2013 Tour of Qatar (3rd-8th February), 2.HC

[cineteq]

Say what you want about cav but hes a great interviewee straight after races. Incredibly good at recalling exactly what happened even at 70 kph with riders everywhere

LOL. He always say the same thing. Nothing. Might as well pre-record an interview a year and play it in all races he wins.

 

[BlenJones2]

No he didn't actually say the exact same things. Yes he thanked his team, but whats wrong with that after they rode solidly at the front for seemingly the whole of the day. Im referring more specifically to his tactics in the last 2 kilometers and how he decided which wheel to follow. Its the same with the tour stage last yr when he talked about following freires wheel

 

[Ferminal]

Can't remember them being so slow with the results in previous years, sad to see things go backwards.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Can't remember them being so slow with the results in previous years, sad to see things go backwards.

them pesky internet thingies.

 

[Gubby Allen]

Anyone know what odds Markus was?

I checked them last night don't recall him being inside the 200/1 list. Well done if anyone had him each way.

 

[maltiv]

Geraint Thomas seems to have lost both his strength and timing when it comes to leadouts. Hitting the front with 3k to go when you have just 3 guys left (including the sprinter) isn't exactly a good idea!

Hopefully we'll get more wind later on in the race, else Cavendish will win this easily.

 

[theyoungest]

Geraint Thomas seems to have lost both his strength and timing when it comes to leadouts. Hitting the front with 3k to go when you have just 3 guys left (including the sprinter) isn't exactly a good idea!

Hopefully we'll get more wind later on in the race, else Cavendish will win this easily.

It was total chaos, that's not Geraint Thomas's fault. EBH was actually positioned pretty well in the final k, just not nearly fast enough.

 

[RHRH19861986]

Big surprise that Blythe didn´t even make Top10. After the first 2 stages and today´s intermediate sprint, I thought he´d be able to do at least Top10. Maybe problems with positioning?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Lots of teams believe they have a sprinter who can win a flat stage. Too much traffic, some of the minor guys are likely to lose positions here and there.

 

[UncleTupelo]

Big surprise that Blythe didn´t even make Top10. After the first 2 stages and today´s intermediate sprint, I thought he´d be able to do at least Top10. Maybe problems with positioning?

From his twitter. "Team rode great for Brent today!! Looking for the win today but lost position and it was all over. Gutted and ****ed off. #grrr"

 

[RHRH19861986]

From his twitter. "Team rode great for Brent today!! Looking for the win today but lost position and it was all over. Gutted and ****ed off. #grrr"

OK, explains a lot.

Concerning Cavendish, BTW, I think his shape is not so extraordinary as his two wins in San Luis and here seem to indicate. Out of Cav, Goss, Blythe, Greipel, Kittel, Degenkolb, Petacchi and other big sprinters, I´d see Greipel, Goss and Blythe on a similar level with Cavendish in the moment, Greipel being even a litte bit ahead.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

OK, explains a lot.

Concerning Cavendish, BTW, I think his shape is not so extraordinary as his two wins in San Luis and here seem to indicate. Out of Cav, Goss, Blythe, Greipel, Kittel, Degenkolb, Petacchi and other big sprinters, I´d see Greipel, Goss and Blythe on a similar level with Cavendish in the moment, Greipel being even a litte bit ahead.

Would be nice for you to give a reason for a view which flies in the face of the observable evidence.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

OK, explains a lot.

Concerning Cavendish, BTW, I think his shape is not so extraordinary as his two wins in San Luis and here seem to indicate. Out of Cav, Goss, Blythe, Greipel, Kittel, Degenkolb, Petacchi and other big sprinters, I´d see Greipel, Goss and Blythe on a similar level with Cavendish in the moment, Greipel being even a litte bit ahead.

Really?
Cav and Greipel are on a different level so far this season.
Everybody else are picking up the scraps.

 

[will10]

OK, explains a lot.

Concerning Cavendish, BTW, I think his shape is not so extraordinary as his two wins in San Luis and here seem to indicate. Out of Cav, Goss, Blythe, Greipel, Kittel, Degenkolb, Petacchi and other big sprinters, I´d see Greipel, Goss and Blythe on a similar level with Cavendish in the moment, Greipel being even a litte bit ahead.

OK so Cav gets beat by Modolo but wins two stages and one here, yet Goss and Blythe who have shown next to nowt are on a similar level? Sounds legit.

Greipel excepted as he always hits the ground running.

 

[BlenJones2]

Gotta agree. The way Greipel was winning in oz was ridiculous

 

[RHRH19861986]

Can´t really explain it result-wise, it´s just an impression. It even became stronger after today. Nothing against Markus and Kruopis, but I think Greipel, if positioning well, would have beaten them by five bike lenghts here.

Cav is not so dominant yet. Look what an effort Eisel did in the lat hour of the first stage, and still finished in front of him at the end.

 

[Pentacycle]

Can´t really explain it result-wise, it´s just an impression. It even became stronger after today. Nothing against Markus and Kruopis, but I think Greipel, if positioning well, would have beaten them by five bike lenghts here.

Cav is not so dominant yet. Look what an effort Eisel did in the lat hour of the first stage, and still finished in front of him at the end.

Please, this year's Cavendish is at least winning races instead of finishing dead last and crashing Down Under. Greipel is always taking stages in the early season, he has a much higher base level than any other sprinter. His peaks are therefore relatively low.

At the Tour Cav will be winning more than Greipel, Goss etc. He has way more class and better positioning, Greipel is nowhere without his train.

 

[RHRH19861986]

Please, this year's Cavendish is at least winning races instead of finishing dead last and crashing Down Under. Greipel is always taking stages in the early season, he has a much higher base level than any other sprinter. His peaks are therefore relatively low.

At the Tour Cav will be winning more than Greipel, Goss etc. He has way more class and better positioning, Greipel is nowhere without his train.

I actually have the completely other impression. Cavendish might be even on the decline. At least the gap between him and many others is beginning to get smaller.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I actually have the completely other impression. Cavendish might be even on the decline. At least the gap between him and many others is beginning to get smaller.

He's having his most successful early season in years.

You have completely ignored the point that was just made.

Even if you look at today's sprint objectively, he had no train in the last 2km and came from a long way back, sprinting at 300m to go, so to complain that he didn't jump off the front is to entirely miss the point.

You might want Cav to decline and Griepel to become dominant, but I'm afraid Cavendish is 3 years younger than Andre so it isn't very likely.

 

[theyoungest]

He's having his most successful early season in years.

You have completely ignored the point that was just made.

Even if you look at today's sprint objectively, he had no train in the last 2km and came from a long way back, sprinting at 300m to go, so to complain that he didn't jump off the front is to entirely miss the point.

You might want Cav to decline and Griepel to become dominant, but I'm afraid Cavendish is 3 years younger than Andre so it isn't very likely.

I think they sprinted into a headwind? That gave Cav some advantage, a bit like the sprint Chicchi did there a few years ago, from outta nowhere.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I think they sprinted into a headwind? That gave Cav some advantage, a bit like the sprint Chicchi did there a few years ago, from outta nowhere.

Yup, hence barry was holding station pretty effectively at the end - it wasn't a finish anyway was going to run away on.

 

[maltiv]

It was total chaos, that's not Geraint Thomas's fault. EBH was actually positioned pretty well in the final k, just not nearly fast enough.

That's not what I was saying either, just observing that G seems to have lost a bit of the timing and punch in the leadout which he used to have earlier.

 

[maltiv]

Can´t really explain it result-wise, it´s just an impression. It even became stronger after today. Nothing against Markus and Kruopis, but I think Greipel, if positioning well, would have beaten them by five bike lenghts here.

Cav is not so dominant yet. Look what an effort Eisel did in the lat hour of the first stage, and still finished in front of him at the end.

Cavendish probably cared so much about that 4th place

 

[sublimit]

if you mean by great interview, incomprehendable ramblings then yes. does the guy even speak english?

Lol, back to the language school for you I think.
Scouse accents are easy man you should hear Geordie..

OK for the thick people like Ryo amongst you I'll summaries what Cav says. - He lost his leadout guy due to him breaking a spoke and then spots ex teamate Luke Rowe and jumps on him and then gets dragged up curtsey of Sky, wins then thanks teamates etc etc..

 

[Peccio89]

OK, explains a lot.

Concerning Cavendish, BTW, I think his shape is not so extraordinary as his two wins in San Luis and here seem to indicate. Out of Cav, Goss, Blythe, Greipel, Kittel, Degenkolb, Petacchi and other big sprinters, I´d see Greipel, Goss and Blythe on a similar level with Cavendish in the moment, Greipel being even a litte bit ahead.

Greipel certainly looked stronger then Cav so far, but it is very early in the season and Greipel always performed better in this period. On the other hand what have Blythe and Goss shown to be considered on par with Cav? Goss was humiliated by Greipel in down under, and Blythe doesn't even have a top 10 finish yet.
Cav and Greipel are way far ahead of the other sprinters at the moment, and i think it will remain so all season long.