Cavendish difference between cockiness and confidence

[Dr. Maserati]

Personally, I don't have a problem with Cav. He says he will win, and then goes and does it. He is cocky, but he backs it up...unilke Wigans.

+1.

His also well aware that having a dedicated leadout is a big part of his success. He alsways praises his team - and says that had he lost he would have let his team down.

When he says get him to the front at 200m to go and he will do the rest....he does.

Sorry to disagree but the loudmouth is Greipel, telling everyone how he is as good as Cavendish. Cavendish wins a lot, but he wins big races: Milan San Remo at his first attempt for example, or shed loads of Grand Tour stages. Greipel has been shouting his mouth off, but sorry to say, thrashing the opposition at the Tour Down Under or Tour of Turkey isn't the same as winning in really big races. The German is looking a little silly right now with his lead out man beating him in the Giro. If you believe Greipel he should be winning Giro stages, not missing a split that the likes of Farrar don't. He was also well beaten by Farrar in one sprint and Weylandt in another, finishing in 4th and 6th places, I doubt if Cavendish would have lost to those two. Of course Greipel will no doubt claim that he isn't being given the backing that Cavendish gets, but lets be honest, if you were in charge of Columbia HTC who would you put your backing behind?

Cavendish maybe be somewhat graceless, but he does at least deliver on his boasts.

I have never heard Griepel say he was as good as Cav - he did say he deserved to be at Milan-San Remo and he was right, as Cav was not on form.

As much as a like Cav, Griepel is sick at the Giro - and is winning the same number of races that Cav did when he was sick some months ago.

 

[Wattie]

Quote"one of the most exciting riders in the peloton". Do you actually watch much bike racing? Oh ,hang on a minute," in the peloton" You're right. there's no chance of him ever venturing out of it is there. Well not off the front end anyway.

Come on, do YOU watch much bike racing? It has many facets and sprinting is one of them. Climbing, time-trialing, solo breakaways and so forth are others. The range of types of racing are part of what makes it a fascinating and subtle sport and to see how HTC Columbia control and manage a race is impressive. If you had Cavendish's sprinting power what would you do? Of course you would go on solo attacks wouldn't you? It is the same meaningless argument as the one that decried Indurain for the way he raced. These people race to win and they win in the way that suits their abilities.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

We're not criticising the way he races. We're debating whether somebody who only has one trick (which he is the best in the world at) and executes it over and over again with little variation can really be considered an 'exciting' racer.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

We're not criticising the way he races. We're debating whether somebody who only has one trick (which he is the best in the world at) and executes it over and over again with little variation can really be considered an 'exciting' racer.

Yup, like that tedious Pantani character, one trick pony or what, he only ever attacked in the mountains.

Face it, you are saying sprinting is less exciting than other facets of road cycling - most people would agree with you, so don't deny that's what you're saying.

 

[Wattie]

I have never heard Griepel say he was as good as Cav - he did say he deserved to be at Milan-San Remo and he was right, as Cav was not on form.

As much as a like Cav, Griepel is sick at the Giro - and is winning the same number of races that Cav did when he was sick some months ago.

Greipel has been shouting his mouth off about HTC Columbia not being big enough for the both of them and how he wasn't given the respect he deserves and so forth. At the very least he has been implying he should get equal treatment with Cavendish. If you read the comments of Goss on today's stage he was trying to work for Greipel and then found Greipel wasn't on his wheel. He doesn't mention Greipel being sick: why work for a rider when you know he is sick? If a rider is sick and knows he isn't in a state to try for the win he usually tells his teammates so they can race differently. It is also worth pointing out that Cavendish has scarcely been beaten in a sprint this season (twice by my reckoning), becuase he has actually only contested a handful - in other words when he isn't up to it he doesn't get the team to waste its energy setting him up for a race he knows he won't win.

The team has to prioritise and use its resources and with Cavendish they know those resources will yield a return. Greipel is a very good sprinter for second string races, but needs to accept that Cavendish is better than him.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Greipel has been shouting his mouth off about HTC Columbia not being big enough for the both of them and how he wasn't given the respect he deserves and so forth. At the very least he has been implying he should get equal treatment with Cavendish. If you read the comments of Goss on today's stage he was trying to work for Greipel and then found Greipel wasn't on his wheel. He doesn't mention Greipel being sick: why work for a rider when you know he is sick? If a rider is sick and knows he isn't in a state to try for the win he usually tells his teammates so they can race differently. It is also worth pointing out that Cavendish has scarcely been beaten in a sprint this season (twice by my reckoning), becuase he has actually only contested a handful - in other words when he isn't up to it he doesn't get the team to waste its energy setting him up for a race he knows he won't win.

The team has to prioritise and use its resources and with Cavendish they know those resources will yield a return. Greipel is a very good sprinter for second string races, but needs to accept that Cavendish is better than him.

No - while I agree with your comments re Cav - Greipel was not "shouting his mouth off" ...this is what he said about being left out of MSR.

"It was a slap in the face. My performances have not been so bad to deserve being left off the team.
Cavendish currently has some problems. I've done some good races. When it comes to a sprint, you can count on me.
I have so far been pleased with the team, but if I didn't get a start in Milan-Sanremo, I think I can expect that my summer holidays will be spent on the Baltic Sea."

Greipels stomach problems have been reported for over a week.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Quote"one of the most exciting riders in the peloton". Do you actually watch much bike racing? Oh ,hang on a minute," in the peloton" You're right. there's no chance of him ever venturing out of it is there. Well not off the front end anyway.

Yup, because the same thing happening the same way with the same outcome every stage is really exciting

I'm not just talking about the way rides. It's how he celebrates, what he says, how he can get emotional after big wins, everything. Pardon me for appreciating someone with a little personality.

 

[Anonymous]

+1.

His also well aware that having a dedicated leadout is a big part of his success. He alsways praises his team - and says that had he lost he would have let his team down.

When he says get him to the front at 200m to go and he will do the rest....he does.

In fact, if you listen to the interview, he makes it perfectly clear that the reason he isn't worried is because of his train. It is much less about how much of a stud he is, and much more about how great his team is. I am guessing that the guys working for him appreciate that. In fact, it seems they are willing to slaughter themselves to make sure he wins. I don't think you gain that kind of loyalty from a team by taking all of the credit yourself.

 

[Mrs John Murphy]

In fact, if you listen to the interview, he makes it perfectly clear that the reason he isn't worried is because of his train. It is much less about how much of a stud he is, and much more about how great his team is. I am guessing that the guys working for him appreciate that. In fact, it seems they are willing to slaughter themselves to make sure he wins. I don't think you gain that kind of loyalty from a team by taking all of the credit yourself.

Frodo has no doubt been slapped down by management and been told to behave especially after his recent interviews. Although I wonder how long Frodo's new leaf will last.

 

[SpartacusRox]

LOL at equating Cav the Hobbit sprinter with Ali - put down the crack pipe.

Anyway I don't know why anyone is surprised at his comments, after all he's in a sh!t-small race, wins in Cali are like the table scraps he tosses for Greipel to lick off the floor.

Lol at yourself, Ali was a mouth just like Cav, like Cav he backed up the bravado with wins.

I guess it would be your crack pipe I am smoking, I guess his total dominance in sprinting last year was only in the "sh!t small races" such as the tdf, but hey you take the wins where you can. I get the feeling that no race he won would be big enough for you though right?

Hopefully he will keep on winning this year and make fools like yourself seem more and more redundant. By the way...where is big Andre, I haven't seen him featuring much since his whine last week when he got blitzed?

 

[SpartacusRox]

In fact, if you listen to the interview, he makes it perfectly clear that the reason he isn't worried is because of his train. It is much less about how much of a stud he is, and much more about how great his team is. I am guessing that the guys working for him appreciate that. In fact, it seems they are willing to slaughter themselves to make sure he wins. I don't think you gain that kind of loyalty from a team by taking all of the credit yourself.

Exactly! Especially when you have guys like Renshaw willing to slaughter themselves for you who is probably in the top 5 sprinters in his own right.

 

[taiwan]

Cavendish has scarcely been beaten in a sprint this season (twice by my reckoning), becuase he has actually only contested a handful - in other words when he isn't up to it he doesn't get the team to waste its energy setting him up for a race he knows he won't win.

Cav drops off the back intentionally? Possible, but unless he said it, who knows? Not necessarily that helpful, getting to less sprints.

 

[blackcat]

I think Farrar eventually will take that cocky sob, besides it's not like CavenDish started winning from the very beginning, again, there is nothing wrong being asertive, just don't disregard your opponents, that's all I'm saying

errr, Cav did win Schelde, it was about his third race on T-Mobile.

In my cognizance, that classifies as the very beginning.

 

[blackcat]

Exactly! Especially when you have guys like Renshaw willing to slaughter themselves for you who is probably in the top 5 sprinters in his own right.

nah, Renshaw is not a winner. He is not going to win stages in GTs imo.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

nah, Renshaw is not a winner. He is not going to win stages in GTs imo.

yeah as he has ever had the chance to do so...

 

[Boeing]

cocky bike rider. Confident Dwarf

 

[blackcat]

he was at Credit Agricole, and won Tro Bro Leon, and that was about it. He is not a winner. He won a stage of the TDU, and some Bay Crits. He cant win. Graeme Brown his countryman, wins more the Renshaw, and that is saying something.

 

[Ferminal]

"Does the Pope Greipel in the woods?"

http://nyvelocity.com/toto

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

How do you turn a perfect leadout into 6th place?


Greipel!

 

[dolophonic]

comedy.. yes.

 

[Anonymous]

How do you turn a perfect leadout into 6th place?


Greipel!

Ouch!................

 

[scribe]

cocky bike rider. Confident Dwarf

How tall is he? I noticed he leans forward in his podium photo moments.....making the girls bend over that much more just to plant their lips on his ***.

 

[kurtinsc]

yeah as he has ever had the chance to do so...

Didn't he get some shots last year and not deliver?

I think he had a stage where he had a shot at Benelux last year when EBH wasn't there... finished 6th or 7th. 4th in Criterium International as HTC's top sprinter (behind guys like Casper and Hutarovich). Did little as the sprinter for HTC at the TDU in 2009 once Greipel was out too.

I think he's an excellent leadout man who's a decent mid-level sprinter on par with guys like Casper. He's honestly got better results leading Cav and Greipel out then he's gotten sprinting for himself (like the 2nd on the final tour stage last year).

 

[Angliru]

Lol at yourself, Ali was a mouth just like Cav, like Cav he backed up the bravado with wins.

I guess it would be your crack pipe I am smoking, I guess his total dominance in sprinting last year was only in the "sh!t small races" such as the tdf, but hey you take the wins where you can. I get the feeling that no race he won would be big enough for you though right?

Hopefully he will keep on winning this year and make fools like yourself seem more and more redundant. By the way...where is big Andre, I haven't seen him featuring much since his whine last week when he got blitzed?

I think you have missed the primary point that was being made and that was that Greipel only stated that based on his form and results leading up to MSR, he felt that he should have been at the start. He had a valid point since Cavendish had shown absolutely nothing to show that he was worthy of the team's complete support at that event. Cavendish's response to Greipel's statement was far from taking the high road and did absolutely nothing to enhance team unity. It was demeaning, insulting and mean-spirited not to mention juvenile, which isn't out of the norm for him. He has continued to insult Greipel continously through the media showing how very little class he has. He's knows that he holds the upper hand in the team based on his performances so he feels there is no likely ramifications from his statements.

 

[taiwan]

I think you have missed... ramifications from his statements.

Pretty much agree.