. For the most part, those guys just did it all and did it very well!