Cavendish-Greipel Showdown

[royalpig180]

I was reading an article about the Cav-Greipel fued on HTC-Columbia, when a thought came to me. With this fall's World Championships in Australia being labeled as favoring sprinters, could we possibly see the Gorilla and the Manxman going head to head in a sprint for ultimate bragging rights? Seems to me that would set this conflict straight once and for all.

What other crazy spring matchups could we see at the worlds?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Both of those two b!tches are going to be owned at Worlds.
I'm hoping Boasson-Hagen recovers. Maybe we'll see Cadel defend. Otherwise, I'd put $$ on maybe Sanchez. Not sure if the sprinters are going to win this Worlds.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

lots of folks think this will end in a sprint. could be, but it looks tougher than that. look for the belgians and italians to tear the legs off the germans and brits from the first km. c-douche and the griper don't stand a chance. they will be softened up two laps before the finish.

look for my new favorite rider, philipe gilbert, to pull one out!

 

[Martin318is]

When they published the course it seemed that most outside of Geelong immediately thought a sprinter would win. But people that know the course and have ridden it think that its more of a sprinting allrounders course. You are unlikley to see a Cavendish type at the finish. More likely to see a Friere, Valverde or Sanchez style of rider. (I think)

 

[Jamsque]

I think the course at the Worlds is in that middle ground where how hard it is raced will make a huge difference. If any team really sets their mind to it they can probably push the pace high enough to shell a lot of sprinters, but that may not happen.

 

[Sasquatch]

Cancellara will take this! Perfect course for him.

 

[maltiv]

I think the course at the Worlds is in that middle ground where how hard it is raced will make a huge difference. If any team really sets their mind to it they can probably push the pace high enough to shell a lot of sprinters, but that may not happen.

I think it will. Lots of teams are interested in dropping the likes of Cav and Greipel. If any sprinter wins, it will be someone like EBH, Freire or Haussler imo.

 

[Big GMaC]

I think it will. Lots of teams are interested in dropping the likes of Cav and Greipel. If any sprinter wins, it will be someone like EBH, Freire or Haussler imo.

Or this man

 

[Libertine Seguros]

There aren't many teams who will fancy taking it to a sprint with Great Britain with Cavendish there. Italy with Petacchi or Chicchi possibly, Germany with Greipel and the US with Farrar, but that's it.

As a result, I expect a big and motivated break to go, with nearly every team in contention putting somebody who can win from a break in it; the likes of Boasson Hagen, Haussler, Freire, Sánchez, Visconti and so on will get into the break. Britain will place someone in that break as backup, but I wouldn't bank on any of them to compete with the names mentioned above in a sprint. These riders will have every reason to work together, and the course is just difficult enough to hinder a solid chase as most of the others will have good riders up ahead and be unwilling to help GB chase it down for a sprint; maybe a Columbia-strength train could pull it back but I wouldn't expect the same strength from Team GB.

 

[fiftyfour eleven]

Cancellara will take this! Perfect course for him.

Just returned from Melbourne and happened to spend it a bit of time with the man that mapped out the course. Suffice to say your pick is on the money or maybe Gilbert! From the Aussie ranks Gerrans will be our man.

 

[Sasquatch]

Just returned from Melbourne and happened to spend it a bit of time with the man that mapped out the course. Suffice to say your pick is on the money or maybe Gilbert! From the Aussie ranks Gerrans will be our man.

Yep.

The first time I went over the course, my immediate thought was Cancellara. Gilbert is a solid tip too, particularly if he finds his form at the right time.

Cancellara can get away on that final hill with maybe a couple more, the peloton will be already split up, then Cancellara can go on his own for the remainder. Providing he has his April form, he'll be very hard to chase down.

If a couple of people can sneak away, who is going to be left to do the chasing?

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Team GB could put out a decent lead out train with Stannard, Cummings, Wiggins, Thomas, Downing, Swift and then Cav at the end. However, I'm sure I read somewhere that Wiggins won't be doing the worlds this year so that takes him out.

It will also depend on the number of riders they can take. GB riders need to strat winning in order to have the maximum number of riders possible. It'll be hard to control the race with fewer riders.

To be honest the best chance that the USA, GB and Germany haveof winning is from a bunch sprint with Farrar, Cav and Greipel. Therefore, I can see them maybe working together to keep the race under control.

My money is on Gilbert as it looks like he's tailoring the rest of his year around the Atumun classics and the worlds.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Cav and Greipel won't last until the finish. This year I'm thinking Cancellara will either ride everyone off his wheel like at Roubaix and Flanders or Haussler will win a small group sprint and salvage a disappointing season. Personally, I'm hoping for Haussler.

If it somehow it does come down to a field sprint, I want Farrar. Maybe next year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

To be honest the best chance that the USA, GB and Germany haveof winning is from a bunch sprint with Farrar, Cav and Greipel. Therefore, I can see them maybe working together to keep the race under control.

Will Haussler be Australian or German in September? If German, he can get in the break, and then Germany have no reason to do any work until the time to set the leadout train up, and then they'll have monster engines like Grabsch and Martin, and quality leadout men like Hondo at their disposal.

 

[Tom T.]

Greipel only wins when the big guns aren't there. He's clearly a second-tier sprinter. And if the course is a hard man's course then forget it. He needs a "whiny-*****-who-can-follow-his-mates'-wheels" type of course.

 

[TRDean]

Greipel only wins when the big guns aren't there. He's clearly a second-tier sprinter. And if the course is a hard man's course then forget it. He needs a "whiny-*****-who-can-follow-his-mates'-wheels" type of course.

Give me a break!! Sounds like a Cav fan whining to me...Greipel is a top tier sprinter. By the way, Cav has beaten no real competition this season...and was absolutely man handled by Chicchi and JJ Haedo!!!

Not saying Cav isn't the best sprinter in the world when he is on...he is....but enough with the denigrating Greipel.

 

[Faserr]

Stage 5 Vuelta:

1)GREIPEL Andre
2)BOONEN Tom
3)BENNATI Daniele
4)FARRAR Tyler
5)BONNET William
6)ROELANDTS Jürgen
7)FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar

Bunch sprint in September last year. Perhaps Tom T. forgot that this showdown could be in September this year. Well, Greipel seems to be ready to beat some second class sprinters shortly before the Worlds.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Greipel only wins when the big guns aren't there. He's clearly a second-tier sprinter. And if the course is a hard man's course then forget it. He needs a "whiny-*****-who-can-follow-his-mates'-wheels" type of course.

Vuelta 2009 stage 5:
1. Greipel
2. Boonen
3. Bennati
4. Farrar

And that wasn't his only victory in the race by the way.

Edit: too late!

 

[Sasquatch]

Haussler will be riding for Germany unfortunately.

 

[Papparrazzi]

The Gorilla is not even in the same league as The Manx Express

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Stage 5 Vuelta:

1)GREIPEL Andre
2)BOONEN Tom
3)BENNATI Daniele
4)FARRAR Tyler
5)BONNET William
6)ROELANDTS Jürgen
7)FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar

Bunch sprint in September last year. Perhaps Tom T. forgot that this showdown could be in September this year. Well, Greipel seems to be ready to beat some second class sprinters shortly before the Worlds.

Vuelta 2009 stage 5:
1. Greipel
2. Boonen
3. Bennati
4. Farrar

And that wasn't his only victory in the race by the way.

Edit: too late!

Those guys were all exhausted after racing all season and multiple GTs. Greipel did small time races and had the month of July off. Look what Farrar did to Greipel at the Giro. When they are on, Greipel is second tier.

 

[Jamsque]

Stage 5 Vuelta:

1)GREIPEL Andre
2)BOONEN Tom
3)BENNATI Daniele
4)FARRAR Tyler
5)BONNET William
6)ROELANDTS Jürgen
7)FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar

Bunch sprint in September last year. Perhaps Tom T. forgot that this showdown could be in September this year. Well, Greipel seems to be ready to beat some second class sprinters shortly before the Worlds.

Look this is just ***. You can produce a top 10 like this for any major sprinter.

Stage 3 Tirreno-Adriatico last year:

1. FARRAR Tyler
2. CAVENDISH Mark
3. ROSSI Enrico
4. BOONEN Tom
5. MCEWEN Robbie
6. O'GRADY Stuart
7. HUNTER Robert
8. PAOLINI Luca
9. HUSHOVD Thor
10. BOZIC Borut
11. HUTAROVICH Yauheni
12. FURLAN Angelo
13. PETACCHI Alessandro
14. CIOLEK Gerald

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Look this is just ***. You can produce a top 10 like this for any major sprinter.

True, but it's a matter of consistency. Greipel does not consistently beat top tier sprinters. When he does beat them they aren't on top form yet. He's been flapping his gums all season and doesn't have the palmares to back it.

 

[TRDean]

True, but it's a matter of consistency. Greipel does not consistently beat top tier sprinters. When he does beat them they aren't on top form yet. He's been flapping his gums all season and doesn't have the palmares to back it.

And Cav does??? Not this year anyway...

 

[Papparrazzi]

Greipel DNS today

At least Cav can finish the Giro