Hushovd deserving wearer of green jersey

[elapid]

You do realize that Cav wasn't even thinking about the green jersey before he started kicking "Mighty Thor's" a** at the line and the press started talking green jersey. All Cav wanted to do was win some stages and finish the Tour this year - since he regrets dropping out of last years TDF. The green jersey would have been icing on the cake, that's all.

Agree with BroDeal and ruamruam. You just swallowed Columbia's PR hook, line and sinker. Milan-San Remo is the perfect example of this PR at its best. Cav came to the TdF to win stages and the green jersey. Why would he be so upset if the green jersey was not one of his aims?

 

[Jayarbie]

I believe Thor has now officially passed Cadel Evans in the mountains classification.

 

[535xiguy]

Oh, BS. They were just not man enough to admit their goal. That way if he failed, they could fall back on the excuse that they were not really going after it anyway. If he did not care about the points jersey then he would not be so upset at being relegated.

Yes you must be correct. You can tell by the way Cav has worked so hard to pick up intermediate points

 

[Jayarbie]

Yes you must be correct. You can tell by the way Cav has worked so hard to pick up intermediate points

It's hard to pick up intermediate sprint points from the Grupetto. He did race Hushovd for the points on at least one of the first week stages.

 

[Jonathan]

You do realize that Cav wasn't even thinking about the green jersey before he started kicking "Mighty Thor's" a** at the line and the press started talking green jersey. All Cav wanted to do was win some stages and finish the Tour this year - since he regrets dropping out of last years TDF. The green jersey would have been icing on the cake, that's all.

http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~aesop/aesop_fall94/palica/palica_t1.html

 

[535xiguy]

It's hard to pick up intermediate sprint points from the Grupetto. He did race Hushovd for the points on at least one of the first week stages.

I agree. There was one stage that Cav raced for points - he was in green at the time and probably felt obligated. If he was seriously looking for green from the beginning, he would have been looking to grab points wherever he could, not just sit at the back. He is more interested in winning stages, and finishing the Tour for the first time.

 

[elapid]

It's hard to pick up intermediate sprint points from the Grupetto. He did race Hushovd for the points on at least one of the first week stages.

+1. Exactly. Why go for intermediate points if you're not interested in the green jersey (or make stupid statements like Cav's three days after the sprint in question)? Cav and Columbia may not have outright stated it, but their actions on the road have always said that they're aiming for the green jersey.

 

[elapid]

I agree. There was one stage that Cav raced for points - he was in green at the time and probably felt obligated. If he was seriously looking for green from the beginning, he would have been looking to grab points wherever he could, not just sit at the back. He is more interested in winning stages, and finishing the Tour for the first time.

McEwen rarely dueled for intermediate points and still won three green jerseys. He preferred winning stages or, if that wasn't possible, to be as consistent as possible at the finish. Consistency has also won Friere, Hushovd, Boonen and Cooke green jerseys in the recent past. The fact that Cav was sprinting for intermediate points at all means that he is/was interested in the green jersey.

 

[535xiguy]

+1. Exactly. Why go for intermediate points if you're not interested in the green jersey (or make stupid statements like Cav's three days after the sprint in question)? Cav and Columbia may not have outright stated it, but their actions on the road have always said that they're aiming for the green jersey.

He only went for points one time and he was in the green jersey at that stage. Cav does want to win the stage on the Champs-Élysées.

 

[elapid]

He only went for points one time and he was in the green jersey at that stage. Cav does want to win the stage on the Champs-Élysées.

And I hope he does. I do like Cav. But this doesn't change my mind that the green jersey was one of Cav's and Colmbia's goals in addition to stage wins.

 

[fairplay]

Another way to look at it is that Cav have contested ALL the intermediate sprints he COULD where Thor was also going for points... No doubt that Cav prefers not to spend energy in the intermediate sprints.

 

[535xiguy]

And I hope he does. I do like Cav. But this doesn't change my mind that the green jersey was one of Cav's and Colmbia's goals in addition to stage wins.

We can agree to disagree. I don't think the green jersey was a priority for Colombia and Cav, not that they would mind getting it if they could.

You are correct that Columbia-HTC should be getting Cav some media training!

 

[fairplay]

McEwen rarely dueled for intermediate points and still won three green jerseys. He preferred winning stages or, if that wasn't possible, to be as consistent as possible at the finish. Consistency has also won Friere, Hushovd, Boonen and Cooke green jerseys in the recent past.

I remember one year where Thor & Boonen (I think) fought like cats and dogs for the intermediate sprints, and McEwen just sat back and then took home the stage win grabbing the most points altogether.

Another good one was when CA put up a train for Thor in an intermediate sprint, but did such a **** poor job of it that McEwen still beat Thor.

Fun times... even though I was cheering for Thor and not McEwen.

 

[the_prawn]

I agree that Thor is definitely a deserving winner - riding solo over two cat 1's while wearing the green to almost guarantee the points competition win is a big move and entertaining to watch.
In my experience a lot (most? all?) pure sprinters have at least a bit of an attitude like Cav. By saying "pure sprinters" I'd exclude riders like O'Grady and other all rounder type sprinters.
The smarter sprinters just know when to keep their mouthes shut.

I don't believe today's break will have much, if any, negative effect on Thor in Paris - riding a crazy stage like today hurts no matter what and Cav can't climb for **** so will be fighting to stay inside the time limit.

 

[TNRider]

If Cav had not been relegated...

The standings before today would have been Thor 217, Cav 213 and after Thor's run today would be 229 to 213. Seems to me, Cav doesn't have a leg to stand on and should probably think a bit more before spouting off and sounding like the arrogant a** he is accused of being. Then again he said it himself the other day "I'm an ar**hole."

 

[cody_57]

Great move Thor. Legs doing the talking and all that. Definitely a deserving winner.

Absolutely agreed! Brilliant picure of Mark Cavendish somewhere screaming and pointing at a rival during the sprint finish and that's fine, heat-of-the-moment and all that, but STFU once it's over. What Thor did today personifies to me what biking should be like - those crazy heroics (that sometimes fail miserably) that shows what the riders are made of.

 

[RhodriM]

Oooh:

'Thor Husovd, what can I say, after a certain persons comments today, Thor sticks two fingers up in a way that only Thor can. A true Gent'

- Bradley Wiggins

 

[fungee]

I guess Thor's PR plan has worked out perfectly: "Get in a breakaway today to pretend I'm a fighter and that way people might forget I'm actually an immature crybaby."

That's quite philosophical.
You have to fight real hard, e.g. climb severeal cat 1 mountains, in order to pretend to be a fighter?


Next time someone might point out that Michael Phelps is indeed only pretending to be a swimmer. In reality he can't swim at all.

 

[TRDean]

Oooh:

'Thor Husovd, what can I say, after a certain persons comments today, Thor sticks two fingers up in a way that only Thor can. A true Gent'

- Bradley Wiggins

Sweet...Wiggo is speaking for a lot of the peleton I think!

 

[Anonymous]

I still kinda agree that the green jersey is stained... Thor should have just kept his mouth shut and let his legs do the talking, like they have all Tour long. No one likes a cry baby, whether it be Thor or Cav. Thor's a better all-around rider and I believe would have rolled into Paris in Green anyway.

Plus, he needs to pad his points because he knows he'll lose to the Columbia train. He doesn't want to lose the jersey on the final day.

 

[scribe]

Cavendish cut Thor into that corner. The guy had to tap the brakes. That ride today by Thor made me into a big fan, and I didn't really care much before.

 

[TRDean]

Cavendish cut Thor into that corner. The guy had to tap the brakes. That ride today by Thor made me into a big fan, and I didn't really care much before.

Scribe...I actually agree with you here!!!

 

[Wergeland]

Anyone see when Hushovd went off the road today? Excellent bike handling skills. Pulled is foot out of the pedal early when he saw he couldn't make the turn and did a controlled slide with his backwheel locked.

That same turn took out both Menchov, Txurukka and Kenny van Hummel.

 

[Ottobre]

It looks like Hushovd is being motivated by a guilty conscience today.

Right. He was probably not at all motivated by Cavendish and Columbia's repeated negative comments about him... For example the latest claim, that Hushovd supposedly told them them that he actually thought Cavendish's sprint was fair - which Hushovd completely denies that he have told, and hence reperats his critisism of the manx-man's sprint.

Besides, I think one should take notice of that Cavendish was relegated from the sprint, prior to Cervelo's complaint.

Anyway; Hushovd can now be more relaxed about the Paris-sprint, as he does not need to be within the first to finish to get the green jersey, which means he can take some more bold chances in the sprint to try to win. In addition he secured himself some more credit in the competition - and increased the chance that he will win by more points than Cavendish was deducted, which would make the whole episode a something to neglect. Anyway; Thor Hushovd's struggle (on the road) to take the green jersey in front of the clearly better mass-sprint-finisher Mark Cavendish, has been the highlight of the Tour, at least until things finally started to happen in the mountains today.

(Besides, he apologiesd for the shouting at Velits, both in the media and to Velits. Would Cavendish do such a thing?)

 

[Anonymous]

i still think it was wrong that cav was deducted all points, i think a position swap would have been fair, but all credit to Thor today, great performance to get away (although i think he was allowed to a bit)

says more of certain peoples attitudes towards cav more than anything.. i dont think they would have let him off the front for 12 pts..