Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[Farcanal]

Re: Re:

He's a cocky little f***er, but you've got to give him credit for that win.

Gotta love how on YouTube the McEwen videos come up next to "how to replace a close coupled toilet syphon"!

That was pure Robbie McEwen.

cant beat me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji_XcHvJvac

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Unreal. Took me by completey surprise. Thought Cavendish would hardly place top 3 in the sprints. But he has now won his 4th stage. I was completely and utterly wrong. That track prep was the best move, seems to have regained all his speed

British athletes always seem to find extra form during Olympic years.

Success breeds success.

 

[Flamin]

Interesting comments from Cav in vive le velo, a belgian tv show. He said he isn't better than last year but that he's more patient again and back to sprinting on instincts. Something he barely needed at Etixx because they are so strong.

 

[Fergoose]

Re:

Interesting comments from Cav in vive le velo, a belgian tv show. He said he isn't better than last year but that he's more patient again and back to sprinting on instincts. Something he barely needed at Etixx because they are so strong.

I've not been too impressed by EQS leadout train either, seems to be putting Kittel's nose into the wind a little too early on a couple of occasions. Cav clearly not as dominant as in his prime given his distances to the likes of Sagan, but great to see that there is life in the old dog yet.

 

[Bluenine]

Great showing this Tour justgreat stuff, and again showing hes the best sprinter of our generation

 

[elfed68]

Did no one notice Cav's total disappearance behind Kittel on the way in? Kittel was the ultimate lead out man for Cav, I think it's bloody amazing that the days of the lead out train are over!!
Brian Smith is a genius!!!

 

[Jspear]

Lefevere is dying...

I was thinking the same thing.
Personally, I'm loving it.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Did no one notice Cav's total disappearance behind Kittel on the way in? Kittel was the ultimate lead out man for Cav, I think it's bloody amazing that the days of the lead out train are over!!
Brian Smith is a genius!!!

Well that relies heavily on either

a) the leadout train messing up and being a touch too short or
b) you being a fair bit faster than the guy who's wheel you're sitting on, even if their leadout is perfect

 

[elfed68]

Re: Re:

Did no one notice Cav's total disappearance behind Kittel on the way in? Kittel was the ultimate lead out man for Cav, I think it's bloody amazing that the days of the lead out train are over!!
Brian Smith is a genius!!!

Well that relies heavily on either

a) the leadout train messing up and being a touch too short or
b) you being a fair bit faster than the guy who's wheel you're sitting on, even if their leadout is perfect

I think Cav's more or less proven who's fastest this TdF.

 

[Bardamu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpdku7cBbBA&feature=youtu.be

 

[Red Rick]

There was a decent discussion about this in a Dutch program. Reasons for trains failing are basically

- Everyone has a train
- There's not one train significantly better
- So the peloton doesn't really get stretched

Trains still work in smaller races, but it seems they're a bit done in the TdF. The days of HTC 8km lead outs are over.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpdku7cBbBA&feature=youtu.be

The next episode to that:
http://sport.tv2.dk/cykling/2016-07-16-cavendish-skuffet-over-reporters-skjorte-tag-ham-af-skaermen-tv-2

 

[Flamin]

Re:

There was a decent discussion about this in a Dutch program. Reasons for trains failing are basically

- Everyone has a train
- There's not one train significantly better
- So the peloton doesn't really get stretched

Trains still work in smaller races, but it seems they're a bit done in the TdF. The days of HTC 8km lead outs are over.

All those trains battling it out against each other make sprint finishes quite a bit more interesting for me. The dynamics of a sprint change constantly because of it.

 

[Walkman]

Re:

There was a decent discussion about this in a Dutch program. Reasons for trains failing are basically

- Everyone has a train
- There's not one train significantly better
- So the peloton doesn't really get stretched

Trains still work in smaller races, but it seems they're a bit done in the TdF. The days of HTC 8km lead outs are over.

They should put one guy behind Kittel to deny Cav his wheel. And also hit the front a bit later, but that's difficult to time these days.

 

[MatParker117]

Abandoned the tour and heading for Rio, go get the gold Cav.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Damn

 

[laughingcavalier]

Re:

Abandoned the tour and heading for Rio, go get the gold Cav.

Cav getting the gold will be as big a surprise as winning the first stage at this year's Tour. Go Cav!

 

[Ramon Koran]

Good decision needs gold more than he needs another stage win.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Coqard will be happy.

 

[SlickMongoose]

Re:

Coqard will be happy.

Kittel will be even happier.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Coqard will be happy.

Well Greipel must be ecstatic then.

 

[SeriousSam]

Devalues his wins

 

[DFA123]

Re:

Abandoned the tour and heading for Rio, go get the gold Cav.

Strip him of the stage wins so far please.

A track sprinter turning up with no intention, nor the shape, to finish the race, has an unfair advantage over the rest and is distorting the competition.

 

[trucido]

Re: Re:

Abandoned the tour and heading for Rio, go get the gold Cav.

Strip him of the stage wins so far please.

A track sprinter turning up with no intention, nor the shape, to finish the race, has an unfair advantage over the rest and is distorting the competition.

This isn't directed at Cav specifically (*cough* Greipel at the Giro *cough*), but do people think if you abandon a stage/GT race for convenience, you should be stripped off your stage wins?

This obviously opens the can on abandoning due to sickness/injury, where people will say "well he wasn't planning on it but circumstances took it's toll". I'm sure we'd see a lot of cyclists pick up mystery "injuries" and "illnesses" with this scenario.

 

[SlickMongoose]

I imagine his inability to launch a sprint at the end of stage 16 had something to do with the decision. Pretty sure he wanted to finish.