Boasson only guy who can beat Cav for the green jersey

[42x16ss]

Now if Robbie is back this year, we may see some real relegation, none of that sissy Cav riding Thor into the boards stuff.

I think that Cav needs a good headbutting to put him (and some of his fans) back in their place. If you are going to get relegated do it properly I say!!!

 

[ingsve]

I think that Cav needs a good headbutting to put him (and some of his fans) back in their place. If you are going to get relegated do it properly I say!!!

Ya, where is Tom Steels with his water bottle?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I dont think he will match Kelly in green jersey wins, cavendish is too much of a problem for that.

Classic wins, and a possible vuelta, you never know.

Paris - Nice, i dont think anyone will ever match Kelly on that one. But as far as classics goes which is what people really remember kelly for, I think EbH can match him..

9 stages into his season and miles from form:
1st Stage 3 Tour of Oman
3rd Stage 2 Tour of Oman (took over race leaders jersey)
2nd Stage 1 Tour of Oman
3rd Stage 5 Tour of Qatar
1st TTT Tour Of Qatar (wore leaders jersey)

He's not doing bad.. Imagine when he comes into "Form"

nothing in EBH's climbing perormances has ever suggested he is capable of contesting at a GT, let alone win one. Not much chance of that happening IMO (from what i've seen)

learn to walk before you leap.

 

[Glockers]

You could probably add Laurent Jalabert into that category as well....

I was thinking this as well as Stuart O'Grady as I read through the thread. O"Grady has obv become a domesitique but he was never a pure sprinter, he could have been a half decent climber if he wanted to.

 

[ergmonkey]

How about we resist the urge to compare EBH to a uni-dimensional rider like Cavendish? EBH could roller-ski his way around a full-length TdF TT faster than Cav could ride the course on a proper TT rig. When Cav rides his first Paris-Roubaix, Boonen will be half an hour into his annual strippers and coke victory bender before Cav spots the velodrome on the horizon.

For those who are having trouble identifying rider types:

Pure Sprinters = Cavendish, Petacchi

Badass Hardmen = Edvald Boasson Hagen, Tom Boonen, (Sean Kelly)

Easiest Monument Parcours = Milan-San Remo

 

[Big GMaC]

When Cav rides his first Paris-Roubaix, Boonen will be half an hour into his annual strippers and coke victory bender before Cav spots the velodrome on the horizon.

Word on that.

If EBH is going to win Green at the TdF he will have to go for inters and finishes that Cav won't reach, he is fast, but not Cav + Columbia fast. I doubt he will have the train he is getting in these Middle East Tours as they will be saving men for Wiggo's GC ambitions

 

[cotterpin]

waaah

I am looking forward to the McEwen/Cav. battles on the road and in the media.(Mr.C may I introduce to my headbutt ,perhaps you'd like some barrier to go with that?)
The funny part will be when neither of them gets the green jersey.

 

[Anonymous]

nothing in EBH's climbing perormances has ever suggested he is capable of contesting at a GT, let alone win one. Not much chance of that happening IMO (from what i've seen)

learn to walk before you leap.

I dont think so either, it was possible, and it was direcly quoting from sean kellys palmares, in that kelly won lots of classics and a vuelta.. I wasnt saying he would, i was saying fom kellys palmeres they are the only possibilities to be on par with the great man.

In other words, of all the wins on kellys palmares only the classics and a vuelta are things that EbH could ever equal him on, and that the latter of those was only a possible.. i never said (and dont think) he will..

learn to read before you leap.

 

[movingtarget]

Boasson Hagen

He is a great young rider but I see him as more of a stage winner or classics winner. Similar to Devolder or O'Grady. I think the usual suspects will fight out the green jersey probably minus McEwen who is starting to slow down and Boonen who may just go for stage wins ? I think Cavendish, Hushovd, Farrar will fight it out for the green jersey with possibly Steegmans and some of the Italian sprinters also showing through. Haussler and McEwen will possibly win a stage. McEwen will be motivated after plenty of recent injury problems.

 

[blackcat]

look at Cancellara. Wins a pretty weak climbing Tour de Suisse. Boasson will go uphill better than him. The Columbia physiologists said he could win the Tour if he comes in 3 kilos lighter.

 

[blackcat]

He is a great young rider but I see him as more of a stage winner or classics winner. Similar to Devolder or O'Grady. I think the usual suspects will fight out the green jersey probably minus McEwen who is starting to slow down and Boonen who may just go for stage wins ? I think Cavendish, Hushovd, Farrar will fight it out for the green jersey with possibly Steegmans and some of the Italian sprinters also showing through. Haussler and McEwen will possibly win a stage. McEwen will be motivated after plenty of recent injury problems.

Strongarm said he thought Devolder could win the Tour. I know whose opinion I would defer to.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I dont think so either, it was possible, and it was direcly quoting from sean kellys palmares, in that kelly won lots of classics and a vuelta.. I wasnt saying he would, i was saying fom kellys palmeres they are the only possibilities to be on par with the great man.

In other words, of all the wins on kellys palmares only the classics and a vuelta are things that EbH could ever equal him on, and that the latter of those was only a possible.. i never said (and dont think) he will..

learn to read before you leap.

haha touche I didn't mean that final quote for you, but rathe ebh, but t'was a good return, sir I applaud you

I think it is harder in modern day cycling to repeat a "kelly" career. Though I do see him contesting in the ardennes somewhere down the line, though he needs to improve in the hills too.

 

[Four Winds]

Easiest Monument Parcours = Milan-San Remo

Yeah, technically correct. But you almost make 300km in 6&3/4 hours sound like a piece of cake!

Sometimes the anti-fanbois can be just as blinkered?

 

[karlboss]

EBH won't finish high enough in bunch sprints consistently, with Sky looking after wiggins, to be a threat. He has the talent, but i don't think he'll have the support. I see him more chasing stages. Competition...hushovd. Can't really see anyone else. Haussler if supported over hushovd. Boonen, but I think he'll work on getting just one stage and maybe the yellow early. Farrar isn't fast enough, Robbie isn't anymore.

 

[theyoungest]

look at Cancellara. Wins a pretty weak climbing Tour de Suisse. Boasson will go uphill better than him. The Columbia physiologists said he could win the Tour if he comes in 3 kilos lighter.

I really don't see him ever following Contador or A. Schleck or even someone like Gesink up the Alpe d'Huez. That's just not gonna happen.

 

[zapata]

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.

Do you think Haussler could regularly beat Cavendish in the flat sprints, given a good leadout, or do you reckon he could win green by finishing high, and taking points when cavendish is not around, like hushovd last year? I don't think it matters who cervelo chooses to lead out, hushovd or haussler, can't see any of them ever being better than second best when cavendish is there.

Have actually heard some people argue that bos is as fast as cavendish, over a short distance, if he's actually around at the end of the stage. Don't know about that either, but intriguing.

 

[zapata]

I really don't see him ever following Contador or A. Schleck or even someone like Gesink up the Alpe d'Huez. That's just not gonna happen.

EBH won't finish high enough in bunch sprints consistently, with Sky looking after wiggins, to be a threat. He has the talent, but i don't think he'll have the support. I see him more chasing stages. Competition...hushovd. Can't really see anyone else. Haussler if supported over hushovd. Boonen, but I think he'll work on getting just one stage and maybe the yellow early. Farrar isn't fast enough, Robbie isn't anymore.

Two consecutive posts, the first about hagen's chances of climbing with contador, the second about him challenging cavendish for green. I think you're both right, he won't win neither green nor yellow, and the fact that it's even discussed, speaks about the degree of hype.

Personally, I'm very excited about hagen, but a little worried that many are expecting too much from him. Me, I'd be more than happy if he wins a couple of monuments, and dozens of minor races and GT-stages..

 

[ergmonkey]

Yeah, technically correct. But you almost make 300km in 6&3/4 hours sound like a piece of cake!

Sometimes the anti-fanbois can be just as blinkered?

No, not a "piece of cake." M-SR is still a monument and a very tricky race to win. My point was that comparing across disparate rider types is always a waste of time. I may have made that point facetiously, but I'm not stupid enough to think that any pro race--let alone a race that every pro wants to win (including my favorite, still unsuccesful, Tom Boonen)--is a piece of cake.

Besides, I recognize that Cav is the greatest pure sprinter in the world, and I don't try to chalk it all up to drugs or any of the other "anti-fanbois" nonsense excuses. But let's face it: a short, chubby, ugly, lousy-interviewing upstart deserves to be made fun of no matter how good he is!