Is the mass exodus from Columbia due to Cavs potty mouth?

[Pharazon]

Just out of curiousity, how much longer do Rogers, Martin and Kirchen have left with Columbia? If any of these guys are going to fulfill their GC potential in longer races they won't be able to do it on a team where they are part of the leadout train for a sprinter, no matter how good he is.

A good example of this is Rogers tiring towards the end of the Giro this year after doing a fair share of work for Cavendish. If a team has serious GC aspirations for a rider you'd think they would spare that rider from hard work on the front... especially if they want to keep him.

Kirchen's already signed for Katusha next year
Martin resigned with Columbia for 2 years (i think 2 anyway)
no news on Rogers yet, though i think he's out of contract at the end of the year

 

[workingclasshero]

wtf. THIS is trolling that makes you react? every man and his effing dog knows that cavendish is hard work.

so thehog raises a valid topic, can cavendish's personality be something that drives people away.

hm. am i seeing things (well, it's actually not seeing things) or has cyclingnews edited my post so that my criticism of them is now gone? kinell that's poor form

 

[Four Winds]

Columbia have brought on a lot of young guys who are now too expensive to keep and are now going to fly the nest. Surely it has always been this way. Hardly peculiar to Columbia in 2009.

Also the Manx accent isn't anything like Scouse unless you've got cloth ears ...I'm from neither by the way. Plus if Cav was actually a scouser he would have been the prime suspect when LA's TT bike went missing and half the wheels in the peleton would have ended up on eBay by now!

 

[Moondance]

Probably way more about money.

I'm pretty sure Stapleton initially set up High-Road with the money he got T-Mobile when the bought out their sponsership deal. Maybe that pot of gold has run dry and now they can only rely on the money they get from Columbia and HTC, and if they can't break the bank for Hagen or Kirchen (Hagen and Kirchen are going, after all, to the two wealthiest teams in the biz) then they simply can't keep those guys.

 

[samb01]

Probably way more about money.

But if all else is (roughly) equal, staying with Columbia doesn't make sense for riders like Kirchen and Boasson. Columbia would have to pay them more than they can get elsewhere, because of Cavendish.

Btw, if money was the primary issue, Boasson would have signed with the non-PT team (probably BMC) that, according to his manager, gave the best monetary offer.

 

[Moondance]

But if all else is (roughly) equal, staying with Columbia doesn't make sense for riders like Kirchen and Boasson. Columbia would have to pay them more than they can get elsewhere, because of Cavendish.

Btw, if money was the primary issue, Boasson would have signed with the non-PT team (probably BMC) that, according to his manager, gave the best monetary offer.

I was mainly saying that Columbia might have to trim some fat off their payroll. And Boasson Hagen and Kirchen are blockbuster contracts. Columbia probably said to them: "We can pay you this much, not a lot more," and if Sky/Katusha were offering more money, plus the leadership roles both will get at their respective new teams, it was too attractive to turn down.

Everyone wants to be top dog if they have the quality of EBH or Kirchen, and Cav is the only #1 at C-HTC, so i can imagine that the Cav angle probably contributed a little, but to say it was the main reason, i don't think so. And it certainly has nothing to do with the fact Cav talks a bunch, most pro athletes aren't that childish.

 

[Big_Blue_Dave]

people from isle of man tend to speak with that (imo ) horrible accent

No wonder I always feel at home there.

 

[samb01]

so i can imagine that the Cav angle probably contributed a little, but to say it was the main reason, i don't think so.

I think you're wrong, and quite frankly it's a no-brainer.

 

[Moondance]

I think you're wrong, and quite frankly it's a no-brainer.

Well, I think you're wrong, and quite frankly it's a no-brainer.

 

[workingclasshero]

if Cav was actually a scouser he would have been the prime suspect when LA's TT bike went missing and half the wheels in the peleton would have ended up on eBay by now!

i guess it is a fair point against him scouse that he's one of the few to stay and do his job

 

[craig1985]

So you think EBH is not a talented young rider?

Of course I do. It is just that EBH would be able to get more $.

 

[rafael_ms]

I will stick with most of the people here. Budget problems.
But it's surely not the only problem. Also you have to count the liberty they will be given into the team, all and all. But everyone said that, sorry for not adding much information on my first post here.

Anyway. I also believe Cavendish is not fully dependent on his train. It was perfect this year, but he can also perform a good sprint without a train, the problem will be that he will have more competition.

Now a bit of 'brazilian options' For a train. Fischer is without contract, and i heard from a contact i have in national magazine he is about to close a contract for 2010, he would be a good component for a train.
And i think as long as renshaw is there, Columbia will have a great performance, like McEwen and Steegmans on 2006 TdF.

 

[blaxland]

We only call Cadel a Kiwi when his performance is terrible. When hes riding well, he's and Aussie

Damn straight and russell crowe is autralian too?HaHAHA

 

[fatandfast]

Russell Crowe is an Aussie version of Barney Rubble, short,fat,fire plug of a man, Not to much photoshop to make his head fit on the chunk Lampre guy everybody is passing around.

 

[richwagmn]

A lot of riders are leaving Columbia? Why? Has Cav completely p)ssed everyone off including his team-mates? Going to be hard pushed to win in 10 with a weakened leadout train. Thoughts? Discuss.

Wasn't this a case of too many riders? I thought Columbia had quite a large team.

 

[ingsve]

Wasn't this a case of too many riders? I thought Columbia had quite a large team.

No, the protour have limits to the number of riders on a team and recruited pretty much just as many as have left.

 

[davestoller]

George Hincapie is leaving and that says/means a lot.

He basically got Cav the win on the Champs ELysee and a bunch of others.
George controlled the bunch from 2-3 km to go until 500-700 mters to go.

Cav is a huge talent and a huge mouth and a huge ***.
He does not have the cool of a Zabel or the panache of a Cipollini.
He is a great sprinter however.

 

[flicker]

cav

Hopefully Cavendish will mature. Doesn't really matter though he rules.
Others run for his crumbs.

 

[Anonymous]

Hopefully Cavendish will mature. Doesn't really matter though he rules.
Others run for his crumbs.

I wish he would spend some money and get his teeth fixed...

 

[rafael_ms]

I think Hincapie wants more freedom. This is a good reason why he don't signed RadioShack too.

 

[cyclingmad]

Motivation

Probably way more about money.

I'm pretty sure Stapleton initially set up High-Road with the money he got T-Mobile when the bought out their sponsership deal. Maybe that pot of gold has run dry and now they can only rely on the money they get from Columbia and HTC, and if they can't break the bank for Hagen or Kirchen (Hagen and Kirchen are going, after all, to the two wealthiest teams in the biz) then they simply can't keep those guys.

I dont even think letting go of riders is even about money. There were just too many riders and having class riders sitting on the sidelines in the big races is a waste too many people to manage and ultimately destruction to morale. The team win twice as many races as any other.

Even losing all the riders they have lost they will still win more races than any other next season. Teams with too many riders ruin the contest anyway better to spread the pool around.

Cav has too much to say but probably just annoys opponents and fans that dont like him.
A rider on the same team would rather work for a guy that comes home with the wins and makes the team do well than busting gut for nothing.
Some of the riders like Boasin Haggen are upcoming superstars and need a team built around them not waiting for opportunities that might never come

 

[Boeing]

Cav is a Tool

 

[53 x 11]

Cav is a Tool

Cav is a chav.

 

[Fragrant Harbourer]

Constructive.

 

[TRDean]

Well, reading the comments from Lovkvist about wanting to be able to do more...EBH not exactly saying it outright, and Hincapie leaving I think it has more to do with more opportunities than Cavs potty mouth.