Mark Cavendish takes 194mph “absolute beast” SUV for drive around Isle of Man (after ‘close pass’ photo op), as “car enthusiast” Manx Missile named Aston Martin ambassador; Pogačar’s “zone zero” hangover focaccia ride with F1 star + more on the live blog

For some reason, Britain’s cycling stars have a long history of acting as ambassadors for car firms (see Chris Hoy and Chris Boardman’s involvement with Lotus) or promoting the latest fuel-guzzling, oversized SUV (David Millar’s divisive decision to show off his new Ineos Grenadier last year springs to mind).

And today, Mark Cavendish has joined both of those illustrious clubs, after the self-admitted car enthusiast was handed the keys of Aston Martin’s new “ultra-luxury performance” SUV for a quick spin (emphasis on quick) around the Isle of Man, to celebrate his appointment as the British sports car brand’s first ever Global High Performance ambassador.

With retirement seemingly looming after his record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win in the summer – though nothing’s written in stone just yet, of course – Cavendish’s first foray into the post-cycling world will apparently see him make use of his “unparalleled speed on two wheels” (which Aston Martin must reckon is a transferable skill) to help expand the brand’s presence in international sport and “shine a spotlight on its class-leading performance cars”.

Which explains why the former world champion was tootling around the Formula One grid and chatting with Martin Brundle last week in Singapore, then.

According to Aston Martin’s press release, Cavendish’s “deep understanding of high performance makes him a true one-of-a-kind and will play a key role for Aston Martin”.

The Manx Missile’s ambassadorial role will also apparently enable Aston Martin to “tap into Cavendish’s knowledge to continue building on the high performance culture within the brand whilst bringing insight from the world of high performance competition into the brand’s product and marketing plans and will represent the company at selected events.”

And to mark his latest involvement with a sports car brand (though it’s fair to say the McLaren partnership while at Bahrain didn’t work out too well), Aston Martin shipped over to Cavendish’s home on the Isle of Man their brand-new DBX707, which the British company describes as the “supercar of SUVs”.

According to Aston Martin, “with a top speed of 194mph, the blistering DBX707 is a fitting match for Cavendish, who drove the car for the first time on the famed roads of the Isle of Man, synonymous with two-wheel speed.”

Now, I’m no expert, so maybe someone with a more in-depth knowledge of Top Gear will enlighten me, but why does a SUV need to have a top speed of 194mph? Is there a school run version of Formula One I don’t know about?

Nice to see Cav keeping it to a sensible 32mph

Anyway, at least they painted it to match Cav’s Tour green jerseys (kind of).

Along with the mandatory photos of Cav posing inside and outside the car, they even conducted a rather menacing photo shoot that made it look like the DBX707 was being driven by an impatient motorist, travelling very closely to the 39-year-old’s back wheel, furious that the fastest sprinter in cycling history was holding them up:

And to make things even more realistic, Aston Martin included a close pass pic for good measure (though I imagine Cav could be the one doing the overtaking in that particular shot).

Oi mate, 1.5 metres!

Anyway, Cavendish said he’s “excited to get stuck into his new role” showing off unnecessarily large cars.

“I’ve long admired the brand’s dedication to pushing boundaries, and now, to be part of that drive for peak performance is a unique privilege,” Cav said, in a statement that was definitely written by him, and him alone.

“For a car enthusiast like me, it really is a boyhood dream come true to represent the iconic Aston Martin wings. Together, I believe we can achieve something truly remarkable.

“I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the DBX707, it’s an absolute beast, handling the twists and turns of the Isle of Man with ease. They’ve even fitted it with a bike rack for me!”

Classic.

Two years ago, you may remember, TV’s Amanda Holden made live blog headlines and angered cyclists across the UK by claiming, live on Britain’s Got Talent, that people who ride bikes with cameras were “asking for trouble”.

Holden’s comments came after ‘comedian’ and BGT finalist (and eventual winner, apparently) Axel Blake delivered a shockingly awful, obvious, and unfunny anti-cycling rant as part of his winning route, complete with references to “spiked shoes” (no idea), “spandex”, the Tour de France, and cyclists hating drivers cutting them off. Yes, it was that bad.

> Britain’s Got Terrible Cycling Takes: Amanda Holden says cyclists with cameras are “asking for trouble” after BGT contestant performs anti-cycling bingo comedy routine

Following Blake’s abysmal anti-cycling bingo performance – greeted with whoops of laughter from the probably delirious or possibly drugged-up audience that would still apply to watch that Ant and Dec-fronted rubbish – Holden, acting in her ‘talent judge’ capacity (I don’t get it either), couldn’t wait to join in on the fun.

“The whole cyclists thing, I’m so with you,” she said. “Why do they wear the cameras? They’re asking for trouble already!”

So, imagine our surprise when, fast forward to 2024, we found out that the very same Amanda Holden is taking part in a 250-mile cycle for charity. It’ll be 250 miles over five days, but still.

Yes, next week, the Heart Breakfast presenter will ride from her mum’s house in Bude, Cornwall, to Heart’s studios in London’s Leicester Square, taking in Somerset, Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Surrey long the way, to raise funds for Heart’s charity, Global’s Make Some Noise, which helps fund vital projects delivered by small charities tackling issues such as mental health, poverty, and homelessness.

“I can’t quite believe that I’m going to be cycling over 250 miles from my mum’s house in Cornwall to London for Global’s Make Some Noise – it’s a massive challenge!” Holden said in a statement announcing her latest challenge, which gets underway on Monday.

“I’m told it’s not going to be particularly flat so I’m gonna have buns of steel by the end of this! Knowing that every mile I cover will help raise funds for those local projects providing a lifeline directly to those who need it most is what will keep me going. Plus, I’ll get the nicest Cornish sendoff from my mum with a big cuddle!”

Anyone looking to donate to Global’s Make Some Noise should head over to heart.co.uk for more details.

Fair play to you, Amanda – but maybe a week spent cycling on British roads will open your eyes as to why some cyclists choose to wear cameras.

Let’s just hope she hasn’t been getting tips from Simon Cowell, anyway…

It turns out Tadej Pogačar isn’t the only world champion who’s been celebrating over the past few days.

Yesterday, 2021 champion Elisa Balsamo got married to former pro and track rider Davide Plebani, in brilliantly colourful and classically Italian style, and with Italy’s cycling royalty gathered in attendance.

Elisa Balsamo and Davide Plebani got married today with the best and brightest of Italian cycling in the audience

The likes of Consonni, Alzini, Guazzini and Confalonieri were certainly all there and I'm sure plenty more too pic.twitter.com/9lqCOCbeUz

— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) October 1, 2024

Nice touch by Balsamo to celebrate the return of a women’s version of Milan-Sanremo for 2025 by having her wedding resemble the colourful smoke-fuelled chaos of the Capo Berta.

Though I’m sure I can hear Carlton Kirby right now grumbling about the tifosi waving those pesky flares right in the riders’ faces as they try to make their way down the aisle.