Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[Zam_Olyas]

He did good here again http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-to-start-charitable-scholarship-scheme

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Libetine, are you suggesting that the 'Pro-Cavendish' camp are likely to bash peoples heads in and play the race card?

Do you also think it's a problem for Cav that his fanbase are as you think they are?

Your eloquent ramblings are often nowt more than that!

No, I'm saying that a lot of the everyone-against-my-guy mentality and arguments presented (often in increasingly desperate searches for excuses for not winning even when the sportsman in question doesn't give one) remind me an awful lot of arguing about F1 when Lewis Hamilton first arrived on the scene (and even more so in 2008). However, one good thing about Cavendish is that while people that don't like him can be erroneously accused of many things, at least racism isn't one of them, since I lost track of the amount of times any kind of dislike for Hamilton (or even liking him but acknowledging other guys might be as good as him) was dismissed as racism, because apparently racism was the only possible justification for not having Hamilton as your favourite driver. The race card bit was just a throwaway line on the end, but that's the explanation anyway.

Cav doesn't, or at least shouldn't, care that his fanbase are often like that; unlike a pro wrestler, how entertaining and likable he is don't affect his sporting qualities, because he's not paid to be entertaining and likable, he's paid to win. And because he is absolutely by far and away the best at what he does at the moment, he does that a lot. Maybe he won't dominate for years to come as many seem to think; but he'll still find wins here and there. There's always new kids on the block, and one day Cavendish will slow down and not be able to afford having a team focused entirely around him. But by the time that day arrives, he will probably be smart enough to get the job done other ways. Like Petacchi and McEwen before him.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, Freddy Maertens.


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Trofeo Laigueglia

Doesn't look like the Vuelta had 10 uphill finishes a year in those years, although i want to believe Maertens could get his *** up some mountains

 

[hmsgenoa]

1) He was disrespectful, yes. He wasn't stupid, though. All his posts and slightly odd letters were well written and had a clear logic, even if his interpretation of the facts was different to yours.

2) You've been clashing over one event that happened 2 years ago. You have no idea what else he thinks of Cav, bar that one incident, because frankly, the two of you have just been trading insults after a few posts on the Cav-Haussler incident.

Hey guys sorry If I really upset anybody, as I say this black and white media is often too harsh and doesn't really allow you to inject some humour without someone getting the wrong end of the stick.

I have to admit to being mildy annoyed that a lot were blind to what I see when I look at that crash, I was thinking 'they haven't bothered to look properly again'.

As far as BroDeals comments go, I've tried to take them in good humour, after all you could easily take offence at some of them. I'm thinking 'hey get back in your pram!'

Mind you that one about '.....if you let him succeed' cracked me up!

As far as the 'odd' letters go I can't for the life of me see why they're odd?
I mean that one I wrote to the UCI, to my mind how can you fault the logic? When I saw what Haussler did I was determined that they shouldn't stick the whole thing on Cav (and I'm no fanboy if that had been Brice Feillu taking the barge from Haussler I'd have felt the smae and done the same).

To my mind the commissaires didn't look at it closely enough, and if you look at it real time its all a bit too quick to reveal what actually happened. At the end of the day the commissaires are paid to do a job and do it properly, that day they didn't.

Ciolek should have had some kind of caution for the massive switch - that was far worse than Cav gradually closing the door and who can blame Cav after being on the receiving end of that switch? That kind of sudden movement could really get someone hurt, people have ended up in wheelchairs after lesser flicks than that.

To me it is just common sense, gradual line changes are one thing (Cav's not quite as 'Abdu' there as some make out) sudden switches and barges are something else and they should have been punished.

 

[hmsgenoa]

1) He was disrespectful, yes. He wasn't stupid, though. All his posts and slightly odd letters were well written and had a clear logic, even if his interpretation of the facts was different to yours.

2) You've been clashing over one event that happened 2 years ago. You have no idea what else he thinks of Cav, bar that one incident, because frankly, the two of you have just been trading insults after a few posts on the Cav-Haussler incident.

Hey guys sorry If I really upset anybody, as I say this black and white media is often too harsh and doesn't really allow you to inject some humour without someone getting the wrong end of the stick.

I have to admit to being mildy annoyed that a lot were blind to what I see when I look at that crash, I was thinking 'they haven't bothered to look properly again'.

As far as BroDeals comments go, I've tried to take them in good humour, after all you could easily take offence at some of them. I'm thinking 'hey get back in your pram!'

Mind you that one about '.....if you let him succeed' cracked me up!

As far as the 'odd' letters go I can't for the life of me see why they're odd?
I mean that one I wrote to the UCI, to my mind how can you fault the logic? When I saw what Haussler did I was determined that they shouldn't stick the whole thing on Cav (and I'm no fanboy if that had been Brice Feillu taking the barge from Haussler I'd have felt the smae and done the same).

To my mind the commissaires didn't look at it closely enough, and if you look at it real time its all a bit too quick to reveal what actually happened. At the end of the day the commissaires are paid to do a job and do it properly, that day they didn't.

Ciolek should have had some kind of caution for the massive switch - that was far worse than Cav gradually closing the door and who can blame Cav after being on the receiving end of that switch? That kind of sudden movement could really get someone hurt, people have ended up in wheelchairs after lesser flicks than that.

To me it is just common sense, gradual line changes are one thing (Cav's not quite as 'Abdu' there as some make out) sudden switches and barges are something else and they should have been punished.

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

That was pure dominance! Was it 13 out of 17 stages Freddy won! Ridiculous..

 

[Boardslide]

He did good here again http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-to-start-charitable-scholarship-scheme

+1 As I said in an earlier post sometimes he can really supprise and I think this is a really good opportunity he is giving to these young atheletes and cyclists.

 

[hmsgenoa]

1) He was disrespectful, yes. He wasn't stupid, though. All his posts and slightly odd letters were well written and had a clear logic, even if his interpretation of the facts was different to yours.

2) You've been clashing over one event that happened 2 years ago. You have no idea what else he thinks of Cav, bar that one incident, because frankly, the two of you have just been trading insults after a few posts on the Cav-Haussler incident.

Hey guys sorry If I really upset anybody, as I say this black and white media is often too harsh and doesn't really allow you to inject some humour without someone getting the wrong end of the stick.

I have to admit to being mildy annoyed that a lot were blind to what I see when I look at that crash, I was thinking 'they haven't bothered to look properly again'.

As far as BroDeals comments go, I've tried to take them in good humour, after all you could easily take offence at some of them. I'm thinking 'hey get back in your pram!'

Mind you that one about '.....if you let him succeed' cracked me up!

As far as the 'odd' letters go I can't for the life of me see why they're odd?
I mean that one I wrote to the UCI, to my mind how can you fault the logic? When I saw what Haussler did I was determined that they shouldn't stick the whole thing on Cav (and I'm no fanboy if that had been Brice Feillu taking the barge from Haussler I'd have felt the smae and done the same).

To my mind the commissaires didn't look at it closely enough, and if you look at it real time its all a bit too quick to reveal what actually happened. At the end of the day the commissaires are paid to do a job and do it properly, that day they didn't.

Ciolek should have had some kind of caution for the massive switch - that was far worse than Cav gradually closing the door and who can blame Cav after being on the receiving end of that switch? That kind of sudden movement could really get someone hurt, people have ended up in wheelchairs after lesser flicks than that.

To me it is just common sense, gradual line changes are one thing (Cav's not quite as 'Abdu' there as some make out) sudden switches and barges are something else and they should have been punished.

 

[BroDeal]

Great. Now he has resorted to spamming.

 

[Caruut]

No, I'm saying that a lot of the everyone-against-my-guy mentality and arguments presented (often in increasingly desperate searches for excuses for not winning even when the sportsman in question doesn't give one) remind me an awful lot of arguing about F1 when Lewis Hamilton first arrived on the scene (and even more so in 2008). However, one good thing about Cavendish is that while people that don't like him can be erroneously accused of many things, at least racism isn't one of them, since I lost track of the amount of times any kind of dislike for Hamilton (or even liking him but acknowledging other guys might be as good as him) was dismissed as racism, because apparently racism was the only possible justification for not having Hamilton as your favourite driver. The race card bit was just a throwaway line on the end, but that's the explanation anyway.

Cav doesn't, or at least shouldn't, care that his fanbase are often like that; unlike a pro wrestler, how entertaining and likable he is don't affect his sporting qualities, because he's not paid to be entertaining and likable, he's paid to win. And because he is absolutely by far and away the best at what he does at the moment, he does that a lot. Maybe he won't dominate for years to come as many seem to think; but he'll still find wins here and there. There's always new kids on the block, and one day Cavendish will slow down and not be able to afford having a team focused entirely around him. But by the time that day arrives, he will probably be smart enough to get the job done other ways. Like Petacchi and McEwen before him.

Once the sprint is on, he is generally already smart enough most of the time. The team just make the race a sprint finish and turn his winning %age from good to ridiculous.

Just had a look back through the results since 2008 - there have been 25 stages ending in a bunch sprint that involved Cav. He has won 20 of them.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Once the sprint is on, he is generally already smart enough most of the time. The team just make the race a sprint finish and turn his winning %age from good to ridiculous.

Just had a look back through the results since 2008 - there have been 25 stages ending in a bunch sprint that involved Cav. He has won 20 of them.

I was meaning that in the future, he will at some point no longer be the fastest, and then he'll have to be smarter in order to get the wins over the younger, faster guns. Much like how Petacchi's got the jump on him a few times. At the moment, Cav can be plenty smart enough when he needs to be (the myth that he needs the train should realistically have been well and truly debunked by now), but for the most part he doesn't necessarily need to be the smartest, just smart enough to get in the right place to let his natural speed take him there.

 

[hmsgenoa]

Great. Now he has resorted to spamming.

"Listen, my son. Trust no one! You can count on no one but yourself. Improve your skills, son. Harden your body. Become a number one man. Do not ever let anyone beat you!" -- Gekitotsu! Satsujin ken

Reading this little gem is revealing, using this as your daily mantra you have become paranoid and don't know when you are beat!

Is this the muttering of someone treading gently into mental illness themselves?

 

[CQmanager]

Cav just tweeted:

"So @petatodd & I have decided to have a final 'date' before I'm a dad. Doing it oldskool. Pizza & cinema."

Sure I'm happy for him to have a baby but when I read it, I had to laugh because he definitely shouldnt be eating any Pizza especially after being dropped on every tiny Cat 5 hill over the last few weeks.

Perhaps I'm wrong and since he got the rainbow jersey and new lucrative multi year contract he can eat pizza left and right. Way to go Cav and perhaps one day we will be seeing you on TV doing the "Biggest Loser" show. You are definitely on your way

CQM

 

[Mambo95]

Mark Cavendish is the best sprinter of his generation, possibly of all time.

Cycling, like all sports, is an entertainment, and Cavendish brings that. There's more talk if he loses than if he wins. He has charisma. Cycling fans are looking what he does next.

You may not like what Cav says after a race, but you want to hear him. And you'll discuss it. When did you listen to what Contador said? What has he said that was interesting?

You may not like Cavendish, but right now there's probably no more compelling all round character in cycling than him.

PS Anyone who lauds Cipollini and critisizes Cavendish is either naive, stupid or hypocritical (or most likely, too young and trying to co-op history as their own).;

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

Cav just tweeted:

"So @petatodd & I have decided to have a final 'date' before I'm a dad. Doing it oldskool. Pizza & cinema."

Sure I'm happy for him to have a baby but when I read it, I had to laugh because he definitely shouldnt be eating any Pizza especially after being dropped on every tiny Cat 5 hill over the last few weeks.

Perhaps I'm wrong and since he got the rainbow jersey and new lucrative multi year contract he can eat pizza left and right. Way to go Cav and perhaps one day we will be seeing you on TV doing the "Biggest Loser" show. You are definitely on your way

CQM

Hilarious.

Well worth the effort of putting in the
'Cav Depreciation Thread'. Anything else you might have an issue with? The brand of soap he uses?!

Petty small- mindedness.

 

[hatcher]

Sitting at home eating pizza, Peta Todd in my rainbow jersey, awaiting the birth of my daughter. Where did it all go wrong?

 

[cycladianpirate]

Sitting at home eating pizza, Peta Todd in my rainbow jersey, awaiting the birth of my daughter. Where did it all go wrong?

You'll start a "Proof that Cavendish has a weight problem" thread if you're not careful.

 

[ferryman]

Sitting at home eating pizza, Peta Todd in my rainbow jersey, awaiting the birth of my daughter. Where did it all go wrong?[/QUOTE]

MSM and FLW if you want to talk cycling.

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

Sitting at home eating pizza, Peta Todd in my rainbow jersey, awaiting the birth of my daughter. Where did it all go wrong?[/QUOTE]

MSM and FLW if you want to talk cycling.

If you want to talk cycling, talk sense.

Melodrama.

 

[ferryman]

If you want to talk cycling, talk sense.

Melodrama.

Pardon my French. Milan San Remo and Fleche Wallone. I thought those both were understood on a cycling forum.

I'm sure you are going to point out where I am wrong and where Cavendish actually didn't fail badly in both.

Interesting reference to melodrama though.

 

[Sam Allen]

Pardon my French. Milan San Remo and Fleche Wallone. I thought those both were understood on a cycling forum.

I'm sure you are going to point out where I am wrong and where Cavendish actually didn't fail badly in both.

Interesting reference to melodrama though.

How did he fail at Fleche Wallone?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

How did he fail at Fleche Wallone?

Old Ferry is too tired and cranky hating English people to remember the name of last Sunday's race, so confused it with one which is completely different. I'll leave aside the incorrect abbreviations.

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

I understood what you meant with the abbreviations I just don't see having a 'sans jour' at Milan - San Remo and misfortune at Gent - Wevelgem as 'It all going wrong'. It's not great, but he's won KBK before that and there's plenty of the season left.

Eating Pizza, not winning his last two races... To the tower!

 

[gingerwallaceafro]

I mean, it wouldn't even stand up in court would it? He hasn't eaten 'The Pizza' yet has he? Perhaps after the said evil piece of food has been ingested should the enquiry start..

 

[Caruut]

Hilarious.

Well worth the effort of putting in the
'Cav Depreciation Thread'. Anything else you might have an issue with? The brand of soap he uses?!

Petty small- mindedness.

Have a sense of humour, man.