Cav takes tabloid heat for failed GB tactics

[thehog]

"Why should the rest of the peloton help deliver a bunched, sprint finish which would have all but guaranteed a gold for Cavendish," he wrote. "The British had a Plan A and only a Plan A. Nobody seriously believed they would need any other. When the gauntlet was thrown down, though, the simplicity and transparency of their tactics were brutally exposed, leaving Cavendish frustrated and helpless."

"No wonder they call us whingeing Poms," Steven Howard wrote in The Sun the morning after. "What did he expect, everyone to wave us through?"

Hitting out ... how the Sunday Star covered the result.
"From Brad to worst!" screamed the Sunday Star, referring to the six days between Bradley Wiggins's Tour de France triumph and Cavendish's bitter disappointment.

"Great Britain cyclist Mark Cavendish was a gold medal FLOP yesterday ... Cav was a hot favourite to win the [race] but he failed miserably - finishing 29th and almost a minute behind Kazakhstan's winner Alexandr Vinokourov," reporter Harry Pratt wrote to accompany the headline.

The Sunday Mirror picked up Vinokourov and ran with it. "Bashed by Borat," its back page proclaimed. "Cavendish and dream team blown away by convicted doper."

"Instead of gold, the cyclist feted as the fastest man on two wheels finished an embarrassing 28th. Instead of glory, this was the most deflating result in GB Olympic history since Dave Bedford went to Munich in 1972 telling the world what he was going to do in the 10,000m and ended up nowhere.

"But was this not the same Cav who said on the eve of yesterday's 160-mile road race that he was surrounded by a Dream Team? And didn't GB cycling boss Dave Brailsford call this same team ? Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, David Millar and Ian Stannard ? the greatest ever assembled in cycling history?

"What hubris. What a dramatic fall from grace. What a pricking of the balloon."

http://www.theage.com.au/olympics/n...ip-in-to-british-cyclists-20120730-237aq.html

 

[Tei6chai]

Oh please.

'The British tabloid press are arseholes who know nothing about cycling' ... is that really news to anyone?

 

[Izzy eviel]

I feel bad for Cav.

Dude spends the past 4 years winning everything and now in the eyes of the nation he's a complete failure. All because of a few clueless hacks.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Tragic reading.

Clueless the bunch of them.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Typical English tabloids. Absolutely worthless.

 

[Spider1964]

Sometimes the knife cuts deep... clueless hacks or not, they are on the money this time.

So Cav sits on all day and then moans about other teams not doing enough work? Maybe if the GB teams was able to go up Box Hill a little quicker (instead of going at Cavs tempo), they may have caught the breakaway?

So the rest of the teams are just to ride the race that GB want? Complete and utter BS. The other teams did make their own race, played their cards and came up short... apart from Vino! But none of them are whingeing.

 

[thehog]

Sometimes the knife cuts deep... clueless hacks or not, they are on the money this time.

So Cav sits on all day and then moans about other teams not doing enough work? Maybe if the GB teams was able to go up Box Hill a little quicker (instead of going at Cavs tempo), they may have caught the breakaway?

So the rest of the teams are just to ride the race that GB want? Complete and utter BS. The other teams did make their own race, played their cards and came up short... apart from Vino! But none of them are whingeing.

Agreed. This the most telling:

"Why should the rest of the peloton help deliver a bunched, sprint finish which would have all but guaranteed a gold for Cavendish," he wrote. "The British had a Plan A and only a Plan A. Nobody seriously believed they would need any other. When the gauntlet was thrown down, though, the simplicity and transparency of their tactics were brutally exposed, leaving Cavendish frustrated and helpless."

If the tabloid hacks could see this I can't see what Cav/Dreamteam didn't see this or improvise out on the road.

Telling everyone before the race how you're going to win wasn't smart either.

 

[DirtyWorks]

So Cav sits on all day and then moans about other teams not doing enough work? Maybe if the GB teams was able to go up Box Hill a little quicker (instead of going at Cavs tempo), they may have caught the breakaway?

Someone somewhere said the Cav was plan A to Z. So, the Sky train couldn't take the pace higher. They'd lose Cav and they knew it. They needed to shut the break down near the last go-round on Box hill and shell all the sprinters. No "plan B."

So the rest of the teams are just to ride the race that GB want? Complete and utter BS. The other teams did make their own race, played their cards and came up short... apart from Vino! But none of them are whingeing.

That event seem so set-up for their dominance. It's what I love about bike racing. The strongest team doesn't win every time in the one-days despite how the circumstances were set-up.

 

[Caruut]

Agreed. This the most telling:

"Why should the rest of the peloton help deliver a bunched, sprint finish which would have all but guaranteed a gold for Cavendish," he wrote. "The British had a Plan A and only a Plan A. Nobody seriously believed they would need any other. When the gauntlet was thrown down, though, the simplicity and transparency of their tactics were brutally exposed, leaving Cavendish frustrated and helpless."

If the tabloid hacks could see this I can't see what Cav/Dreamteam didn't see this or improvise out on the road.

Telling everyone before the race how you're going to win wasn't smart either.

The first writer, by knowledge or by luck, was pretty much on the money.

 

[Arnout]

Oh come on. Indeed the writer Caruut pointed out has a point, but British tabloids the fact that you sell so much of these crap papers makes me quite sceptic to the whole British nation.

Only thing they want to do is project their disappointment in maximum revenue (I know it's capitalist so I like it that the opportunity is there, it's only without class that they do) numbers, not giving one flying f*** about the rider, the sport or anything.

 

[hrotha]

Agreed. This the most telling:

"Why should the rest of the peloton help deliver a bunched, sprint finish which would have all but guaranteed a gold for Cavendish," he wrote. "The British had a Plan A and only a Plan A. Nobody seriously believed they would need any other. When the gauntlet was thrown down, though, the simplicity and transparency of their tactics were brutally exposed, leaving Cavendish frustrated and helpless."

If the tabloid hacks could see this I can't see what Cav/Dreamteam didn't see this or improvise out on the road.

Telling everyone before the race how you're going to win wasn't smart either.

Aye, that one was spot on, I thought. The others were garbage tabloid writing.

 

[Potomac]

"Great Britain cyclist Mark Cavendish was a gold medal FLOP yesterday ... Cav was a hot favourite to win the [race] but he failed miserably - finishing 29th and almost a minute behind Kazakhstan's winner Alexandr Vinokourov," reporter Harry Pratt wrote to accompany the headline.

Now this is great reporting. I would like to see more of this Harry Pratt in the news. Perhaps a feel good story.

 

[gatete]

I for one I'm glad Cav failed, it's good for the sport, this was going to be soo predictive, the outcome as weird as it seems looking at Vino winning gold but unexpected nonetheless, Cav needs to learn how to be humble, his whole demeanor bothers me, this little lesson in life is good shooling for him. Moaning about how Aussies or other didn't help is the opposite of demeanor earlier to the race where he was dismissing everybody when asked: who do you fear? his answer: NO ONE.

 

[trailrunner]

GB's strategy was easily countered. The group up front had what -- 32 riders? That's a big break. It wasn't like there were 4 or 5 riders who were eventually going to tire out and then caught by the peleton. And in that groups were some huge names, not just a bunch of no-name headbangers out for a day of publicity.

 

[thehog]

I for one I'm glad Cav failed, it's good for the sport, this was going to be soo predictive, the outcome as weird as it seems looking at Vino winning gold but unexpected nonetheless, Cav needs to learn how to be humble, his whole demeanor bothers me, this little lesson in life is good shooling for him. Moaning about how Aussies or other didn't help is the opposite of demeanor earlier to the race where he was dismissing everybody when asked: who do you fear? his answer: NO ONE.

In the days to come he's going to realise that he fell for a very bad trap. A trap from the other teams but also a trap from team GB. Cav knows better. He would have stuck a Miller in the breaks. The team didn't need to do all the work because they had to. They chose to do it. It will dawn on him that if you want to win sometimes you have take matters into your own hands.

GB rode extremely defensively for the entire race. Contrast with how the Swiss rode. If Cancellera didn't crash it would have been a perfect set up. Buts that's how you ride a one day race.

Cav will leave Sky now.

 

[BroDeal]

"Bashed by Borat!

I have to hand it to the British press. They know how to make it entertaining.

 

[gatete]

I actually like the fact that they're not accusing others like the Sissy Cav

 

[The Hitch]

Here is Steven Howard's full column in The Sun. I know him well as he writes regularly for The Sun on football. I was shocked to hear him writing about cycling. Nevertheless I actually thought it was a good read. He really sticks the boot in and even criticised the hype built around Cav and the team.




http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...hs-failure-shows-Team-GB-needed-a-Plan-B.html

Yet at one point the race seemed in the bag.

As the GB team that led the peleton completed the eighth loop of Box Hill, they trailed the first breakaway group by just 36 seconds. All the hard work seemed to be done.

They were in pole for the final 30-mile trek back to London, the final unleashing of the Missile.

In hindsight, though, they appeared to be a little too confident. They let the gap between the peleton and the leaders lengthen to 1min 22sec.

They obviously felt they would have no trouble in hauling them back in once they got on the quick, fast roads back into the capital.

They went the other way. One minute became three, three became five. By the time they got back into London it was as good as over.

huh? What is he on about?

 

[Catwhoorg]

He would have stuck a Miller in the breaks..

I said the exact same thing to my wife yesterday afternoon.

Curious though, why Millar from your perspective?

 

[BroDeal]

I said the exact same thing to my wife yesterday afternoon.

Curious though, why Millar from your perspective?

Millar has experience winning from a break.

The Brits were in a damned if they do, damned if they don't situation.

 

[Oldman]

I feel bad for Cav.

Dude spends the past 4 years winning everything and now in the eyes of the nation he's a complete failure. All because of a few clueless hacks.

+1. No decent coach would with Britain's resources would: a)only have a sprint option b)listen to a sprinter who pushed option a) c)put his sprinter in a position where he shares the tabloid cover with Miley Cyrus.

Unfortunately he can't keep his piehole closed so the invitation to ridicule is readily accepted by the press. Too bad because clearly not his fault.

 

[thehog]

That last line he is saying it was a 5 min gap going into the finish. I actually liked how he criticised the hype but yeah, WTF was he on about here? If I was registered on The Sun I would write a comment about it. It was the same on The Mirror. Andy Dunn who writes every week for them on football was writing a column on Cav and the race as well.

The Olympics is a different kettle of fish. Cav can behave how ever he wants at the Tour and it only hits the inside of the back page. No one reads it. The Games are totally different especially in your home country. You don't disrespect the winner and you don't blame other athletes when you lose. The road race is being covered not just cycling journalists but by all sporting and mainstream press. Like it or not you have to appear to have the Olympic spirit and the "taking part" is what counts. He's done himself a massive disservice on Saturday. Not an ambassador for the sport or the movement.

The reaction he got is deserving. Read the comments section in those articles from his fellow countrymen. Being a gentleman always comes first in Britain. He's what we call a "utter ***" or a "complete tosser".

Four years is a long time. He should apologise instead of pretending that he was blaming others.

The stupidity is further compounded by the congratulations of his team. What the? Why did they ride themselves into the ground like they did? Even if the field was together with 3km to go would they have been any good? or even there? It just makes the entire event look stupid.

Those guys need to thank Vino for his win because on Saturday the rest of the peloton just worked them out.

 

[Viking]

In the days to come he's going to realise that he fell for a very bad trap. A trap from the other teams but also a trap from team GB. Cav knows better. He would have stuck a Miller in the breaks. The team didn't need to do all the work because they had to. They chose to do it. It will dawn on him that if you want to win sometimes you have take matters into your own hands.

GB rode extremely defensively for the entire race. Contrast with how the Swiss rode. If Cancellera didn't crash it would have been a perfect set up. Buts that's how you ride a one day race.

Exactly. Every nation with a snowball's chance at a medal (except for GB and Germany) played this race correctly. They got a man (or more) in the break. Great Britain played for a sprint finish, without any thought to other possibilities. Germany was even more pathetic, hoping for GB to bring the race to a field sprint, without adding much of their strength to the chase until it was too late.

You're right that Millar should have joined a break. He was GB's best option outside of the field sprint finish. If he had gotten into one of those attacks that bridged to the early breakaway group, things might have been different. On the other hand, there wouldn't have been anyone who would have any reason to chase at that point, leaving the sprinters (and Cav') SOL.

Cav will leave Sky now.

He never should have joined them in the first place, but maybe now he gets it.

 

[BroDeal]

Oh, dear. Now the Aussies are taking aim.

"And the first gold medal for Pommy whingeing goes to Mark Cavendish"

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/na...o-mark-cavendish/story-fndo317g-1226438058228

There is a poll for whether "poms" whinge.

 

[BroDeal]

Exactly. Every nation with a snowball's chance at a medal (except for GB and Germany) played this race correctly. They got a man (or more) in the break. Great Britain played for a sprint finish, without any thought to other possibilities. Germany was even more pathetic, hoping for GB to bring the race to a field sprint, without adding much of their strength to the chase until it was too late.

You're right that Millar should have joined a break. He was GB's best option outside of the field sprint finish. If he had gotten into one of those attacks that bridged to the early breakaway group, things might have been different. On the other hand, there wouldn't have been anyone who would have any reason to chase at that point, leaving the sprinters (and Cav') SOL.

The Brits went with the highest probability plan, use everyone to try to keep the race together by the end. Given the course, it was a good plan that almost worked.

Cavendish should have put out a fake injury report prior to the Olympics, something to give Australia and Germany more incentive.