Cav's leadout man?

[Catwhoorg]

I'd be amazed if Bernie wasn't on the Tour. He and Cav are such a package deal at the GTs.

 

[ingsve]

I think Eisel would be the one dead cert for the tour with Cav as road captaing and also while everyone else are helping Wiggins and Frome in the mountains Bernie is the one to get Cav through these stages as seen this year.

The only way that happens I think is if Cavendish demands it. Based purely on getting the best team to handle the double duty of GC and sprints there is no way Eisel is the best choice. If they completely dropped the GC ambitions then Eisel would be a given but as long as you have the ambition of also winning the overall then Eisel would be a waste of space compared to their other options.

If Cav can't get through the mountains then he just needs to learn to climb.

 

[just some guy]

The only way that happens I think is if Cavendish demands it. Based purely on getting the best team to handle the double duty of GC and sprints there is no way Eisel is the best choice. If they completely dropped the GC ambitions then Eisel would be a given but as long as you have the ambition of also winning the overall then Eisel would be a waste of space compared to their other options.

If Cav can't get through the mountains then he just needs to learn to climb.

Cav, Brad and Eisel are the only certain tour starters as of this minute.

If Cav goes to the toilet during a GT Bernie is there to help out rightly or wrongly

 

[will10]

Sky have put together a squad with a chunk of adaptable riders who could lend a hand in both the leadouts and in the mountain stages. I'm talking about guys like Rogers, EBH, Thomas, Siutsou etc. which will obviously help them balance out going for GC and green.

Whilst you have a lot of guys who can climb and help set Cav up, you need someone who is going to a) be a big help in the leadout, not least getting everyone organised - Eisel is a great road captain. But also b) to look after Cav in the mountains. The number of times we've heard Cav mention how good a job Eisel has done for him on the big stages, sometimes bringing him back to the gruppetto single handedly after hours of chasing. So I think it is very likely that Eisel will be in the TdF team.

 

[just some guy]

Sky will most likely have 2 road captains.

Mick for the GC and Eisel for the sprint stages

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Going against the grain, I think EBH is the perfect lead out man for Cav if they can put together a HTC like super train. When everything worked as planned, they'd have 4 men leading Cav out without anybody being able to come up alongside to challenge. EBH is perfect for this because he wouldn't have to think about position and he can keep his top speed up for a huge distance - see Hamburg.

 

[gilbertador]

Going against the grain, I think EBH is the perfect lead out man for Cav if they can put together a HTC like super train. When everything worked as planned, they'd have 4 men leading Cav out without anybody being able to come up alongside to challenge. EBH is perfect for this because he wouldn't have to think about position and he can keep his top speed up for a huge distance - see Hamburg.

EBHs ability to hold a high speed for a period is perfect but his lack of going for wholes is an issue undeniably, have people ever noticed how Sutton does his best in the messiest sprints and often ends up winning them, in my opinion his positioning is second to none, therefore I would go

Thomas - EBH - Sutton - Cavendish

Thomas and EBH avoid the general chaos and focus on high speed and Sutton ensures Cav is taken through any whole in the ideal position and at pace much like Renshaw did, no one could defeat that train

 

[b.broadhurst]

Any thoughts on Sky's Tour Squad?

Mine would be:

Wiggins
Froome
Uran
Porte
Boasson Hagen
Eisel
Thomas (If decides to do Tour if not Rogers)
Cavendish
Pate

 

[b.broadhurst]

Also who else will be leaving Sky? They had a maximum 30 riders last year and have brought in 8 this year with only 4 leaving (Gerrans, Arvesen, Henderson & Cummings)

 

[Mambo95]

Also who else will be leaving Sky? They had a maximum 30 riders last year and have brought in 8 this year with only 4 leaving (Gerrans, Arvesen, Henderson & Cummings)

Pauwels has left too (OPQS)

 

[Nielsa]

Any thoughts on Sky's Tour Squad?

Mine would be:

Wiggins
Froome
Uran
Porte
Boasson Hagen
Eisel
Thomas (If decides to do Tour if not Rogers)
Cavendish
Pate

Also who else will be leaving Sky?

Knees' contract is up, haven't heard anything about him.
Would be expect Flecha to remain in their Tour squad.

 

[b.broadhurst]

Knees' contract is up, haven't heard anything about him.
Would be expect Flecha to remain in their Tour squad.

Flecha instead of who?

I suspect that if Thomas doesn't do the Tour then those 2 will focus on the spring classics and then Vuelta.

 

[ingsve]

Any thoughts on Sky's Tour Squad?

Mine would be:

Wiggins
Froome
Uran
Porte
Boasson Hagen
Eisel
Thomas (If decides to do Tour if not Rogers)
Cavendish
Pate

I would go with:

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Siutsou
Flecha
Thomas
Stannard
EBH
Cavendish

If Thomas can't make it then I would go with Froome there instead.

The reason for this lineup is that when push comes to shove then Cavendish can handle the sprints pretty much alone if he was forced to but if Wiggins manages to get Yellow then they need more guys to help him and can't afford to go light in the same way they can afford to go light for Cav.

 

[LouieLouie]

EBH needs to move. He'd be better off with some second rate pro-conti team.

 

[The Hitch]

EBH cant do Cavs leadouts because hes too good. Just 2 years ago he was the by far the biggest young talent in cycling.

Sagan has changed that now but EBH is already 1 of the best riders in the world and is only 23.

He won a mountain stage in the Tour for christ sake. The day after being in a breakaway.

Dont waste that on a leadout. Just dont.

 

[hatcher]

EBH cant do Cavs leadouts because hes too good. Just 2 years ago he was the by far the biggest young talent in cycling.

Sagan has changed that now but EBH is already 1 of the best riders in the world and is only 23.

He won a mountain stage in the Tour for christ sake. The day after being in a breakaway.

Dont waste that on a leadout. Just dont.

Of course he won't just do leadouts. The only way his role changes is that instead of being beaten by Cav on flat stages he'll be helping him. He'll still be the guy on the too-hard-for-Cav stages; still get in breaks on the intermediate stages, and he'll still be leader in one day races and stage races that suit him.

The Tour shouldn't be the focal point of his season anyway.

 

[maltiv]

Of course he won't just do leadouts. The only way his role changes is that instead of being beaten by Cav on flat stages he'll be helping him. He'll still be the guy on the too-hard-for-Cav stages; still get in breaks on the intermediate stages, and he'll still be leader in one day races and stage races that suit him.

The Tour shouldn't be the focal point of his season anyway.

Problem is that if Wiggins is there I'm not sure they'll even let him join a breakaway. Just see Sky's vuelta, don't think they ever had a single rider in a breakaway? Anyway, you're right, he'll focus more on the classics this year. Hopefully he won't be used as stupidly as in RVV this year when they made him waste his energy attacking while if not he could've been top 5.

 

[b.broadhurst]

I would go with:

Wiggins
Uran
Rogers
Siutsou
Flecha
Thomas
Stannard
EBH
Cavendish

If Thomas can't make it then I would go with Froome there instead.

The reason for this lineup is that when push comes to shove then Cavendish can handle the sprints pretty much alone if he was forced to but if Wiggins manages to get Yellow then they need more guys to help him and can't afford to go light in the same way they can afford to go light for Cav.

Sitsov definitely won't ride the Tour. he has been brought in to lead the Giro.
Eisel and Cavendish are an item so both will ride the Tour.
Not a chance they will leave Froome out if they realistically wanna challenge for Yellow, he's the only one that can domestique on the steep stuff.

 

[hatcher]

Problem is that if Wiggins is there I'm not sure they'll even let him join a breakaway. Just see Sky's vuelta, don't think they ever had a single rider in a breakaway? Anyway, you're right, he'll focus more on the classics this year. Hopefully he won't be used as stupidly as in RVV this year when they made him waste his energy attacking while if not he could've been top 5.

The Vuelta was such a strange race for them though, what with two up there on GC, Arvesen having to leave early, and Zandio (or was it Cioni?) being unwell in the first week.

We'll have to see how it plays out, but I just can't see them not fully using his talents in the Tour after his performances this year.

It wouldn't shock me if MSR and the Tour are the only two races he and Cav even do together next year.

 

[Midnightfright]

I really hope EBH doesn't get used as soley one of Cavs pawns. I honeslty believe he is one of this generations super talents and deserves having a team built around him there is no way he or G should be final leadout they don't have the awareness and i think G is lacking a little in pace. Sutton seems like a good suggestion as he fast, seems to have good speed bit most importantly seems willing scrap and fight his way into position.

 

[Anonymous]

I really hope EBH doesn't get used as soley one of Cavs pawns. I honeslty believe he is one of this generations super talents and deserves having a team built around him there is no way he or G should be final leadout they don't have the awareness and i think G is lacking a little in pace. Sutton seems like a good suggestion as he fast, seems to have good speed bit most importantly seems willing scrap and fight his way into position.

G lacking pace, are you kidding. G's biggest problem is that whoever he is leading out cant keep up with him. Look at Paris-Nice last year, Henderson struggled to stay on his wheel, and it happened again in the Tour de France, G looks round and realised his leadout has opened about 3 bike lengths on the rest of the peloton.

 

[Midnightfright]

G lacking pace, are you kidding. G's biggest problem is that whoever he is leading out cant keep up with him. Look at Paris-Nice last year, Henderson struggled to stay on his wheel, and it happened again in the Tour de France, G looks round and realised his leadout has opened about 3 bike lengths on the rest of the peloton.

Well yeah maybe a worded it wrong but he seems to lack a real big kick to me.

 

[ingsve]

Sitsov definitely won't ride the Tour. he has been brought in to lead the Giro.
Eisel and Cavendish are an item so both will ride the Tour.
Not a chance they will leave Froome out if they realistically wanna challenge for Yellow, he's the only one that can domestique on the steep stuff.

Has anyone said that explicitly or is that your guess?

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

In Answer to the original question I don't think that Cav actually needs a leadout man. What he needs is a team that will guarantee that the race will finish in a bunch sprint. He didn't have a proper leadout at this years worlds and he still won and He didn't really have a proper leadout after renshaw got kicked out of the 2010 tour but still won stages. All cav really needs is the race to finish in a bunch gallop and he'll get himself in the right position

 

[ingsve]

In Answer to the original question I don't think that Cav actually needs a leadout man. What he needs is a team that will guarantee that the race will finish in a bunch sprint. He didn't have a proper leadout at this years worlds and he still won and He didn't really have a proper leadout after renshaw got kicked out of the 2010 tour but still won stages. All cav really needs is the race to finish in a bunch gallop and he'll get himself in the right position

He actually doesn't need that either unless the goal is to win 6-7 stages per tour which I still think is greedy. With the change in rules for the Green Jersey we saw this year there is no one that will be able to beat him for Green as long as the rules stay the same.