“That was one of the best things I’ve ever done” Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish joined a host of World Rally Championship drivers, including eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier for a scenic bike ride through the stunning Greek countryside ahead of the WRC EKO Acropolis Rally Greece.
By Andrew Threlfall, Photos by Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool
Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, in the legendary The Godfather: Part III, said it best:
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”
And that’s exactly what ‘Cav’ did this summer. Sir Mark Cavendish if we’re going to be formal, amassed his record-breaking 35 Tour de France stage wins a couple of months ago. Hebbonair followed the sport’s reigning superstar on a different kind of stage this week as he joined FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) stars at the EKO Acropolis Rally Greece.
Arguably the greatest cyclist of all time swapped his usual terrain for the WRC’s 10th round, based in the central Greek city of Lamia. The Isle of Man native spent time with some of the sport’s top talents, gaining a unique perspective into the high-adrenaline world of rallying.
On Wednesday (4 September), Cavendish joined a host of World Rally Championship drivers, including eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier for a scenic bike ride through the stunning Greek countryside. Cav then switched from two wheels to four, strapping into Ogier’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid for a high-speed shakedown ride.
“That was one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Cavendish enthused after his rally car experience. “The similarities are actually striking [between rallying and cycling]… anyone who drives a car thinks they can drive a rally car and anyone who rides a bike thinks they can ride the Tour de France, but when you see it up close and you see what they do, it really sets the best apart. Seeing the best drivers in the world – not the best rally drivers – the best drivers full-stop, doing what they do was an amazing experience.”
“I think the most important thing for both rally and cycling is the fans – they are part of the stage, and they can get as close to the action as possible. That’s what’s special, that’s what’s humble and that’s what keeps it real in these sports.”
EKO Acropolis Rally Greece officially began in a lovely temperate September heat and featured 15 demanding stages spanning over 300 kilometres of competitive action and showcases iconic WRC tests such as Tarzan and Aghii Theodori.
The Greek Gods as well as the late summer sunshine certainly shone down on the event and left us all wondering what next for Cav? He doesn’t seem the type for Strictly or I’m A Celebrity just yet does he?
Find out whats next for Mark Cavendish on his website here
Follow all the thrills of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) here
David Millar tells how the story of his life leads him around the world chasing yellow glory. Read the next chapter here
