Boasson only guy who can beat Cav for the green jersey

[blackcat]

I think Boasson is the only guy who could beat Cav for the green jersey at the Tour.

If Theo Bos, and Hushovd worked for Haussler, he could also, but there is no chance that Haussler gets to sprint for himself.

Only way Boasson wins, is by taking points when Cav misses the field sprint or the intermediate stages.

 

[Parcours]

I dont think EBH will target green this time around. Thats not to say he couldnt but for me I believe it will be best for him to look to get into breakaways and win from smaller groups. This Tour will be about learning and with Columbia and Cav making green a major target for the season it will be putting undue pressure on EBH for him to try to take it off them.

But saying all that is it possible that in terms of top end speed he is in the top 5 in the world?

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I think Boasson is the only guy who could beat Cav for the green jersey at the Tour.

If Theo Bos, and Hushovd worked for Haussler, he could also, but there is no chance that Haussler gets to sprint for himself.

Only way Boasson wins, is by taking points when Cav misses the field sprint or the intermediate stages.

and Cav gets penalized and relegated

I dont think EBH will target green this time around. Thats not to say he couldnt but for me I believe it will be best for him to look to get into breakaways and win from smaller groups. This Tour will be about learning and with Columbia and Cav making green a major target for the season it will be putting undue pressure on EBH for him to try to take it off them.

But saying all that is it possible that in terms of top end speed he is in the top 5 in the world?

I'm almost positive EBH said green is a goal of his. I might be wrong.

He could certianly make a case for top 5.

 

[theyoungest]

He's finally won a stage, and look: opportunism reigns. I remember someone saying last week that Chicchi would be Cav's main threat this season.
Is EBH at the same level as Hushovd? I don't think so.

 

[hektoren]

and Cav gets penalized and relegated




I'm almost positive EBH said green is a goal of his. I might be wrong.

He could certianly make a case for top 5.

You're right!

As I wrote under another thread:

If you read norwegian, here's one interview with Edvald where he mentions the green jersey: http://mobil.tv2.no/sporten/sykkel/e...n-2902955.html
For the norwegian-challenged people out there, here goes a rough translation:
Edvald takes on Hushovd for the green jersey in 2010.

Edvald Boasson Hagen may go for green in next TdF.
Thor Hushovd outsmarted Cavendish in this years TdF in the battle for the green jersey.

- "Ive shown that I can sprint well. "
Next years' tour can see two norwegians battling for the green jersey.

- "It's possible, as there's a new competitor to Thor on the circuit", laughs Edvald Boasson Hagen.

Hardly something to laugh at, though.

- "I've shown that I can sprint quite well, and I'm often better in the hills than the pure sprinters", says Boasson Hagen to TV 2 Sports.

- "Challenger for the green jersey in 2010."
Scott Sunderland, in Team Sky, is full of praise for his norwegian super-talent, and thinks he can be a challenger for green in 2010.

- "He will be the new challenger next year. He's got what it takes", says Sunderlandl

 

[hmronnow]

I think Boasson is the only guy who could beat Cav for the green jersey at the Tour.

Cavendish still hasn't won any green jersey. Last year it was won by Thor Hushovd.

 

[maltiv]

I'm almost positive EBH said green is a goal of his. I might be wrong.

He could certianly make a case for top 5.

You are wrong, but he has said that is is possible that he might be a contender.

It is not a goal (yet), and I hope it never will be...

 

[ingsve]

Is EBH at the same level as Hushovd? I don't think so.

EBH is certainly quicker than Hushovd and would probably beat him in a one on one sprint 7-8 times out of 10. Hushovd is alot more experienced at bunch sprinting though. Up until recently EBH has been very uneasy in bunch sprints but from the 2nd half of last year plus with the great help from his team mates in Sky he has become a little more secure in his bunch sprints.

 

[hektoren]

You are wrong, but he has said that is is possible that he might be a contender.

It is not a goal (yet), and I hope it never will be...

Nitpicking, are we? What he hasn't mentioned as a possibility is the yellow jersey
So if the yellow jersey is out of the question, and the green jersey isn't a goal, which jersey would be his goal, exactly? The white?
And why do you (as to the green jersey as a goal) "hope it never will be"?
He has shown numerous times that he "can" sprint, he does a very passable TT, and he can collect intermediate sprinter's points. But he's not a pure climber, and hence not a candidate for the yellow jersey. The logical conclusion would be to go for green.

 

[Cerberus]

Nitpicking, are we? What he hasn't mentioned as a possibility is the yellow jersey
So if the yellow jersey is out of the question, and the green jersey isn't a goal, which jersey would be his goal, exactly? The white?
And why do you (as to the green jersey as a goal) "hope it never will be"?
He has shown numerous times that he "can" sprint, he does a very passable TT, and he can collect intermediate sprinter's points. But he's not a pure climber, and hence not a candidate for the yellow jersey. The logical conclusion would be to go for green.

The White Jersey is only marginally more realistic than the Yellow, but why would he need to target a Jersey? He might go just for a stage wins.

 

[TRDean]

Cavendish still hasn't won any green jersey. Last year it was won by Thor Hushovd.

I gotta agree here...Cav has never even won the green...give me a break already!! It will be a good competition...but acting like Cav is the far and away favorite is really short sighted!!

 

[hektoren]

The White Jersey is only marginally more realistic than the Yellow, but why would he need to target a Jersey? He might go just for a stage wins.

Sure, a stage win or two is very realistic, but I suspect he's aiming for more than the odd stage-win. Don't forget, he was the no.3 highest ranked rider at the end of last year.

 

[ingsve]

Nitpicking, are we? What he hasn't mentioned as a possibility is the yellow jersey
So if the yellow jersey is out of the question, and the green jersey isn't a goal, which jersey would be his goal, exactly? The white?
And why do you (as to the green jersey as a goal) "hope it never will be"?
He has shown numerous times that he "can" sprint, he does a very passable TT, and he can collect intermediate sprinter's points. But he's not a pure climber, and hence not a candidate for the yellow jersey. The logical conclusion would be to go for green.

You're missing one alternative. Not going for a jersey in the Tour at all.

I too hope that the green jersey won't be a goal for EBH. I can't speak for maltiv but when I mean by that is that I hope EBH won't simply focus on being a bunch sprinter which is what it would take to realistically have the green jersey as a goal.

I would prefer that he also improves his climbing a little so that he can be a force in thougher races than simply flat stages and early spring classics.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

No one could beat Cav last year also...

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I gotta agree here...Cav has never even won the green...give me a break already!! It will be a good competition...but acting like Cav is the far and away favorite is really short sighted!!

You do realize the only reason Thor won Green was because of Cav's relegation? It cost him 14 points; Thor won Green by 10 points. It's not a given that Cav wins the jersey (nothing in the Tour is a given), but he is by far the favorite, no question.

 

[Cobber]

I don't think Cav will win that much this year. He had a fantastic year last year, but it'll be tough to match it this year. Columbia's train might have a bit more competition, Cav might get injured, sick or something else. I agree with the OP about EBH, however. if he wanted to go for green, he would have a good shot at it.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I would prefer that he also improves his climbing a little so that he can be a force in thougher races than simply flat stages and early spring classics.

²
genre bettini.

 

[taiwan]

Boasson Hagen hasn't won a stage of the Tour yet, has he? It would seem that stage wins would be a more appropriate first target. The green jersey seems like something he could contend for but I don't really know how strong or weak a climber he is (he'd have to be climbing better than Cavendish to collect the points on harder stages). What about holding the yellow jersey for the first few stages, that could be realistic, if he rides a good prologue.

 

[maltiv]

You're missing one alternative. Not going for a jersey in the Tour at all.

I too hope that the green jersey won't be a goal for EBH. I can't speak for maltiv but when I mean by that is that I hope EBH won't simply focus on being a bunch sprinter which is what it would take to realistically have the green jersey as a goal.

I would prefer that he also improves his climbing a little so that he can be a force in thougher races than simply flat stages and early spring classics.

Yup, this. Don't want him to become yet another boring bunch sprinter.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

What about holding the yellow jersey for the first few stages, that could be realistic, if he rides a good prologue.

Yellow jersey for the first few stages is for Boonen

 

[kurtinsc]

I gotta agree here...Cav has never even won the green...give me a break already!! It will be a good competition...but acting like Cav is the far and away favorite is really short sighted!!

The more guys that enter with the idea of winning green, the more likely Cav will win it.

Last year in the tour Cav didn't finish behind anyone in any group he made it to the finish line with. Thor was able to win due to Cav's relegation, a breakaway with intermediate sprint points, as well as making it to some finishes with sprint points available where Cav was not present.

The more "climbing sprinters" that are there fighting for those kind of points... the easier it is for Cav if he shows the same dominance in the group finishes.

Cav is by far and away the favorite. He literally was never beaten in a group spint in the tour last year. It took a decision by the officials to keep him from winning green... not the ability of another rider.

 

[BYOP88]

Boasson Hagen hasn't won a stage of the Tour yet, has he? It would seem that stage wins would be a more appropriate first target. The green jersey seems like something he could contend for but I don't really know how strong or weak a climber he is (he'd have to be climbing better than Cavendish to collect the points on harder stages). What about holding the yellow jersey for the first few stages, that could be realistic, if he rides a good prologue.

No he hasn't, but that could be due to the fact he hasn't rode in a TdF yet(Someone picking him to ride it in ProCycling Manager doesn't count).

 

[hektoren]

The more guys that enter with the idea of winning green, the more likely Cav will win it.

Last year in the tour Cav didn't finish behind anyone in any group he made it to the finish line with. Thor was able to win due to Cav's relegation, a breakaway with intermediate sprint points, as well as making it to some finishes with sprint points available where Cav was not present.

The more "climbing sprinters" that are there fighting for those kind of points... the easier it is for Cav if he shows the same dominance in the group finishes.

Cav is by far and away the favorite. He literally was never beaten in a group spint in the tour last year. It took a decision by the officials to keep him from winning green... not the ability of another rider.

Cav tried to cheat by trying to drive Hushovd into the fence, got caught and was relegated even before Cervelo made an official complaint. Cav's own stupitidy kept him from winning the green, the officials just went by the book. Implying that the green jersey was snapped off a deserved winner by stupid officials takes a loyal fanboy with blinders.

 

[taiwan]

No he hasn't, but that could be due to the fact he hasn't rode in a TdF yet(Someone picking him to ride it in ProCycling Manager doesn't count).

Could be...

 

[ingsve]

The more guys that enter with the idea of winning green, the more likely Cav will win it.

Last year in the tour Cav didn't finish behind anyone in any group he made it to the finish line with. Thor was able to win due to Cav's relegation, a breakaway with intermediate sprint points, as well as making it to some finishes with sprint points available where Cav was not present.

The more "climbing sprinters" that are there fighting for those kind of points... the easier it is for Cav if he shows the same dominance in the group finishes.

Cav is by far and away the favorite. He literally was never beaten in a group spint in the tour last year. It took a decision by the officials to keep him from winning green... not the ability of another rider.

Except for stage 6 to Barcelona where Hushovd won and Cavendish was further down in the peloton at 16th.

As for the relegation, it's impossible to tell what would have happened if Cav hadn't been relegated. The standing in the point competition would have been different for the remaining stages so the way they all acted would also have been different.