For once, Cav words that deserve scrutiny

[The Hitch]

On the bbc sports personality of the year crap, well a preview of it, they had an interview with Cav.

He said that winning a tour stage was the biggest thing in cycling. The biggest thing in cycling

Man that Phillipe Gilbert must be some sort of doofus. To think hes going for Liege, the worlds and Lombardy, while real greatness can only be achieved by winning a stage in Spa

And nibali, what on earth was he thinking. To kill himself on the Grappa Kronplatz, Xorat de Cati, Lagos de Covadonga, Gavia, Alto Cottobello, Bola del Mundo, Mortirolo and the Great Mountain itself, ALL in one season, while a little kick in Mende would have ben sufficient.

And not once in the entire 5 minutes was one mention made of Cavs green jersey at the Vuelta. Not once. He just spoke about the Tour and about how he wooped everyone and how his 15 stages in 3 years is one of the great cycling achievments of all time.

In a previous interview Cav made not one mention of Milan San Remo saying its all about Champs Elysee.

I understand the bbc (which by the way claims to be the world great beacon of imparitality) probably told him to stick to the Tour, in their everpresent attempt to limit the word "sport" to cover only events covered by the bbc, especially F1.

But hes a nominee, its his terms, and he should do what he can to promote cycling and through that, himself, rather than claim we are just a July thing.

Id like to see Cav win not one stage at the Tour next year, but get the worlds. Try telling the world the greatest achievment is a stage win in Bordeaux then

 

[erader]

slow day in the cubicles i see .

ed rader

 

[Mambo95]

Hitch,

Here's how television works. The BBC sit Cav down for 10-20 minutes and interview him. Then they take amount two minutes of the bits they like and use them.

These bits, unsurpisingly as this isn't for the Sporza cycling awards, focus on the one race the general British public have heard of. Half the viewers haven't heard of him, let alone know what a Vuelta is.

Just be thankful that the Beeb coughed up some money for actual footage (rather than stills, which Haye got).

 

[The Hitch]

Hitch,

Here's how television works. The BBC sit Cav down for 10-20 minutes and interview him. Then they take amount two minutes of the bits they like and use them.

These bits, unsurpisingly as this isn't for the Sporza cycling awards, focus on the one race the general British public have heard of. Half the viewers haven't heard of him, let alone know what a Vuelta is.

Just be thankful that the Beeb coughed up some money for actual footage (rather than stills, which Haye got).

They showed him saying

"A tour de france stage is the biggest thing in cycling".

thats not being selective. Thats Cav underplaying the importance of other races at the expense of the Tour.

Its one thing to say the Tour is the blue ribbon of our sport. Yes thats true. But to say that a stage is the biggest thing in cycling, when you have the best riders in the world focusing on other things, is something that deserves scrutiny imo.

 

[boardhanger]

Stop looking for the black cat in the room painted black with the lights turned off and your wearing sunglasses........ever hear of editing?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Stop looking for the black cat in the room painted black with the lights turned off and your wearing sunglasses........ever hear of editing?

He still made that statement, I doubt they edited that particular sentence.

 

[Mambo95]

They showed him saying

"A tour de france stage is the biggest thing in cycling".

thats not being selective. Thats Cav underplaying the importance of other races at the expense of the Tour.

Its one thing to say the Tour is the blue ribbon of our sport. Yes thats true. But to say that a stage is the biggest thing in cycling, when you have the best riders in the world focusing on other things, is something that deserves scrutiny imo.

He actually says "You've got to be satisfied with one stage at the Tour de France. It's the biggest thing in cycling". (I've just looked at it again on the iplayer)

He's saying the Tour is the biggest thing. Not the stage. But if you want have a go, then you will hear it differently and then rewrite it your own way.

 

[boardhanger]

He still made that statement, I doubt they edited that particular sentence.

As Mambo95 says he's refering to LeTour itself.

 

[The Hitch]

He actually says "You've got to be satisfied with one stage at the Tour de France. It's the biggest thing in cycling". (I've just looked at it again on the iplayer)

He's saying the Tour is the biggest thing. Not the stage. But if you want have a go, then you will hear it differently and then rewrite it your own way.

I disagree. The sentence continues "one stage in the TOur makes sombodies career".

I think hes talking about the importance of tour stages individually rather than the whole thing.

And there is still the interview with Inside sport a while back where he doesnt mention MSR and talks only about Champs Elysee.

 

[Mambo95]

I disagree. The sentence continues "one stage in the TOur makes sombodies career".

I think hes talking about the importance of tour stages individually rather than the whole thing.

And there is still the interview with Inside sport a while back where he doesnt mention MSR and talks only about Champs Elysee.

You're really, really desperate to make something out of this aren't you?

There's nothing there.

 

[ingsve]

I haven't seen the thing so I don't know what was said but since this is for the sports personality of the year couldn't it be that he is simply exaggerating to increase his own chances?

If you're competing against someone who cured cancer then you can't really go up there and say that you turn on the christmas lights in Stoke. You need to embelish your own accomplishment a little bit to have a shot.

 

[The Hitch]

You're really, really desperate to make something out of this aren't you?

There's nothing there.

No im not. You might notice that i defend Cav most of the time from the constant hate he gets on here. Hence the thread title. But this ****es me off. I was hoping Cav could promote the sport by mentioning his victory in the prestigious Vuelta points competition. It comes not long after Wiggins similar dismissal in the Guardian chat of the Giro. And its disapointing, after supporting these guys for a year, to have the come out with the usual Tour = everything

Oh and id say this deserves more scrutiny than the "i want to go for classics" which he is getting critiscised for on another thread.

Theres still Sunday. I hope maybe he can get it in there when hes interviewed on live tv, so no ammount of editing gets in the way. well see.

How about we wait till then. If he mentions the Vuelta, i withdraw my comments. If its all about the Champs Elysee, i stick by them.

 

[boardhanger]

I disagree. The sentence continues "one stage in the TOur makes sombodies career". Manys a carreer!

I think hes talking about the importance of tour stages individually rather than the whole thing. Wrong

And there is still the interview with Inside sport a while back where he doesnt mention MSR and talks only about Champs ElyseeI believe he wasn't asked about MSR during that interview???.

 

[The Hitch]

I think hes talking about the importance of tour stages individually rather than the whole thing. I think that after listening to him say it a few times.

And of course he wasnt asked about MSR. He was asked about his best moments and he only talked about the Tour. Even if for him beating up on Ale Jet in Champs Elysee is more prestigious than getting over the Poggio and Cipressa before earning a MONUMENT, but i feel he should have promoted both himself and the sport by mentioning how big that victory was.

And maybe i am getting my priorities wrong but i always thought a monument was bigger than any single stage win.

 

[boardhanger]

I think hes talking about the importance of tour stages individually rather than the whole thing. I think that after listening to him say it a few times.

And of course he wasnt asked about MSR. He was asked about his best moments and he only talked about the Tour. Even if for him beating up on Ale Jet in Champs Elysee is more prestigious than getting over the Poggio and Cipressa before earning a MONUMENT, but i feel he should have promoted both himself and the sport by mentioning how big that victory was.

And maybe i am getting my priorities wrong but i always thought a monument was bigger than any single stage win.

I agree give me the monument any day, as i'm a one day fan first and foremost. But c'mon on this is answers answered for what wants to be heard.

 

[Izzy eviel]

I wouldn't worry too much about this. No point saying the highlight of your career came in a race no-one in the audience as heard about. Could've worded it better though I agree.

The only race in Britain that people have heard of is the Tour De France. You mention the Vuelta or any other race and they're

Cav should've mention he did more then one race!

 

[Martin318is]

And maybe i am getting my priorities wrong but i always thought a monument was bigger than any single stage win.

It may well be, however the supposed tradition was always for a cyclist to win a Tour stage and then when they retire open a cafe or something called "the Maillot Jaune" or something like that.

I listened carefully to what he said and it is abundantly clear that he is saying:

you have to be happy with winning a stage of the tour,
it (the Tour) is the biggest thing
one stage in the tour makes a career (see my point above).

Mr Mountain? meet Mr Molehill.

 

[online-rider]

They showed him saying

"A tour de france stage is the biggest thing in cycling".

thats not being selective. Thats Cav underplaying the importance of other races at the expense of the Tour.

Its one thing to say the Tour is the blue ribbon of our sport. Yes thats true. But to say that a stage is the biggest thing in cycling, when you have the best riders in the world focusing on other things, is something that deserves scrutiny imo.

Thats right. The Tour of Flanders is the biggest thing in cycling. TdF is worse than lawn bowls.

 

[Hawkwood]

I haven't seen this clip, but come on this is an interview for sports personality of the year, for a channel that acknowledges the Tour, track cycling and very little else. I was interviewed on a few occasions for TV and radio during the 80s and 90s, when I said I'd like to cover x,y,z they've said sure you can do that, then cut the whole lot out later. I've also had an answer to one specific question, being cut and used as an answer for another. As another poster said it's called editing.

 

[Winterfold]

This seems like wilful misreading of what he said.

It is mildly ambiguous, but it is pretty clear, even to people who don't have english as their first language, that he means the Tour is the biggest thing in cycling.

Even a little scally can work that one out it seems...

 

[simoni]

In a previous interview Cav made not one mention of Milan San Remo saying its all about Champs Elysee.

I understand the bbc (which by the way claims to be the world great beacon of imparitality) probably told him to stick to the Tour, in their everpresent attempt to limit the word "sport" to cover only events covered by the bbc, especially F1.

Two things here.

1 - Joe "British" Public think cycling is confined to the tour de france and the velodrome. Cavendish has an ego the size of the Isle of Man and would love to win SPOY so is going to "major" on that to increase his chances. See his reaction on winning San Remo in '09 to get an idea what he really thinks.

2 - The BBC has not covered the tour de france in all my time as a cycling fan (since the mid 80's basically).

 

[Four Winds]

This is for SPOTY 2010. His biggest achievement of 2010 was his 5 Tour stage wings followed by the wins/points jersey in Spain.

In 2009 when he was also nominated he talked about winning MSR as it was in that year as well as his Tour wins. I'd say he probably wants to forget large chunks of 2010 and especially MSR!