Bench Cav, bring Greipel next year.

[SaftyCyclist]

They all go in knowing where the green jersey points are awarded, it's up to Columbia & Lampre to stop Hushovd taking the intermediate sprints, they've not done that, so big Thor has the jersey, for now.....
I like it, it makes it more interesting, you can be a sneaky jersey winner, but it takes more than just physical prowess, Hushovd is playing it smart to his best abilities, just look at the polka dot winner, is he the best climber, or somebody forced to animate stages to get points, makes watching the Tour really interesting, so many competitions going on at once.

 

[Faserr]

what?

Greipel is nothing at all like McEwen... he's a good sprinter, but he#s really nothing special at all without the Columbia train

Look at his vuelta stage wins and the giro stage win.
Which train? He didn't have one.
He had a small one at the beginning of the giro but there he was sick. He won three out of his four vuelta stages without any train and his giro stage win was also without a train.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yes it's daft these top sprinters not turning up to races they could easily have won.

Yup. And all for really stupid reasons, like being taken out and put on the shelf by a motormouthed Manx jackass causing a pileup.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

yup. And all for really stupid reasons, like being taken out and put on the shelf by a motormouthed manx jackass causing a pileup.

+1.000.000 :d

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Well I think that Greipel doesn't need a lead-out train, he is like McEwen but younger and with more speed... Greipel wants the oportunity to be in The Tour and fight the sprints... also he can always follow Manxman's wheel and try to kill him in the final meters...

hmm isn't mcewen a small kind of pocket sprinter that finds a gap almost everywhere and greipel a huge gorillalike godzilla?

 

[Mambo95]

Obviously my post had a high content of silly nostalgia and shouldn't be taken at face value, but even then, that year still had Tom Steels winning several sprints, and Kirsipuu and McEwen making it too. Cipollini was the best sprinter of that era, but he didn't win all goddamn sprints.

Yeah, I know what you meant really. There's often been a dominant sprinter in a single Tour, but not three years in a row. This is unprecedented. Cav joins Merckx and Le Greves as the only riders to have won four stages in three consecutive Tours.

Being British, I love it. We used to pretend McEwen was British because he had a Brit passport.

 

[Ryaguas]

Look at his vuelta stage wins and the giro stage win.
Which train? He didn't have one.
He had a small one at the beginning of the giro but there he was sick. He won three out of his four vuelta stages without any train and his giro stage win was also without a train.

+100 very complete answer

hmm isn't mcewen a small kind of pocket sprinter that finds a gap almost everywhere and greipel a huge gorillalike godzilla?

Yeah but we are talking about skills... and Greipel, I don't know but, He is sort of like McEwen...

 

[flicker]

Lol, I couldn't agree more. Cav's terrible. He's just lucky.




Seriously though, I think it's a shame that they include sprint points in mountain stages. It's ridiculous that the green jersey can be won because you can climb better than the others.

Sorry it is a tradition.

 

[taiwan]

Grepel like McEwen? I always thought McEwen is, like Freire, a 'ninja' type sprinter who requires no support, but miraculously turns up on the best wheel. That's not how they do things at HTC: three guys is probably 'minimal support' there. Also, there has been some suggestion (from Cav) that his positioning isn't always that great. Don't know how seriously to take that.

In any case I'd like to see what he could do. He certainly deserves his opportunities.

 

[Nearly]

+100 very complete answer



Yeah but we are talking about skills... and Greipel, I don't know but, He is sort of like McEwen...

Chalk and cheese I am afraid. One is clever and elusive, the other powerful; one is a will o' the wisp, the other winds up like a freight train even if he reaches the speed of an express train; one is lightening, the other the whole storm.

As for their personalities - well again chalk and cheeky.

 

[Ryaguas]

I always thought McEwen is, like Freire, a 'ninja' type sprinter who requires no support

I LoLed BIG TIME with this!!!!!!

A Ninja type sprinter!!!!!! hahahahahahahaha I love that definition! describes exactly the kind of sprinter that McEwen and Freire are!!!

 

[Nearly]

Grepel like McEwen? I always thought McEwen is, like Freire, a 'ninja' type sprinter who requires no support, but miraculously turns up on the best wheel. That's not how they do things at HTC: three guys is probably 'minimal support' there. Also, there has been some suggestion (from Cav) that his positioning isn't always that great. Don't know how seriously to take that.

In any case I'd like to see what he could do. He certainly deserves his opportunities.

.... if Robbie is a ninja then *** is a teenage mutant ninja turtle, often on his back! Yes it would be great to see him firing at the Tour and other major races - it would be great to see he and Cav head to head.

 

[SpartacusRox]

But seriously, Columbia are all about the train, Cav's just an ordinary sprinter with a great set up, he couldn't free lance himself if he had to.


On another note, anyone not named Mark must feel seriously embarassed to call themselves a sprinter after that.

Pleased to see this mountain raiding schtick is not going to fly for Thor this year, go Pettacchi (until his exploits are in the clinic...)

This is the sort of post that can really come back to haunt you eh?!

You could really see how ordinary he was today as he gapped the others like they were standing still.

 

[lagartija]

I LoLed BIG TIME with this!!!!!!

A Ninja type sprinter!!!!!! hahahahahahahaha I love that definition! describes exactly the kind of sprinter that McEwen and Freire are!!!

yeah i agree that sums it up fairly well.............
but i cant agree on greipel, he works best off the wheel of his team, he also like it fast in the run in, the man is crazy fast no doubt, but i dont think he has the pop cav has now or robbie 4 to 8 years ago

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

This is the sort of post that can really come back to haunt you eh?!

You could really see how ordinary he was today as he gapped the others like they were standing still.

It's called sarcasm, and it was posted immediately after today's stage...

 

[step23]

I hope that Greipel will change the team next season. Maybe Sky is the option. Would love to see the Cav vs Greipel duel.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I hope that Greipel will change the team next season. Maybe Sky is the option. Would love to see the Cav vs Greipel duel.

There isn't a cats chance in hell of sky taking Cav's potential main rival in an effort to beat the main British success story.

 

[step23]

There isn't a cats chance in hell of sky taking Cav's potential main rival in an effort to beat the main British success story.

too bad, then this team should be Milram following your logic. just other sprinter teams seem to have major sprinters and Milram? will they be able to provide a good lead out train?

 

[who dat]

Seriously though, I think it's a shame that they include sprint points in mountain stages. It's ridiculous that the green jersey can be won because you can climb better than the others.[/QUOTE]

green jersey is points competition not sprinters comp. the only reason that the sprinters are dominant in the green jersey is because all the big points are awarded on the easier stages

 

[simoni]

Cavendish isn't the only sprinter to have a train. The difference with Cavendish is that when he's set up he nearly always finishes it off. The other sprinters don't do that - Cavendish is the top dog - not doubt about it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

too bad, then this team should be Milram following your logic. just other sprinter teams seem to have major sprinters and Milram? will they be able to provide a good lead out train?

Milram doesn't even have a sponsor yet for next year and will probably be disbanded

 

[hiero2]

ya.

Anybody who thinks Cavendish is ordinary need their eyes examined. Or brain.

Yah!

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters. --- So I put this in.

Seriously, tho, I don't see how Cav comes in as ordinary in any year. The man is extraordinarily gifted, and one can find examples of him winning without the train in every year.

 

[runny hunny]

You know, I'm gonna chuck this in about cav... i'd stake my house on him winning tomorrow... and you would have to be clueless if you can't recognise he is, for now, numero uno... but...

1 - does he not need to learn that humility, even for one as dominant as he is, is de-riguer in cycling ? What's all this subtle sledging *** he engages in ? It ain't cricket, really...

2 - i doff my cap to every victory he clocks up but is it not inching towards being a bit boring... which neatly leads me to...

3 next season... a re-vitalised greipel and hopefully a few others dare to stand up and be counted ?

comments ? dying to hear 'em...

 

[RedheadDane]

How about Greipel to Garmin? Now that would be interesting in the HTC-Garmin feud...

 

[Eyeballs Out]

How about Greipel to Garmin? Now that would be interesting in the HTC-Garmin feud...

I don't think Farrar needs another lead out guy tbh