Cancellara should leave leopard trek

[roundabout]

Let's put some very good riders - Hayman, Vansummeren, Vanmarcke, Roelandts, Quinziato, Cooke etc in the break and then chase them down so that chances of victory for most teams would actually go down (except perhaps for BMC).

Apart from not being able to drop Hushovd Cancellara did everything right.

 

[M Sport]

Let's put some very good riders - Hayman, Vansummeren, Vanmarcke, Roelandts, Quinziato, Cooke etc in the break and then chase them down so that chances of victory for most teams would actually go down (except perhaps for BMC).

Apart from not being able to drop Hushovd Cancellara did everything right.

Mostly right, he tried to go across at the right time.

Where he went wrong was sitting up and throwing the hissy fit, it was game over after that. I guess a Leopard really can't change his spots. He seems to have a thing about spitting the dummy at other riders when in a break or thinking he's the patron of the peloton.

 

[Cimber]

Apart from not being able to drop Hushovd Cancellara did everything right.

He might have but his team sure didnt. And this again proves that cycling is a team-sport.

The only other Leopard rider to finish the race, Mortensen, criticises the team tactics:
http://spn.dk/cykling/article2397393.ece
(its in Danish so use google translate)

 

[Magnus]

Well on paper it's decent support, or at least not much worse than at Saxo Bank last year ... it's maybe just that no one noticed last year since he didn't need any domestiques.

I think it's fair to say that Matti Breschel helped him a great deal last year (in both RvV and PR).

 

[Cimber]

I think it's fair to say that Matti Breschel helped him a great deal last year (in both RvV and PR).

+1

In PRB he had to abandon not far after Arenberg due to knee-problems, but otherwise u are spot on. Esp in RVV. And Høj was also a good helper in PRB.

Anyways, its not only about the strenght on paper imo its also the fact that he way they (ab)used the team early in the rave was really bad tactically. (Leopard rider Mortensen also criticises the team tactics)

 

[thehog]

Apart from not being able to drop Hushovd Cancellara did everything right.

Everything right?

Attacking 40km out was nuts. Especially after what happened at Flanders. No Tom Boonen and he still attacked with 40lkm to go! That’s just stupid. Sure follow an attack but to attack and play your cards. Right you are he wasn't going to find out who was going to work until he played his hand. By Cancellera doesn't need to know. No one would be able to follow him within 10km to go. No one. Instead he let a very fresh Thor and Ballan sit on his wheel for 40 minutes. Pointless. Sure attack make them chase and sit up but to time trial for 40 minutes tiring yourself out was just plain pointless. It showed he didn't have a tactic. The spat at the Garmin car was more about the lack of ideas than Thor and Ballan. He thought he could ride everyone off his wheel but he couldn't. Surely he had a plan B? Everyone in the peloton knew exactly what he was going to do. The art of a successful attack is surprise.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

On paper the riders that Leopard have should make up a good enough team to support Cancellara on the cobbles. O'Grady, Klemme, Weylandt and Posthuma should be good enough to do the job required

Cancellara and management got their tactics wrong consistently and egos seemed rule over intelliegence

- there was no need to win E3 in quite the devastating style that he did
- I don't remember them giving any of their other riders any license to go up the road in the two classics
- if you attack 40-50k from home you need to assess how many riders are going to be chasing
- stopping the chase yesterday pretty much guaranteed the loss when Hushovd and Ballan refused to be drawn. At that point there are two options :- throw in the towel or keep going and give yourself a chance

They'd have probably got away with all of this if he'd not been 5% below what he was last year

 

[Ferminal]

Everything right?

Attacking 40km out was nuts. Especially after what happened at Flanders. No Tom Boonen and he still attacked with 40lkm to go! That’s just stupid. Sure follow an attack but to attack and play your cards. Right you are he wasn't going to find out who was going to work until he played his hand. By Cancellera doesn't need to know. No one would be able to follow him within 10km to go. No one. Instead he let a very fresh Thor and Ballan sit on his wheel for 40 minutes. Pointless. Sure attack make them chase and sit up but to time trial for 40 minutes tiring yourself out was just plain pointless. It showed he didn't have a tactic. The spat at the Garmin car was more about the lack of ideas than Thor and Ballan. He thought he could ride everyone off his wheel but he couldn't. Surely he had a plan B? Everyone in the peloton knew exactly what he was going to do. The art of a successful attack is surprise.

I agree. If he didn't destroy the bunch you would think that collectively they would have edged closer to the break. I don't think he was as worried about the break as he was Hushovd and the others with him. Maybe he didn't want to leave it too late, and wanted to attack to at least soften them up.

You have to say though that it was the wrong decision at the time. From that point on it was doubtful that he could win. Either drag Thor to the front and fold to him, or sit back and let someone from the break take it out. In the end he managed second, which was a good result from the position he was in. But the earlier attack and lack of a strong team killed off his chances of victory.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

He might have but his team sure didnt. And this again proves that cycling is a team-sport.

The only other Leopard rider to finish the race, Mortensen, criticises the team tactics:
http://spn.dk/cykling/article2397393.ece
(its in Danish so use google translate)

Cool. In Danish, the winner was Johan Van Buzzer. Tbh the google translate didn't really convey what Mortensen's criticism was.

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder how the race would have panned out if Leopard Trek had a guy in the Hayman, Van Summeren, Quinziato group?

Big mistake by Leopard. You need to put a man in the break on days like these.

 

[Cimber]

Cool. In Danish, the winner was Johan Van Buzzer. Tbh the google translate didn't really convey what Mortensen's criticism was.

Basically he criticised that the team was told to work from km 0 to keep everything together and thereby wearing ppl out

 

[Benotti69]

How much time did Canc lose talking to the Garmin car? 30 Secs??? How much did he lose the race by 19 secs. go figure.

 

[Angliru]

I think it's a shame when a team that has an overwhelming favourite for cobblestone races doesn't provide him with reliable support.

I also think that Cancellara should try hilly classics now as he has nothing left to prove on the cobbles. However i doubt that the team management would agree.

What is overtly different about his support from last year to this year is that his teammates just don't have the same form as last year, primarily O'Grady. Is he recovering from a prior injury that would make his form less than what it should be for such a key event?

 

[B_Ugli]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-marked-out-of-paris-roubaix

I think Cancellara is turning into a whinging bighead.

Listen mate as a pro you should understand that cycling is a team race, and the only thing that matters is getting a member of your team over the line first. Unfortunately your team dont work as a team and provided you are going well they place all their faith in you which clearly isnt working as you have lost two classics as a result.

You might be the strongest but it means nothing if riders not as strong as you have better teams, options and use their riders carefully.

Dont show off, just cross the line first.

 

[Cimber]

What is overtly different about his support from last year to this year is that his teammates just don't have the same form as last year,

And that he doesnt have Breschel with him. And that the team tactic was a bit weird this year (blowing up the team way too early)

 

[Tom T.]

Cance is undoubtedly the strongest guy in the peloton. But ever since he neutralized that stage in the Tour last year, I think he's also become the biggest whiny b**ch in the peloton.

Yeah, it sucked for him yesterday with Thor and Ballan riding his wheel but his biggest problem was not having a teammate in the break. He shouldn't expect guys to help chase down a break with their teammates in it. Isn't that Bike Racing 101?

 

[la.margna]

I like and dislike different aspects of Riis and of Cancellara.

As for how Cancellara abused Saxo Bank at the end of last season, there was no explicit buy-out clause in Cancellara's contract, but Cancellara made it clear by uncooperative and uncharacteristically unmotivated behavior that he was no longer willing to honor his obligations to ride for Saxo Bank. Riis flew to Spain specifically to meet with Cancellara, but FC quit the race early to avoid having to face Riis at the time. The clear message was that FC was no longer willing to deal/ride with Saxo Bank, even if his contract said he still had to. Eventually Riis brokered a deal for FC's release rather than forcing a sourpuss to stay on board.

This link hardly tells the whole story, but will at least get you started:

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/5717/Fabian-Cancellara-buys-himself-out-of-Saxo-Bank-contract.aspx

The clear message was also that they will build a team around Contador for GT's. So why stay when all your friends leave? Get a life. Would you or Bijarne acted differently had you been in this situation? Stuey, Voigte, Schlecks, etc. all leave? Seems you are just bitter

And Riis got his revenge with Flanders, so let's shut down and foregt this old uninteresting topic.

Stuey instead of puncturing in the first group (like E3) to bridge and nobody would discuss anything today and Garmin would still be the losers. But sometimes small things make a big difference. And is now as it is. The strongest can't always win and that's also good so. And Superman alone can't do it neither, you still need a team. Thinks two good conclusions from the cobbled fiesta.

 

[thehog]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-marked-out-of-paris-roubaix

I think Cancellara is turning into a whinging bighead.

Listen mate as a pro you should understand that cycling is a team race, and the only thing that matters is getting a member of your team over the line first. Unfortunately your team dont work as a team and provided you are going well they place all their faith in you which clearly isnt working as you have lost two classics as a result.

You might be the strongest but it means nothing if riders not as strong as you have better teams, options and use their riders carefully.

Dont show off, just cross the line first.

I just don’t understand. I really don’t care what he’s saying post race but it’s the way he’s racing. He’s frustrated I understand. But the aim is to win the race not attack from 40km out show you strength and expect everyone to work with you. Every team has different objectives. You can’t rely on the other teams or riders. You have to focus your team getting you to the line in first. Cancellera should have won both Flanders and Roubaix. He knows that as well. But you can’t try the same tactic over and over again. People wake up to it and won’t let it happen. He should have sat and waited. The attacks would have come. He should have let Garmin, Sky and whomever chase them down if he had no team-mates. Fabian could ride anyone off his wheel. So he should have waited to the right moment. Not from 40km where he knew there were GMC and Garmin guys up the road. That’s why they put them there. Fabian its about using your head not always your legs – its 80% mental. They laid you a trap and fell straight into it. Now with all this talk they’ve already know how to wind you up and they’ll keep following you until you blow yourself up. Try a new tactic. If you can’t beat them join them.

Again back to Lance. I hate him. Most here do but Armstrong never would have tried an attack from 40km out. Never ever. He knew he had 5km of top wattage in him and used it when it counted – to cross the finish line first. Fabian should do the same. He'd win 58 Flanders and Roubaix's if he did.

 

[indurain666]

He does have a lot of support at his current team, I heard F. Schleck gave him a camelbak while A. Schleck took him out for drinks after the race.

It was his choice.

It should be interesting to see him fetching water bottles and riding tempo on the flats at the TDF

 

[movingtarget]

As others have noted, he was so dominant last year and after not winning Flanders, you knew he would try something extreme. Considering how strong he was at the finish and the minimal gap to the winner, he still had his chance to react earlier and ride down the winner. Van Summeren was great but Cancellara still would have caught him. Strange race but the antics were understandable. This is no different to being the hot favourite in any other race. He had his chance, he can't blame anyone else.

 

[Christian]

He had his chance, he can't blame anyone else.

And he doesn't ...

“I knew it was going to be difficult for me to win,” noted Cancellara. “I knew everybody would be watching me, and I knew I would need to attack to win. I knew there really was no other way. I understand the tactics of Ballan and Hushovd, and I respect them”

http://www.leopardtrek.lu/news/fabian-cancellara-second-paris-roubaix

 

[Angliru]

And that he doesnt have Breschel with him. And that the team tactic was a bit weird this year (blowing up the team way too early)

Definitely no Breschel with the form he had last year would have made a difference. Likely Breschel would've been in that group with JVS.

I have to agree not having Riis in his ear made a difference. Riis obviously has some motivational and tactical prowess that is often discounted and/or ignored by many in this forum and the media.

 

[Christian]

Definitely no Breschel with the form he had last year would have made a difference. Likely Breschel would've been in that group with JVS.

I have to agree not having Riis in his ear made a difference. Riis obviously has some motivational and tactical prowess that is often discounted and/or ignored by many in this forum and the media.

There was no way Breschel and Cancellara were going to stay on the same team ... so Breschel in front with Van Summeren would have been quite bad for him

 

[Angliru]

And he doesn't ...



http://www.leopardtrek.lu/news/fabian-cancellara-second-paris-roubaix

His complaining about everyone marking him, joking about "if I'd stopped for coffee they would've stopped with me" isn't deflecting blame? It sounds like whining to me. He was undoubtedly the strongest both weekends but when one is the heavy favorite and warns his competitors to buckle up because the aeroplane is taking off, he really can't complain when that is exactly what they do, of course in the context of the race and partially for tactical reasons. His post race comments though for the most part were a vast improvement over last weekend. Still he showed his frustration over his opponents less than enthusiastic willingness to assist when he had no teammates to do it for him. Like Boonen and Chavanel, he was a bit unlucky that his team had such a bad day.

 

[ergmonkey]

... why stay when all your friends leave? Get a life. ...Seems you are just bitter

And Riis got his revenge with Flanders,...

Your "why stay?" question suggests that Cancellara was clearly entitled to a choice. He wasn't. He was under contract and without a buy-out clause.

Your "get a life" comment suggests you are unwilling to see another viewpoint as being worthy of a fully-formed human.

As for being "bitter," there's no need. I'm quite enjoying seeing Cancellara narrowly miss results because his new team of super friends is turning out to be not as super as his old set-up.

As for "revenge," I agree wholeheartedly, but will point out that there's plenty more Riis revenge still to come in the grand tours--where we will once again see Saxo Bank bringing a stronger team than Leopard-Turncoat (and I'm not just talking about Contador).