Garmin biggest cowards in today peloton

[Ryo Hazuki]

I thought Peter van Petegem was supposed to teach him

van petegem seemed even more clueless and unconvincing than marc sergeant

 

[jaylew]

I dont think I have ever been critical of Garmin or JV for that matter but when I heard him say dont ride on the radio, I though WTF, that is BS. I agree with others who dont care what the race situation was, ride for the win.

I think that was exactly what he was doing. At that point I'm sure he figured they had about a 1% chance of winning and that was if BMC succeeded (with virtually their entire team) in pulling it back and it came down to a sprint with a fairly fresh Farrar.

 

[Race Radio]

I think the fact they didn't give it a go said a lot. They just gave up. Pretty much what vaughters told them to do.

They gave up, or did not have it to begin with. The speed at which they were dropped when the action started says they did not have it, they were cooked.

How about your BMC guys today. They looked super strong. No podium but man they have a strong team. Next week should be interesting.

 

[jaylew]

The question then is, at a time when BMC had 7 riders working at the front, why were Hushovd and Farrar alone?

Exactly. That's the big issue. This team simply hasn't been as strong as it was supposed to have been.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The question then is, at a time when BMC had 7 riders working at the front, why were Hushovd and Farrar alone?

Precisely.

Sending your sprinters to the front at that point, particularly when neither are feeling great, would be suicide. There were teams there with many more riders, it's their responsibility to pull back the break. And fair play to BMC: They had nearly their full team up there and they shouldered the responsibility that comes with that brilliantly. BMC made the right call, even though they didn't get too much from it in the end. Garmin also made the right call.

The actually interesting point is that Garmin's much vaunted Classics team had been shredded by that stage. And shredded in circumstances where other teams, much weaker on paper, had much better representation.

 

[Granville57]

The fail was Garmin's riders not having the legs and possibly Hushovd working just before Boonen's attack.

I think it sounded bad at the time, especially when people were thinking it might be another long boring Canc victory...

That't the thing. The timing of the remark and how it was perceived is going to give JV an awful lot of grief—maybe even for the rest of season if this classics "super team" doesn't start asserting itself.

 

[jaylew]

That't the thing. The timing of the remark and how it was perceived is going to give JV an awful lot of grief—maybe even for the rest of season if this classics "super team" doesn't start asserting itself.

Totally agree. I think that serious cycling fans probably understand the call if they've really taken the time to think about it, but it's much more fun to hate on the "Classics Superteam". At this point they certainly deserve it.

 

[Highlander]

I think that was exactly what he was doing. At that point I'm sure he figured they had about a 1% chance of winning and that was if BMC succeeded (with virtually their entire team) in pulling it back and it came down to a sprint with a fairly fresh Farrar.

That would be sound reasoning if it was MSR. However, when was the last time that Flanders came down to a sprint of roughly 20 or so riders? If history doesn't suggest that a group will finish together, then he probably should assume that more attacks would come later in the course and the chances of getting a podium spot would be greatly reduced.

 

[Elegant Degenerate]

I think JV made the right call. Bi.tching at him for that appears to be hate for having an underperforming team.

The mistake of the day was Boonen launching Cancellara up the road, when Chavanel was away. That was dumb.

 

[The Sheep]

This kick might give them the needed motivation to win something

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think JV made the right call. Bi.tching at him for that appears to be hate for having an underperforming team.

The mistake of the day was Boonen launching Cancellara up the road, when Chavanel was away. That was dumb.

lol. Pretty sure canc wasn't gonna let chav get too far up the road. Chav being caught by spartacus or bmc, or whatever was inevitable.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

That would be sound reasoning if it was MSR. However, when was the last time that Flanders came down to a sprint of roughly 20 or so riders? If history doesn't suggest that a group will finish together, then he probably should assume that more attacks would come later in the course and the chances of getting a podium spot would be greatly reduced.

I don't think that Vaughters believed a bunch sprint was particularly likely. But I do think that in the circumstances the only way they could win at all was in a bunch sprint. What exactly were they supposed to do with two near-exhausted sprinters and no helpers? Sitting in the bunch and doing no work, hoping for a very unlikely bunch sprint was riding for the win. There was no other conceivable set of circumstances in which they could win or podium starting from that situation.

 

[Cobblestones]

That't the thing. The timing of the remark and how it was perceived is going to give JV an awful lot of grief—maybe even for the rest of season if this classics "super team" doesn't start asserting itself.

This is precisely why I got so riled up about it.

The whole 'make cycling interesting' shtick. Then the fight with the UCI over race radios. The race situation (Cance powering off, seemingly invincible and the prospect of a boring finish). And of course the exact wording: 'Let the other teams work' and 'we sprint for 1st or 3rd, it doesn't matter'. It all came together in this karmic moment of cosmic irony. It will haunt JV for the rest of his (hopefully short) career as DS.

The point is, he probably didn't have to say it at all. As others have pointed out, Garmin didn't have much support. Hushovd was feeling weak (Boonen and Cance had just stomped past him). And the race doesn't suit either Hushovd or Farrar. Was any of the two considering working at the front? Probably they had enough sense not to anyway. The whole comment by JV was pointless to begin which just adds to the travesty.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Was any of the two considering working at the front? Probably they had enough sense not to anyway. The whole comment by JV was pointless to begin which just adds to the travesty.

According to Vaughters, Farrar wanted to work. Vaughters was telling him to preserve himself just in case of a bunch sprint.

 

[meandmygitane]

I think Pozzato would be a nice addition to team Garmin-Wheelsuck.
I wonder if the team will manage to work togheter somewhere in the future

Thor Hushovd critisised the team selection for RVV in the media for not including compatriot Gabriel Rasch, which surely isn't improving team cohesion. Maybe the merging process is not going very smoothly.

 

[sublimit]

Is that a radar for cows?

Ryo has invented a new word!
Its a listening device for tired cyclists taking advice from somebody that doesn't know what he's doing.. resembling cow ears. I think.

 

[Cobblestoned]

CN forum usual suspects again widely soaking up and pointing out all the positive things of racing and cycling - with much sense.
wahwahwah JV wahwahwawa Boonen wahwah loser, fail, cowards, suckers, idiots....

That big failing BMC and sucking Chavanel are todays absolute heros now, then makes absolute sense again, too. lol

 

[jaylew]

That would be sound reasoning if it was MSR. However, when was the last time that Flanders came down to a sprint of roughly 20 or so riders? If history doesn't suggest that a group will finish together, then he probably should assume that more attacks would come later in the course and the chances of getting a podium spot would be greatly reduced.

Exactly. Attacks did come and of course his riders were nowhere. Their only hope for a win was for a sprint. Garmin had virtually no chance of winning at that point but what miniscule chance they had was in a sprint. The big question is, why did it come to that for them?

 

[Epicycle]

What happened to Van Summeren? Has he been injured or something, he wasn't on Garmin's team today. He was a monster working for Hoste during the latter part of RVV's when he was at Lotto.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

CN forum usual suspects again widely soaking up and pointing out all the positive things of racing and cycling - with much sense.
wahwahwah JV wahwahwawa Boonen wahwah loser, fail, cowards, suckers, idiots....

That big failing BMC and sucking Chavanel are todays absolute heros now, then makes absolute sense again, too. lol

I really have trouble understanding anything you post lately.

van Summeren has been transparent since pr 09'

 

[Rocksteady]

What happened to Van Summeren? Has he been injured or something, he wasn't on Garmin's team today. He was a monster working for Hoste during the latter part of RVV's when he was at Lotto.

And all the other Garmin Doms? (Hammond excluded, he did his part)

On that Note, for being a top notch sprinter, Farrar could have a future in the classics, especially P-R.

 

[hatcher]

I enjoy seeing that team fail, but I can't honestly say I would have made a different decision.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

There have already been a couple of disagreements with Garmin and Cervélo's people, firstly over the attention to the women's team (Cervélo were very forward on that, but they've received very little attention since the merger), and then over JV's "connect the dots" admission that he made assumptions about Xavier Tondó, a rider who Cervélo of course hired and gave a shot at the big time to. Won't be surprised if the manning of the teams is another problem with Hushovd having the riders he wants in the team and JV's Garmin guys having the riders they want in the team - a bit like the splitting of the domestiques in the 2009 Tour at Astana with Horner and Noval missing out.

On the positive side, Hushovd dropped back, Haussler dropped back, and both soft-pedalled the end so they may hopefully be fresher later in the classics season. Garmin may need that because firstly, Hushovd does better at Paris-Roubaix anyway, and secondly Paris-Roubaix is definitely not ending in a sprint, so working for Farrar is a waste of time.

It was a logical call, but one completely at odds with the public face JV presents of trying to be the face of a revolution in cycling to make it more interesting.

 

[hrotha]

13 Farrar +1:24
53 Hushovd +4:29
61 Haussler +8:02
108 Hammond +15:28
113 Klier +15:28

Frankly this puts things into perspective.

 

[Granville57]

Thor Hushovd critisised the team selection for RVV in the media for not including compatriot Gabriel Rasch, which surely isn't improving team cohesion. Maybe the merging process is not going very smoothly.

I didn't read that yet, but you only have to watch this, from the 4:55 to 6:15 mark, to get a sense of the team vibe.
Team Cayman-Cervelo
Doesn't exactly inspire confidence.