Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

There's nothing for Cav at PR.

There would be if he wasn't a one-trick.

 

[Pricey_sky]

So Cav will ride Le Tour. I think it's fair to assume he's going to struggle against Kittle and co early on, but if he can ride back into the form he was in last year he could still pick up a stage in the final week. Obviously there's Paris but also stages 16 and 19 could be sprints too.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

I'm not sure its about just riding into form. This is not like any other injury. If anything he might fade. Sprinters also don't necessarily peak or 'ride into form' like climbers for example. Cav has mentioned before how he could still win despite not being fully fit. If he gets into the right position he could still get off to a flyer.

 

[jmdirt]

There are a few questions: how much has he been able to train, and if he has solid form does being fresh count for something. So much depends on factors we. or at least I, are not privy to.

I'd like to see him at least be able to mix it up and make the speedy gallops interesting.

 

[Red Rick]

Cav at 2% is better than a non-sprinter at 100%.

For this team, in this Tour at least.

 

[del1962]

I hope he does well, but I think he will struggle, I hope I am wrong but don't see him making it over the mountains.

 

[SHAD0W93]

I haven't lost faith in Cav since 2009 and I'm not losing faith now. 5 wins is what I hope for.

 

[Kwibus]

There are so many flat stages that not taking him would be a mistake. Mountain stages might come too early, but he has quite some stages to gain condition/form.

 

[Akuryo]

He will need a few stages to get it going again but I'm sure he is capable of taking a stage or 2.

 

[Jspear]

I haven't lost faith in Cav since 2009 and I'm not losing faith now. 5 wins is what I hope for.

I would be so elated if this happened.....

 

[King Boonen]

I'm assuming he has half an eye on the WCRR and a Tour is a good way to get his fitness back.

 

[Ruby United]

Re: Re:

There's nothing for Cav at PR.

There would be if he wasn't a one-trick.

Interestingly, Cav is literally besotted with PR. In his books he goes on and on about it and how much he loves it, and actually writes that with a bit of luck he may be able to give it a shot.

 

[Ruby United]

I just have to point out with regards to people talking about him riding into form, the ironic thing about glandular fever is that it is possible that the more you ride the worse it gets. It's a very different type of injury.
Also, Cav in a few places in his autobiography writes about the critical importance of being in form and having raced a lot before the Tour.
Having said that, I really hope (and in my heart believe) that he will ride himself into contention over the first few stages.

 

[spalco]

Not that far off today; he might have a shot later on in the race after all.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Very impressive, such a shame that's he's not going to be in top form for this Tour. Merckx's record could definitely have gone this year

 

[SlickMongoose]

It wasn't bad, but as soon as he pulled out of the slipstream the top end speed wasn't there.

 

[Strawberry_Jams]

Perfect positioning. If he was fully fit, I reckon he would have won that, or at least be a photo with Kittel

 

[jmdirt]

Pretty good for a guy with not much racing, let alone a guy who was sick.

 

[SHAD0W93]

4th was good with what has happened. Like has been said though, once he went out of Kittel's slipstream he had no gas.
Hope he keeps riding into shape.

 

[spalco]

Re:

It wasn't bad, but as soon as he pulled out of the slipstream the top end speed wasn't there.

Yeah, it's a long way from 4th to 1st I suppose, but if he gets over the mountains maybe the competition thins out a bit.

 

[El Pistolero]

So you don't even need good form to get a decent result in flat sprint stages. Why do we have these again?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

So you don't even need good form to get a decent result in flat sprint stages. Why do we have these again?

Because a grand tour is supposed to be about all round cycling skills. We can't just have 21 mountain stages. They've gone a bit overboard this year, but every GT should have 5 good opportunities for the sprinters, plus a couple of lumpy finishes where the result is 50/50 between the attackers and the sprinters.

Also a Cav on average form is still a better sprinter than 98% of the peloton.

 

[El Pistolero]

Re: Re:

So you don't even need good form to get a decent result in flat sprint stages. Why do we have these again?

Because a grand tour is supposed to be about all round cycling skills. We can't just have 21 mountain stages. They've gone a bit overboard this year, but every GT should have 5 good opportunities for the sprinters, plus a couple of lumpy finishes where the result is 50/50 between the attackers and the sprinters.

Also a Cav on average form is still a better sprinter than 98% of the peloton.

Exactly, which is why they need to get rid of flat stages, unless it has pavé or sterrato.

Barring accidents and echelons, nobody ever gets dropped on a flat stage. What's the point?

There are almost no hilly stages in this year's Tour.

One flat stage is enough, save it for the Champs Elysées.

 

[spalco]

How about: tradition?

 

[El Pistolero]

Re:

How about: tradition?

Blindly following ancient customs and traditions does not mean that the dead are alive, but that the living are dead.