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Hushovd's problem with Garmin?

Sep 9, 2009
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Can anyone shed some light for me on the issue between Team Garmin/Cervelo and Thor Hushovd? Or is it just between JV and Hushovd?
I've heard the rumblings that Hushovd is unhappy at the team, and a lot of folks seem to think he'll be changing teams next season, but can anyone tell me why?
Is it JV "allowing" Johan VanSummeren to win Paris-Roubaix? Some kind of short shrift in the contract or $$$ department? Interpersonal issues? What?

There's a lot of insidery talk going on with allusions to this or that, but no specifics.
 
hrotha said:
Hushovd is only happy when he's the unquestioned leader. He's a bit of a jerk, IMO. He had problems with Sastre last year, and Sastre's objectives sure as hell didn't overlap with Hushovd's.
I think that was because the team mostly left Hushovd to fend for himself, even though Sastre was clearly out of it.
 
Not sure what exactly is going on with Hushovd and Garmin but I just saw the post-race interview he had with the NOS and he said "it was a good result for them ehm us" he doesn't really seem to see himself as part of Garmin anymore.
 
MrRoboto said:
I think that was because the team mostly left Hushovd to fend for himself, even though Sastre was clearly out of it.
That's certainly how Hushovd saw it, since he went so far as to say Sastre hadn't done **** at Cervélo (conveniently forgetting his 2009 Giro). Personally I thought Hushovd had enough support. I don't know what else he wanted, since he can't contend mass sprints anymore, and to me it sounded like it was just a matter of hierarchy, not support. Of course, Sastre had pretty much the same attitude regarding Hushovd and the team.
 
Aug 13, 2009
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max_powers said:
It's all about the Benjamins.

The Champ wanted a bonus for winning/wearing the Jersey.

Turtle necks and sideburn shavers budgets cannot be adjusted.

He more then wanted it, the $$$ were in his contract. Supposedly they have come to an agreement and all is good now
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Which top rider doesn't want the focus on them?

At Cervelo we all knew Sastre was out of it so why wouldn't he want more focus on him? I see nothing wrong with that.

He won Worlds and usually the Worlds rider get his team at the Tour if not all GT's mainly for show. So once signed with Garmin well too many captains if you really think about it, he was already sharing time with Hausler so now with yet more riders on the same program at Garmin they decide to go with the multi-captain approach with not many domestiques at the Classics. That failed pretty badly, even with the Teams win at P-R its not like the favorites got any glory. Even now who will go for the Green? Both Thor and Farrar? Someone's got a give. Who gets the lead out for the sprints? There can't be two and they end up sprinting against each other, total mess and a good reason to exit stage left for Thor.
 
Sure, most top riders want the focus on them to some degree, but most of them don't take it to unreasonable lengths. Gilbert, Van den Broeck and Greipel coexist and work for each other when needed (well, not that I remember seeing Gilbert working for anyone this year, but still). Cavendish doesn't throw a tantrum because Martin talks about doing a top 10 in the GC. Cunego hasn't even complained about the whole team being built up around Petacchi. For me this is clearly a matter of an inflated ego, nothing else.
 
hrotha said:
Sure, most top riders want the focus on them to some degree, but most of them don't take it to unreasonable lengths. Gilbert, Van den Broeck and Greipel coexist and work for each other when needed (well, not that I remember seeing Gilbert working for anyone this year, but still). Cavendish doesn't throw a tantrum because Martin talks about doing a top 10 in the GC. Cunego hasn't even complained about the whole team being built up around Petacchi. For me this is clearly a matter of an inflated ego, nothing else.

Well, that's because Cavendish has the team management firmly on his side and they tell their GC hopes to work for Cav so why would Cav complain. I would be interseted in seeing what Cav would say if for example Martin refused to work in the sprints if he was ordered to. I remember when both Löfkvist and Rogers were working for Cav in the sprints in the 2009 Giro eventhough they were both still in the top 10 on GC with Löfkvist wearing the white jersey.
 
Oct 16, 2009
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hrotha said:
Sure, most top riders want the focus on them to some degree, but most of them don't take it to unreasonable lengths. Gilbert, Van den Broeck and Greipel coexist and work for each other when needed (well, not that I remember seeing Gilbert working for anyone this year, but still). Cavendish doesn't throw a tantrum because Martin talks about doing a top 10 in the GC. Cunego hasn't even complained about the whole team being built up around Petacchi. For me this is clearly a matter of an inflated ego, nothing else.
Gilbert's a pretty selfish rider IMO. It's a rare sight to see him work for a team mate. Even when Evans was at Lotto it was he who worked for Gilbert. I'm not criticising that, because he's shown that he deserves the support. Cavendish is the same. He always has the entire team working for him, and he always delivers.

I think Hushovd has a better shot at green than Farrar, and if he wanted to go for it he should've had the team behind him (he doesn't need that much physical support, though, he can do a lot on his own compared to Cav, but he needs to be the leader). But it didn't seem like he was too interested green this year, or at least not interested enough to potentially cause conflict within the team.

Anyway, now that Farrar is at the Tour, Garmin should team him up with Thor for the flat sprints, because with Thor's positioning and Farrar's speed they could definitely challenge Cav.
 
Jun 15, 2011
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I remember the years at C-A when Hushovd was supposed to do leadouts for O'Grady. It always ended in Hushovd avoiding Stuey at all cost, and both sprinting on either side of the road, finishing well outside the podium. One of the biggest egos in the peloton for sure.
 
Jun 15, 2011
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hrotha said:
Gilbert, Van den Broeck and Greipel coexist and work for each other when needed

PhilGil owes alot to OPL, and especially to JVDB.

I think he will be second in the leadout for Greipel, ahead of Roelandts, and the guy to bring JVDB in position on the lower slopes of Luz Ardiden, Alpe d'Huez etc.

Thinking back on the Ardennes this year, I really hope Vanendert gets his chance this Tour. That guy is way too strong to just be a domestique.
 
Oct 16, 2009
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Gosta1 said:
PhilGil owes alot to OPL, and especially to JVDB.

I think he will be second in the leadout for Greipel, ahead of Roelandts, and the guy to bring JVDB in position on the lower slopes of Luz Ardiden, Alpe d'Huez etc.
I'll believe that when I see it.
 
Nov 11, 2010
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It mainly has to do with the bonus. JV's still looking for an additional sponsor to give Thor the World Champion bonus he wants. I think it also has to do with the fact that his spring didn't go according to plan, jealousy with Summie winning Roubaix instead of him. But looking at it from a realistic point of view, will Summie ever win Roubaix again? No. Hushovd has a better classics pedigree than Summie. So he should get that out of his head. The only thing that'll probably keep Thor with Garmin for next season is if he gets that bonus.
 
Jun 15, 2011
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Farrars only chance of beating Cav, is if Thor can do one of does monster leadouts that we saw in T-A. The only thing preventing that is Thors own ego.
 
Aug 11, 2009
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Maybe Thor just doesn't like Garmin?

Thor's got plenty of teams knocking at his door, and he didn't really "choose" for Cervelo to merge with Garmin in the first place.

Everyone's entitled to his own preferences. Maybe he thinks the guys at Garmin are just huge dorks, regardless of their results.

Maybe he finds JV's voice and affect completely insufferable even when JV has something worthwhile to say.

Maybe he thinks riding for a super-American-focused team just isn't as much fun as working in France while living in Monaco.

Maybe he's tired of pretending to like Cervelo bikes--and especially tired of doing silly made-for-the-web home videos.

The better question, as far as I'm concerned, is why couldn't Roger Legeay get a new sponsor??
 
Oct 16, 2009
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I can definitely see certain people not fitting into the whole brolove atmosphere at Garmin. Maybe a (European) team with a stronger DS would fit Hushovd better, like Saxo or Quick-Step. Who knows?
 
Mar 31, 2010
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basically the answer is farrar. garmin is an american team and JV has it in his head that farrar is the next great american sprinter. JV doesn't give a **** about Thor. most likely he was forced to take him on in the merger. it's pretty *** cuz while thor may not have the top end speed he used to he is still more than capable of winning the green jersey. if they lined up dean and farrar to lead out thor he'd run away with the green this year. oh well. thor will be off to another team next year and by 2013 farrar may likely be hoping that he can get a contract with cofidis.
 
Jul 27, 2009
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ergmonkey said:
Maybe Thor just doesn't like Garmin?

That's my take on it. I think Thor and Haussler took an instant disliking to Garmin.

Haussler was lucky or unlucky enough depending on your point of view to be in less than his best form so as been able to take off and do his own thing until August. Thor has had to stick around and make the best of a bad situation.
 

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