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2015 Tour de France: Stage 2: Utrecht › Neeltje Jans (166k)

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Re:

Ludwig's Olaf said:
Quit blaming Cavendish. The natural order of the TdF is Cancellara in yellow during week 1. Natur allows minor infractions like the result of the first stage, but has ways to restore order asap.

This could be very well truth, given the relative improbability of the way things developed. :eek:
 
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PeterB said:
King Boonen said:
PeterB said:
King Boonen said:
If Tony wanted the yellow jersey he should have won it in the first stage. You know, the TT, his speciality.

Blaming Cav for Tony not getting the jersey is beyond stupid.
I disagree. If you have task to defend 3rd place from Cancellara, and you fail due to subjective reason, then you are to blame. That's after all the core of the debate - did Cav fail due to genuine inability to outsprint Cancellara, or did he just give up trying?

His task was to win the sprint, expecting a sprinter to evaluate what's happening and apply it in the split second they look across and notice they are losing is crazy. I think he probably did give up, because that's his mentality, but I don't think he was thinking "sod Tony, I can't win so I'm not trying" as many here seem to be implying, I think he was purely thinking "I've lost so what's the point in wasting energy". In the split second where it mattered I doubt he even thought about yellow.

The fact remains that if Tony had performed in his specialist discipline he would have been in yellow. He got beat so he wasn't, he only has himself to blame for that. For people to then try and blame Cav is stupid. Both of them failed to perform, Tony probably because the course didn't quite suit him, Cav because his lead-out dropped him off too soon and he was never going to beat power sprinters like Greipel and Sagan from that distance on the front. That's not his fault, even losing isn't his fault, that's just how racing works.

It's a shame for both of them, I like both riders and would also like to see them both perform this Tour and in future Tours.

Again disagree. If he was not aware of implications of finishing 3rd ahead of Cancellara, then it is a complete lack of situational awareness which can not be excused, and for which he should be blamed as well. His task should have been finishing on the highest possible podium position whatever the circumstances, and that is what he failed to do (if we admit that he gave up).

How much of this blame is on the DS not stressing this enough on the radio, we don't know.

I saw an interview with Lefevre this AM. He said they radioed at least 10 times to 'watch Cancellera we can take yellow'. Cav is just to selfish to pay attention to anything but himself IMO.
 
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Armchair cyclist said:
IndianCyclist said:
Armchair cyclist said:
The essence of professionalism is to prioritise what is necessary above what would otherwise be ordinary practice or normal reaction.

Cavendish was incredibly unprofessional.
I donot think he was.
I doubt that when he was sprinting the thought of losing entered his mind at all. He was picturing himself winning easily against the Gorrilla and Sagan and Martins yellow jersey does not enter into the picture at all. I

Precisely: his thought process was a total failure to prioritise what was important. To not let the team's main goal enter into his mind is the epitome of unprofessionalism.

You seem to agree with my premise, but not the inevitable conclusion.
Yes his primary objective was to win the stage. I think that is what tried overconfidently though.
 
Aug 4, 2010
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The Hitch said:
Hope Quintana bleeds time here so he has to go full Froome in the mountains.
rm7 said:
Pricey_sky said:
Oh *** Nibali crash, I don't mind riders losing time in crosswinds but I don't want crashes

Can you imagine a whole year again, this time with "Contador/Froome only won because Nibali crashed and Quintana couldn't follow in the crosswind" :cool:
Good quotes now :D
 

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