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Teams & Riders Mark Cavendish Discussion Thread

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So why bring up football? The DS plugs role players in and Julien is a more reliable chaser and tow motor, period. He can climb, too. Maybe not the first week but his form could improve.
Cav, to my knowledge has seldom done anything but suffer in the Alps, Pyrenees....The first of the too from a purely team strategy would not be Cav. If Jakobsen can win a sprint it will not be coming off Cav's wheel.
In fact, I didn't bring up football, but responded to someone who did. Julian isn't racing, so the point is moot. In the absence of Cav, unless Jacobson wracks up the sprint wins, which he may well do, QS risks a rather anonymous Tour. Were Cav present every sprint stage, whatever the outcome, is a gauranteed media frenzy around the team.
 
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Why should long term plans plans matter though, when short term he is still a cash cow to be milked at one last TdF? I'd have brought both he and Jakobson to the Tour, with the plan in mind to give the leadout to Cav in the first sprint for the record and then work for Jackobson in the others, with Cav as the alternative. What with the absence of Alaphilippe, a second option sprinter for QS would not a have been a bad idea, plus you take advantege of both short term and long term interests that way.

^^This, exactly. The Tour is about publicity, too, not just winning a bunch of relatively meaningless sprint stages. If I wanted to maximize my value for sponsors and media, I send both Cav and Fabio, and do my best to get No. 35 as early as possible, then send him home once the road goes uphill.

The value of Cav winning a single stage is 100X that of Jakobsen winning 6 stages, even on the Champs. Fabio is a fab rider, a great guy, but utterly unknown to the general public and casual cycling fans.
 
^^This, exactly. The Tour is about publicity, too, not just winning a bunch of relatively meaningless sprint stages. If I wanted to maximize my value for sponsors and media, I send both Cav and Fabio, and do my best to get No. 35 as early as possible, then send him home once the road goes uphill.

The value of Cav winning a single stage is 100X that of Jakobsen winning 6 stages, even on the Champs. Fabio is a fab rider, a great guy, but utterly unknown to the general public and casual cycling fans.
Bingo
 
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^^This, exactly. The Tour is about publicity, too, not just winning a bunch of relatively meaningless sprint stages. If I wanted to maximize my value for sponsors and media, I send both Cav and Fabio, and do my best to get No. 35 as early as possible, then send him home once the road goes uphill.

The value of Cav winning a single stage is 100X that of Jakobsen winning 6 stages, even on the Champs. Fabio is a fab rider, a great guy, but utterly unknown to the general public and casual cycling fans.
Do it the other way around. Let cav take on the stages after the Alps, when Fabio has gone home with a bag of trophies
 
In fact, I didn't bring up football, but responded to someone who did. Julian isn't racing, so the point is moot. In the absence of Cav, unless Jacobson wracks up the sprint wins, which he may well do, QS risks a rather anonymous Tour. Were Cav present every sprint stage, whatever the outcome, is a gauranteed media frenzy around the team.
The media frenzy is a fickle, short-lived and never guaranteed thing. If he's not involved in the first sprint there may be an interviewer that asks: "what happened? Is the pressure of Le Record weighing too heavily?". If he fades further from the sprint front 3 of the finish the interviews cease. No one cares beyond the podium and no one remembers two days later unless he beat Eddy's record. If he gets dropped on every hill, gets discouraged or leaves the race, then the interview questions go to Patrick: "was it wise to include Cav and not Monsieur Alaphillipe? All the French Fans of the Tour de FRANCE would like to know what you were thinking?"
 
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The media frenzy is a fickle, short-lived and never guaranteed thing. If he's not involved in the first sprint there may be an interviewer that asks: "what happened? Is the pressure of Le Record weighing too heavily?". If he fades further from the sprint front 3 of the finish the interviews cease. No one cares beyond the podium and no one remembers two days later unless he beat Eddy's record. If he gets dropped on every hill, gets discouraged or leaves the race, then the interview questions go to Patrick: "was it wise to include Cav and not Monsieur Alaphillipe? All the French Fans of the Tour de FRANCE would like to know what you were thinking?"
They were talking it up in the anglo-saxon-euro market a shot at the record, but who cares, yet those are the markets that actualy count and Cav has harnesed them. End if story
 
At the end of the day what would Cavendish do at the tour - There are only five nailed on sprint stages, so unless Jakobsen punctures or crashes then Cav will not be sprinting the final - Add that Jakobsen is faster then Cav's non-selection is a no-brainer.

I think it could be argued that Jakobsen could win all 5, but that would still be of less significance if Cavendish won a single stage.
 
See a lot of Facebook mummies are taking time out of their busy schedule selling Avon to all the local huns because they want to speak to the manager of Quickstep. Also looks like few Milwall fans are bored on the coach back from the Free Tommy march and want everyone on the internet to know how much they luv Cav, luv the wall and h8 Belgians (they aren't racist they just don't like em).

Yvonne is absolutely FUMING she is.

That said I just watched the nationals and he looked in excellent condition against a decent field, not too many big races left sprint wise but I hope he stays this motivated next year.
 
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See a lot of Facebook mummies are taking time out of their busy schedule selling Avon to all the local huns because they want to speak to the manager of Quickstep. Also looks like few Milwall fans are bored on the coach back from the Free Tommy march and want everyone on the internet to know how much they luv Cav, luv the wall and h8 Belgians (they aren't racist they just don't like em).

Yvonne is absolutely FUMING she is.

That said I just watched the nationals and he looked in excellent condition against a decent field, not too many big races left sprint wise but I hope he stays this motivated next year.

They are rabid aren't they? I was thinking of putting up a pro-Fabio post (or a pic of Vino winning the 2012 Olympics) but that would probably attract some unwelcome DMs.
 
No fan of Cavs and no doubt Jackobson is faster now but not taking himn to the Tour is on of the stupidest decision in a longtime

He doent have to interfere with Jackobson's Tour and can have a free role
To deny him the chance to at least try for th the record is ridiculous .
Like I said no fan but he always surprises
It's pro sports and winning is $$$. QS management has a cold hearted history of success and a resulting big budgets year after year.
Cav had his QS redemption tour last year and is now equal to the Eddy. If he's not in QS's plans for next year, any upward hit on his marketability doesn't benefit them; particularly if they don't take care of this Tour's busine$$. That's their history and Sagan (who they wouldn't pay) and Bennett (who they wouldn't pay to keep) know what that means. You fend for yourself.
Few budgets leave room for the old romance and legacy of old. They never did.
 
It's pro sports and winning is $$$. QS management has a cold hearted history of success and a resulting big budgets year after year.
Cav had his QS redemption tour last year and is now equal to the Eddy. If he's not in QS's plans for next year, any upward hit on his marketability doesn't benefit them; particularly if they don't take care of this Tour's busine$$. That's their history and Sagan (who they wouldn't pay) and Bennett (who they wouldn't pay to keep) know what that means. You fend for yourself.
Few budgets leave room for the old romance and legacy of old. They never did.
Yes but that’s not taking into account the massive amount of press Cav receives. That all benefits Quickstep. Then if he wins, it drives his price up even higher and maybe some teams don’t sign, allowing them to keep him at a lower pay. The only hindrance taking Cav has is on their relationship with Jakobsen.
 
Jeez, I just had a look. The Brits are spamming them with pics of Cavendish in green. I bet half of these people have no idea who Fabio jakobsen is and what he has went through to get here.
Some Brits. I'm a British Cav fan who thinks the decision is fair enough. So not 'The Brits', just some of them (probably along with some Cav fans of other nationalities).
 
Some Brits. I'm a British Cav fan who thinks the decision is fair enough. So not 'The Brits', just some of them (probably along with some Cav fans of other nationalities).
Fair enough; I like Cav too but think Fabio as the sole sprinter was the right choice. The names are nearly all anglo though and several seem to think that winning the British nationals made him a cert. I guess it's a July fan thing as well.
 

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