Cavendish-Greipel Showdown

[tgsgirl]

Greipel DNS today
At least Cav can finish the Giro

Cavendish out of time in California. At least Greipel can finish Cali. That's equally *** logic for you there.

And if you want facts:
DNS means did not start, as in, "he chose not to start"; and Greipel finished the Giro in 2008.

Seriously, fanboys. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He's been flapping his gums all season and doesn't have the palmares to back it.

I've not heard him 'flapping his gums'. I've seen a couple of interviews. One in which he says he feels his form merited a slot at Milan-San Remo, and one in which he accepted that he would never get top billing at Columbia so would need to look elsewhere to get it.

Greipel hasn't been the one flapping his gums. Cavendish has been the one flapping his (expensively modified) gums. Why? Because Cav knows that, when they're both on form, he would crush Greipel. But he also knows that he hasn't been on form as often as Greipel this year, and so questions have been asked that he feels shouldn't have had to be asked if he'd not been so foolish as to ignore doctor's orders. Cavendish has been lucky/proven correct in that Greipel has disappointed in the Giro, but Greipel must have been cursing his luck to fall ill when he did, because there was speculation as to whether or not he'd even start. This will probably be his only top-tier shop window this year as Cav will take all the other premier events, leaving Greipel with Austria, Poland and Eneco as usual, and there is no further case for Greipel to make at that level. He won four stages of the Vuelta last year, so that's a fairly strong case.

Cavendish is a better sprinter than Greipel. No argument can be made against that. But it is patently false to call Greipel a second-tier sprinter. Or to spin it that he's been whining and moaning about his position like he's Leif Hoste or something. That's the position of the Cav fanboy. Should Greipel be beating some of the riders who've beaten him this year? Yes, yes he should. But on the same level, Cavendish should not be having his back side whipped by JJ Haedo and Francesco Chicchi either.

 

[royalpig180]

[People] 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)

How about Peter Sagan? He laid down a pretty good beatdown at ToC and Paris-Nice in stages like this.

I doubt he could be Freire or Cancellara, but if it came down to him, Valverde, etc, seems to me he could maybe have a chance...

 

[Boardslide]

"Cavendish should not be having his back side whipped by JJ Haedo and Francesco Chicchi either."

At the TOC stage 1 Cav did state that he's coming into form at last but so far not at 100% as he had trouble hanging onto the train but had confidence that by TDF they'd be flying.

Also at no time has he said he'd win the worlds this year only that he's targeting the WC this year & next as they're supposed to be spinter friendly and he'd like to win a WC in the next two years. I think next year's will be more suitable.

On current form Sagen or Porte could be good outside bets for WC.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm sure by the TdF he will be flying and will be as unstoppable as he was last year. But right now isn't July, and he isn't in form, therefore it rings false when he's calling other riders out. And yet people are believing that the rider who's the subject of the abuse is the one that's bitter and whining.

 

[maltiv]

How about Peter Sagan? He laid down a pretty good beatdown at ToC and Paris-Nice in stages like this.

I doubt he could be Freire or Cancellara, but if it came down to him, Valverde, etc, seems to me he could maybe have a chance...

Way too long for him. He's 20 years old. Shouldn't be possible for a 20 year old to survive for that many kilometers...i mean he's younger than most guys who will do the u23 worlds!

 

[Boardslide]

For a 20 year old Sagen did pretty well on the Big Bear stage and my last post was in response to the previous comments on the worlds & TOC and not on anything else.

 

[Sasquatch]

Cav is training specifically for the Tour de France and the World's. That's what he wants to peak for.

He doesn't care if he doesn't win races this early in the season. He doesn't care if he doesn't get more than 10. Providing he wins the Green Jersey at the TDF or the Rainbow Jersey at the world's, he'll be happy.

 

[Big GMaC]

How about Peter Sagan? He laid down a pretty good beatdown at ToC and Paris-Nice in stages like this.

I doubt he could be Freire or Cancellara, but if it came down to him, Valverde, etc, seems to me he could maybe have a chance...

Already said it.

Thats him up the page popping a mad wheely on his MtB

 

[Steampunk]

Cav is training specifically for the Tour de France and the World's. That's what he wants to peak for.

He doesn't care if he doesn't win races this early in the season. He doesn't care if he doesn't get more than 10. Providing he wins the Green Jersey at the TDF or the Rainbow Jersey at the world's, he'll be happy.

Both could be pretty tall orders. I wouldn't fancy him at the World's; I can see Cancellara losing in a heartbreak (a la last year) to someone like Gilbert. And DQ notwithstanding, he proved he was pretty much a one-trick pony on the flats in last year's TdF. He's fast as all get-out and the Columbia train is a thing of beauty, but one of the most impressive moments in the TdF last year was Hushovd's solo breakaway on Stage 17: you still need to be more than a sprinter to take home the green jersey.

 

[Jancouver]

Or this man

I agree

 

[Faserr]

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

Stage 3 Tirreno-Adriatico last year:

Yes, for any major sprinter Greipel is definitely no second tier sprinter.

 

[tgsgirl]

He doesn't care if he doesn't win races this early in the season.

Oh, come one. I believe he wants TdF and the rainbows most of all, but he doesn't care about being beaten by Haedo and Bos? Puh-lease. That childish victory salute didn't have any ounce of frustration in it then?

 

[Boardslide]

Oh, come one. I believe he wants TdF and the rainbows most of all, but he doesn't care about being beaten by Haedo and Bos? Puh-lease. That childish victory salute didn't have any ounce of frustration in it then?

+1
That salute was a 100% release of pentup frustration coming out of someone who was starting to see the return of form after the worse 6 month of his life, and knowing part of which was his own fault.

 

[Cobblestones]

There's newspaper reports here and here that Greipel is not riding the Tour because essentially Cavendish doesn't want him there.

Haven't seen that discussed here yet but maybe it's old news and I was just looking at the wrong threads.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Both Greipel and the team deny everything. Both Greipel and Cavendish are on the long list for the Tour, and Greipel told me today he still has hopes of making the squad.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If it's true, it's news, but it's about as much of a shock as the sky being blue, since Cav has basically refused to ride on the same team as Greipel for a couple of years, and since Cav is the best in the world when on form, Greipel only gets to race those events Cav doesn't want.

 

[Cobblestones]

If it's true, it's news, but it's about as much of a shock as the sky being blue, since Cav has basically refused to ride on the same team as Greipel for a couple of years, and since Cav is the best in the world when on form, Greipel only gets to race those events Cav doesn't want.

Well, yeah, that's what I meant when I said that maybe it's not news at all. I saw CN's article which mentioned that Greipel is at least on the team's (very long) short list, then I saw these reports saying Greipel was out (not surprisingly, really).

Anyway, the reports make a big deal out of that Greipel (despite his apparent illness at the start of the Giro) has won more this year than the Manx dud.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Actually, the reports that he was out came first. When I contacted both Greipel and the team, they denied it, and the team gave us their long list.

Susan

 

[Cobblestones]

Actually, the reports that he was out came first. When I contacted both Greipel and the team, they denied it, and the team gave us their long list.

Susan

Ah interesting. The plot thickens. Do you know the original source of the 'Greipel is out' rumors? Did it come from someone close to Greipel to force a response by the team?

Does anybody really expect at this point that both ride the TdF on the same team? If not, what's the point of making this announcement of the unusually long short list?

I remember last year, when Horner was left out of the Astana team, he asked to be released and ride for another team (Bruyneel denied him). Is something similar going on with Greipel?

 

[BeachBum]

The long list is a smoke screen. Cav doesn't want Andre, so Andre won't be going. Only way Andre goes to France is if something happens to Cav and they do a substitute like Liquigas did sending Nibali to the Giro.

 

[BeachBum]

Does anybody really expect at this point that both ride the TdF on the same team? If not, what's the point of making this announcement of the unusually long short list?

I'm with you. The long list is a smoke screen. Cav doesn't want Andre, so Andre won't be going. Only way Andre goes to France is if something happens to Cav and they do a substitute like Liquigas did sending Nibali to the Giro.

Not sure what Columbia is doing, looks like they are setting themselves up for PR disaster. Then again, there is no way for this to end gracefully, it's just like Wigans leaving Garmin.

 

[doddy13]

From what i've heard there's a change in the lap for someone to attack late on the course (on a hill) and solo to win, or even take a very small group.
This years could be a sprint, could be a small break.

Copenhagen in 2011 is a pure sprinters course, flat as a pancake.

 

[Cobblestones]

I'm with you. The long list is a smoke screen. Cav doesn't want Andre, so Andre won't be going. Only way Andre goes to France is if something happens to Cav and they do a substitute like Liquigas did sending Nibali to the Giro.

Not sure what Columbia is doing, looks like they are setting themselves up for PR disaster. Then again, there is no way for this to end gracefully, it's just like Wigans leaving Garmin.

Huh, even when you read the CN article they say:

The team's biggest decision will be selecting which of its two sprinters to take to the Tour.

Doesn't sound like there's any thought about bringing them both.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

To say it's their biggest decision is quite an editorial reach - they're obviously going to take Cavendish, the biggest decision will come somewhere in the other 8 spots.