Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[Afrank]

In MSR I think a plan OPQS could use is to have half the team with Boonen up front on the poggio to keep him at the front for the sprint or maybe even to have him try to get in the break (not sure if Boonen would be able to, but if cancellara can). And if Cav is still there by that time, and is feeling good, have the other half of the team stay with him ready to pace him back for the bunch sprint.

Of course there was the rumor that the finish for MSR could be moved closer to encourage more breakaways, and that would definitely not favor Cav.

 

[CQmanager]

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).

Boonen can lead him out at most of those races

BTW what is the transfer status of his personal servant Bernie Eisel?

 

[Afrank]

BTW what is the transfer status of his personal servant Bernie Eisel?

I believe Eisel will be staying with Sky. He was negotiating a contract extension with them at the Tour of Britain, and Sky doesn't want to give him up.

 

[spalco]

Milan-San Remo: biggest clash.

Could be a very interesting tactical opportunity for OPQS though if they work it right - Boonen making the race hard at the front and looking to join a late break, with Cav lurking in the bunch ready to pick up the spoils if the race comes back together.

Same for the other semi-sprintish one day races.

It's a conflict of interests to a certain degree without a doubt, but Boonen doesn't need that much support to do his thing, and having Cavendish there might even give him some freedom from pressure because other teams have to keep their focus on both of them.

 

[Gloin22]

I believe Eisel will be staying with Sky. He was negotiating a contract extension with them at the Tour of Britain, and Sky doesn't want to give him up.

Signed 3 year extension deal today.

 

[El Pistolero]

Could be a very interesting tactical opportunity for OPQS though if they work it right - Boonen making the race hard at the front and looking to join a late break, with Cav lurking in the bunch ready to pick up the spoils if the race comes back together.

Same for the other semi-sprintish one day races.

It's a conflict of interests to a certain degree without a doubt, but Boonen doesn't need that much support to do his thing, and having Cavendish there might even give him some freedom from pressure because other teams have to keep their focus on both of them.

Boonen has never had enough motivation for classics like Milan-San Remo and Paris-Tours. Something he said so himself. Of course he wants to win Milan-San Remo, but he has always peaked for the cobbled classics. So I doubt he'll be strong enough to actually make an attack on the Poggio. He'll want to rely on his sprint.

Anyway, as far as Gent-Wevelgem is concerned, Boonen should be the leader. Cav was there when Boonen won it the last 2 years.

 

[Pentacycle]

Boonen has never had enough motivation for classics like Milan-San Remo and Paris-Tours. Something he said so himself. Of course he wants to win Milan-San Remo, but he has always peaked for the cobbled classics. So I doubt he'll be strong enough to actually make an attack on the Poggio. He'll want to rely on his sprint.

Anyway, as far as Gent-Wevelgem is concerned, Boonen should be the leader. Cav was there when Boonen won it the last 2 years.

I think Cav will help Boonen in the spring classics until Roubaix. Of course, Boonen then owes Cavendish some lead-outs in the Tour de France. Tommeke won't hesitate riding the Tour because being in Cav's team has proven to be a safe haven from all silly crashes during sprint stages.(except those in the last kilometers ofc)

Btw Boonen has always made MSR a goal, his problem is getting over the Poggio, like in 2009 when Cav made Boonen look like a total joke. This year he was struggling there again...

 

[El Pistolero]

I think Cav will help Boonen in the spring classics until Roubaix. Of course, Boonen then owes Cavendish some lead-outs in the Tour de France. Tommeke won't hesitate riding the Tour because being in Cav's team has proven to be a safe haven from all silly crashes during sprint stages.(except those in the last kilometers ofc)

Btw Boonen has always made MSR a goal, his problem is getting over the Poggio, like in 2009 when Cav made Boonen look like a total joke. This year he was struggling there again...

A goal, but never his top priority. He always lacks a few % at Milan-San Remo. He has said so him self he has always lacked the motivation for a classic like Milan-San Remo, so I'll take his word for it. And he didn't particularly struggle on the Poggio this year, he was just behind Kris Boeckmans when the latter crashed during the descent.

 

[MatParker117]

Boonen can lead him out at most of those races

BTW what is the transfer status of his personal servant Bernie Eisel?

Now Wiggo's till 2015.

 

[del1962]

Mark Renshaw on Cav

We get on quite well. We had a good past and I like his character. He’s a great teammate. You never know what can happen. Last year he kept mentioning to me ‘you’re a good lead-out man’ and a few tongue in cheek comments but we’ll speak I’m sure in the near future.

Sounds like they will join up next year

 

[del1962]

100 victories, Chapeau to the greatest sprinter

 

[ebandit]

100

100 victories, Chapeau to the greatest sprinter

100.................and counting ...........rapidly rising up the greatest no. of
gt stage wins top 10

thanks! for bumping this thread...............it's more quiet here than the wiggo thread as everyone loves cav

Mark L

 

[coinneach]

And EVERY one of these giro ones has been real hard earned
(Compare that with the Giro when Cippolino & Petachi were riding: they got 6 flat stages in the first week, then pulled out)

 

[SafeBet]

Do you think Cav is already up there with the best sprinters ever? Or not quite?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I think you would need to be Italian to seriously question that.

 

[Netserk]

I think you would need to be Italian to seriously question that.

I think you need to be British to post that.

 

[del1962]

Do you think Cav is already up there with the best sprinters ever? Or not quite?

He is not just up there he is the best of the best, four times on the Champs elysee

 

[burning]

He is not just up there he is the best of the best, four times on the Champs elysee

and three times on the Scheldeprijs

 

[futures]

I think you need to be British to post that.

I think you need to be American to post that.

 

[futures]

http://cdn4.coresites.mpora.com/rcuk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5-mark-cavendish-100.jpg

 

[cycledp]

http://cdn4.coresites.mpora.com/rcuk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/5-mark-cavendish-100.jpg

Who cares? I guess just people from the UK.

 

[ElChingon]

Who cares? I guess just people from the UK.

Its an important racing cyclist milestone Brit or not. As usual its also important if he continues add to that.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Who cares? I guess just people from the UK.

100 wins is a great milestone, just like a footballer would celebrate achieving 100 goals ect.

Or is it just riders who you like that can celebrate success?

 

[ebandit]

legend in the making

cav's record speaks for itself wherever one is viewing from

personally i don't think that he is the 'greatest sprinter ever' yet but he is heading there.............a couple more classic race wins would see that achievement

hey..............'greatest sprinter of the current / recent generation' sounds
pretty good

Mark L

 

[spalco]

100 wins is a great milestone, just like a footballer would celebrate achieving 100 goals ect.

Or is it just riders who you like that can celebrate success?

I would guess the number of football players who scored 100 goals in their career is easily in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands; 100 wins for a pro-cyclist has got to be much rarer.

Oh yeah, and by the standards of some people in this forum, Cavendish isn't even British.