Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[Waterloo Sunrise]

If Cav does leave early I would laugh. When he and Wiggo were *****ing on Twitter early in the season re them going for Green & Yellow isnt difficult and not impossible.

That was before Wiggins realised he really did have this on a plate this year.

Much better for everyone if Cav can go to a team that will build their Tour around him. He's only been able to sprint 3 times this tour. 2 wins (in which Griepel had a more than fair chance both times) versus 1 loss where he was sprinting from 400m to go and had shot his bolt just to reach Griepel's backwheel at 150 to go.

I had been worried he was starting to lose his advantage, but it seems he's still got it, if he's given a chance.

 

[Corona]

Sky could find a way to keep them all happy next year...

"Brad, we want you to defend P-N first. But great riders achieve different things, so how's about you go win the Giro? You've proven you can do the really hard stages and really steep stuff. We'll give you Richie, Mick, Stan and Christian. It will be no problem. You won't be able to defend yellow, but you can still go to the Tour to help Cav and win the TTs. That will give you chance to build up again and be fresh for the World ITT. You really need those rainbow bands."

"Froomey, you need to get a GT on your palmares. Once you've done that, there'll be no stopping you. The Tour might be difficult, because Bertie's back and the guys on the CN Forum say the sun shines out of his backside. So you're going to La Vuelta. You'll be leader there this time, so it should be a formality and we'll give you those Colombian climbing goats. We'll keep you busy in the spring though - you're made for the Ardennes. LBL has got your name on it."

"Cav. GW/MSR in the spring, and it's your turn for leadership at the Tour. You can have your pick of our big rouleurs and fast men - Stannard, EBH, Hayman, Thomas, Flecha, Sutton - they're yours. Six more stage wins and you're well on your way to Eddie's all time record."

Maybe.

and.... wake up now

Can you really see a man with Wiggin's arrogance not defending le tour next year.

Leaving aside the clinic comments, the general cycling world thinks it's been a weak tour without Contador & Schleck, that it's been a parcours pefectly suited to Wiggins. If Wiggins wants to be remembered as a great (and I think he does) there is no way he'll not defend next year.

It really would be best for all concerned if Cav found another team prepared to dedicate to him.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Not an ideal tour and still 3 stages. Not bad.

 

[richwagmn]

Cav sure looks like he's dropped a bit of weight.

 

[mscaviy2601]

and.... wake up now

Can you really see a man with Wiggin's arrogance not defending le tour next year.

Leaving aside the clinic comments, the general cycling world thinks it's been a weak tour without Contador & Schleck, that it's been a parcours pefectly suited to Wiggins. If Wiggins wants to be remembered as a great (and I think he does) there is no way he'll not defend next year.

It really would be best for all concerned if Cav found another team prepared to dedicate to him.

And yet no rider had more stage wins than Cav in this race. How is he missing out with this new GT focused team? After seeing the way he chased down the break in the final Km Friday and the way he's had to position himself without the advantage of an HTC style train, one could argue that his experience at Sky will make him a better rider.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

And yet no rider had more stage wins than Cav in this race. How is he missing out with this new GT focused team?

Because if he had his own train the whole tour he might have gotten 5 or 6 wins.

 

[mscaviy2601]

Because if he had his own train the whole tour he might have gotten 5 or 6 wins.

And where would he find that train? Has any team shown an HTC-esque ability. Lotto struggle to place Greipel well, GreenEdge didn't give Goss any wins, today Sagan was well down on the Sky train.

In the space of a year, Sky have effectively won Cav the WC, won him his first GC, won 3 staqes including the monument Champs-Elyssee and might win him a gold medal next week. Not bad for a first year getting to know you period. Imagine what they could do in year two!!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

HTC did not have any magic ability. They just committed because they knew they had the best guy. In 2009 no one bothered to challenge them, but by 2011 they were regularly getting swamped and finding harder ways to get the job done.

But as long as you even try, you tend to be in front of the crashes, and as long as he starts anywhere near the front Cav will win more often than not.

If Brailsford cares about British road cycling in the round, outside Sky, he will let Cav leave and go to a team that will offer support.

 

[Machu Picchu]

In the space of a year, Sky have effectively won Cav the WC, won him his first GC, won 3 staqes including the monument Champs-Elyssee and might win him a gold medal next week. Not bad for a first year getting to know you period. Imagine what they could do in year two!!

The point is that Cav should be contesting for the Green and both he and sky know this. It's disrespectful to have him (in the World Champion jersey) being neutered in such fashion.

(btw, sky didn't win him the WC, nor will they win him gold, also it's Champs-Elysees, drop the idiotic 'monument')

 

[Cav the Great]

And where would he find that train? Has any team shown an HTC-esque ability. Lotto struggle to place Greipel well, GreenEdge didn't give Goss any wins, today Sagan was well down on the Sky train.

In the space of a year, Sky have effectively won Cav the WC, won him his first GC, won 3 staqes including the monument Champs-Elyssee and might win him a gold medal next week. Not bad for a first year getting to know you period. Imagine what they could do in year two!!

Aint that the truth , i think Cav will be very satisfied with how its all gone so far , even more so with that Gold Medal around his neck.

 

[spalco]

(btw, sky didn't win him the WC, nor will they win him gold, also it's Champs-Elysees, drop the idiotic 'monument')

I agree about the "monument" thing, but Sky did win him the WC (I'm convinced they would not have gone all out like that without him signing for Sky), and if Cavendish wins, Sky have will played a big role in winning the Olympic gold as well.

 

[Corona]

Aint that the truth , i think Cav will be very satisfied with how its all gone so far , even more so with that Gold Medal around his neck.

Cav may be satisfied with the way it's gone in a year when he desperately wants to win Olympic gold. I don't for one minute think Cav will be satisfied with it in any other year.

 

[mscaviy2601]

The point is that Cav should be contesting for the Green and both he and sky know this. It's disrespectful to have him (in the World Champion jersey) being neutered in such fashion.

(btw, sky didn't win him the WC, nor will they win him gold, also it's Champs-Elysees, drop the idiotic 'monument')

I will when Sean Kelly does.

As for the WC's, I did say effectively and David Millar was the only non-Sky rider supporting Cav.

and both he and sky know this

Do you know this for a fact?

And how is winning three stages and helping a rider win the Yellow being disrespectful to the World Champs jersey? As for the Green jersey, those chances will come although I suspect breaking the stage wins record is the greater motivation for Cav and I don't see any team offering the ability to do that over and above Sky.

 

[Machu Picchu]

I will when Sean Kelly does.

Oh you heard Sean say it so now you parrot him, how cute.

And how is winning three stages and helping a rider win the Yellow being disrespectful to the World Champs jersey? As for the Green jersey, those chances will come although I suspect breaking the stage wins record is the greater motivation for Cav and I don't see any team offering the ability to do that over and above Sky.

You do Cav a disservice if you think he doesn't want both the Green jersey and of course the wins which will come with it, you show your ignorance if you believe that he'd be unable to do both just as easily away from sky.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Had Sky not lost Siutsou early and had the green jersey competition been like 2011, i.e. no Sagan, then Cav probably would have won green again.

So I think it is possible to win yellow and green, but probably not with Sagan on this form.

 

[Winterfold]

Evil Sky disrespecting the rainbow jersey - death star *******s
I bet Prudhomme is crying his eyes out

 

[zigzag wanderer]

Brailsford says he can leave...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/18949125

 

[MonteZoncolan]

Brailsford says he can leave...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/18949125

Interesting read. If the interview was written in context then there isn;t much from Brailsford that suggests he wants to keep Cavendish at Sky. There's a lot there that suggests he's putting Cavendish in the shop window.

I think it's innevitable he will go. To where is a good question.

 

[asdfgh101]

OPQS makes a ton of sense.

 

[T-Rav.]

This year, especially if he wins the Olympic gold, Cavendish will consider it an excellent year and time well spent at Sky. But next year, with no Olympics on the horizon, a WC course less suited to him, and with Sky again focused on winning/defending yellow, will he be satisfied with a similar Tour next year? Doubtful.

 

[HoinkDoink]

Another good win today.

If he does go to OPQS would Renshaw and Eisel join him?
Could be something like this

Peter Veilts, Tony Martin, Sylvain Chavanel, Bernie Eisel, Tom Boonen, Mark Renshaw, Mark Cavendish. With 2 other riders, its not HTC but will still be a good leadout for him.

 

[El Pistolero]

Wouldn't count on Boonen doing much leadout for a guy he can't stand.

 

[HoinkDoink]

Yeah wasnt sure about Boonen and Chavanel, I dont know who would join though if Cav does

 

[tofino]

Olympic Gold and gone with cash buyout

Once Mark wins the gold for Sky his real purpose at Sky will be gone. Bradley (mini Paul Weller in training) is the poster boy for Sky and he's easier to manage than Cav.

Deal will be done and announced after Olympics and we'll see if British soccer style "transfer fee" is actually announced. Mark might have to officially buy out his contract to keep the UCI happy but its a transfer fee by another name. I'd guess $5 million Euros.

 

[Morbius]

It's interesting that Cav's last two wins have been long sprints when you consider the lead-out he is likely to get in the Olympics. The last man next week is likely to be Wiggins, which means that Cav will either have to get on another lead-out train or sprint long himself. Frankly I'm surprised that they didn't take Swift, but it seems they are planning to use the team to get Cav near the finish and let him do the rest on his own.