Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[TheEnoculator]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-leaving-sky-due-to-unequal-treatment-flecha-says

Cavendish leaving Sky due to unequal treatment, Flecha says

I honestly laughed when it said they didn't treat him like a boss. What did he expect? Sky to forget about winning the Tour to help him win flat stages?

I saw this coming a mile away when he signed with Sky last year.

 

[theyoungest]

Being taller doesn't make you a better climber.

Uhh... yeah, that's exactly what the guy was trying to say.

Jesus, a university education apparently isn't what it once was.

 

[Afrank]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-leaving-sky-due-to-unequal-treatment-flecha-says

Cavendish leaving Sky due to unequal treatment, Flecha says

Oh Cav , one would think he would have enough sense to know that any team will take a overall victory at the Tour over a bunch of stage wins any day.

 

[MatParker117]

I honestly laughed when it said they didn't treat him like a boss. What did he expect? Sky to forget about winning the Tour to help him win flat stages?

I saw this coming a mile away when he signed with Sky last year.

There's some quite funny footage of Cav throwing his toys out the pram over something on the team car.

 

[the asian]

He's joining the right team though.

We all know that OPQS and stage racers are a match made in heaven, so he'll have nothing to worry about except perhaps good old Boonen.

 

[Boardslide]

When you're recruited on the understanding and promise of being a joint leader and it doesn't materialize anyone would be annoyed but it isn't Cav who has voiced these sentiments but Flecha and De Jongh. In fact I think so far Cav has been very restrained in his comments, at the start of the season Sky didn't expect Wiggins to improve so much and had Cav as a backup plan but soon ignored everyone else once wiggins started to perform. Sky showed no respect to Cav or the rainbow jersey.

 

[richwagmn]

He's joining the right team though.

We all know that OPQS and stage racers are a match made in heaven, so he'll have nothing to worry about except perhaps good old Boonen.

I don't see a conflict at all between Boonen and Cav. Boonen is a non-factor in TDF stage sprints and Cav is a non-factor in the classics.

 

[PhiberAwptik]

He's joining the right team though.

We all know that OPQS and stage racers are a match made in heaven, so he'll have nothing to worry about except perhaps good old Boonen.

Boonen has already made it clear that he knows his ship has sailed when it comes to bunch sprints, and that he would be more than happy to work for Cav. There may be a few overlapping classics, but I wouldn't imagine OPQS would hold Boonen back so that he can ride for a bunch sprint.

I imagine Sky will be wishing they had a winning machine back when Andy and Alberto are making life hell for their guys in the tour next year. Right about that time some stage wins would be nice for their morale.

 

[burning]

As good a time as any to make use of this pic i found on facebook by accident.

I'm dying of laughter

 

[MatParker117]

Boonen has already made it clear that he knows his ship has sailed when it comes to bunch sprints, and that he would be more than happy to work for Cav. There may be a few overlapping classics, but I wouldn't imagine OPQS would hold Boonen back so that he can ride for a bunch sprint.

I imagine Sky will be wishing they had a winning machine back when Andy and Alberto are making life hell for their guys in the tour next year. Right about that time some stage wins would be nice for their morale.

I believe that's what Edvald Boasson Hagen is for although with Sagan, Griepel, Goss and (still) potentially Cavendish to contend with I don't envy him.

 

[PhiberAwptik]

I believe that's what Edvald Boasson Hagen is for although with Sagan, Griepel, Goss and (still) potentially Cavendish to contend with I don't envy him.

Yah, because EBH is going to win a sprint that Mark Cavendish is contesting.

 

[will10]

Oh Cav , one would think he would have enough sense to know that any team will take a overall victory at the Tour over a bunch of stage wins any day.

12 months ago, was Bradley a genuine contender to win the Tour? I'm not so sure he was.

 

[Afrank]

12 months ago, was Bradley a genuine contender to win the Tour? I'm not so sure he was.

Well he proved at the Vuelta that he could contend for the podium, and Sky clearly believed he would be a genuine contender for the tour. If Flecha is right and Cav is upset that he didn't get to be "the boss" then I think it was unrealistic for him to think he should be "the boss" on a GT (more Tour) focused team like Sky.

 

[Parker]

12 months ago, was Bradley a genuine contender to win the Tour? I'm not so sure he was.

Definitely. In 2011 he'd won the Dauphine, been on the podium on the Vuelta and the 2012 was TT heavy - and he was the best TTer of the possible GC riders. Once Contador got banned people were billing the Tour as Wiggins v Evans.

 

[The Hitch]

Definitely. In 2011 he'd won the Dauphine, been on the podium on the Vuelta and the 2012 was TT heavy - and he was the best TTer of the possible GC riders. Once Contador got banned people were billing the Tour as Wiggins v Evans.

People billed the tour as wiggins vs Evans only after pn and mainly romandie. Before that it was seen as Evans vs himself

Wiggins was not seen as such the top tter. His previous long gte tts had been 3rd in.vuelta 10th in tour, 6th in giro( not very long), 4th in tour 2nd in giro (not very long) 6th in giro , 4th in giro, 5th in tour 55th in tour, 28th in tour.

And of.course cav signed before the tour route was revealed before contador lost his case before andy got.injured and before froome landed on earth and stole menchovs talent like his ancestors had done.to those basketball stars in space jam.

 

[JRanton]

Boonen has already made it clear that he knows his ship has sailed when it comes to bunch sprints, and that he would be more than happy to work for Cav. There may be a few overlapping classics, but I wouldn't imagine OPQS would hold Boonen back so that he can ride for a bunch sprint.

I imagine Sky will be wishing they had a winning machine back when Andy and Alberto are making life hell for their guys in the tour next year. Right about that time some stage wins would be nice for their morale.

That's why they hired JTL.

 

[MartinGT]

That's why they hired JTL.

What for? To help hold Wiggins & Froomes handkercheifs when they're crying?

 

[ebandit]

opqs

so cav is off to opqs

almost as little of a surprise as cav going to sky last year

sure cav will win more with opqs............will we see him more prominent
in semi-classics?

 

[Afrank]

so cav is off to opqs

almost as little of a surprise as cav going to sky last year

sure cav will win more with opqs............will we see him more prominent
in semi-classics?

Well probably see him in the mix at Scheldeprijs and other one day sprinter races, and I think he will still go for another MSR win. But I think his main goal will be green at the tour and stages.

 

[thehog]

so cav is off to opqs

almost as little of a surprise as cav going to sky last year

sure cav will win more with opqs............will we see him more prominent
in semi-classics?

Yep confirmed. Better than Levi!

 

[ebandit]

better

Yep confirmed. Better than Levi!

better than......................sky! i think it's going to be a good move for cav

riding with a 'proper' team......................yes! i favour the northern classics

if only cav's dream was to win at roubaix

 

[maltiv]

People billed the tour as wiggins vs Evans only after pn and mainly romandie. Before that it was seen as Evans vs himself

No, their odds were almost even with the bookmakers when the season started.

 

[spalco]

Good, I'm glad for Cav. OPQS is a good fit.

 

[BeachBum]

...he will still go for another MSR win.

There are very few races where Cav's and Tommeke's ambitions overlap, and this is one of them. I am sure Cav wants another MSR, yet I am equally sure Boonen hasn't given up on this one.

 

[El Pistolero]

Races where ambitions can overlap:

Tour of Qatar
Kuurne-Brussel Kuurne: although Boonen hasn't bothered contesting the sprint here last 2 years. Omloop het Nieuwsblad is more important.
Milan-San Remo: biggest clash.
Gent-Wevelgem: another big clash.
Scheldeprijs: same situation as with Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne here.

As far as GTs goes: Cav to the Giro/Tour and Boonen to the Vuelta(or no GT at all).