Originally Posted by
jim_pridx
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!
It is more strategic now - and faster. I would not expect the same Merckx to do as well today. Everyone is faster and his "help" would realize more than a few sanctions in current racing.
Merckx was over 40 years ago and stimulated to ride differently. It is hard to compare.