mark cavendish to ride 3 GT's this year

[Parrulo]

Completely agree - you were the one to use a negative word - I think a way of life with a better work/life balance is far more civilised.


And you have nice weather.

i only used the word cus it will sound weird if i actually say who i blame for portugal's current financial situation <_<

it can't hurt any1 tho. . . . i blame socialism and the decisions made based on socialism that turned the general population in lazy scum who think/know that the government will give them everything for free if they are "poor".

but thats not the subject of this thread and it would take hours of my time to type a post trying to express why i think this so . . . .

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

i only used the word cus it will sound weird if i actually say who i blame for portugal's current financial situation <_<

it can't hurt any1 tho. . . . i blame socialism and the decisions made based on socialism that turned the general population in lazy scum who think/know that the government will give them everything for free if they are "poor".

but thats not the subject of this thread and it would take hours of my time to type a post trying to express why i think this so . . . .

Broadly agree if we're wandering off topic - If I were dishing out blame however, I'd start with lazy politicians assuming that by fixing your exchange rate with Germany you would also magically import their wage restraint.

10 years of party later it's going to be one hell of a hang-over.

 

[flicker]

His job's to win races. Who cares whether he pulls out of the Giro/Vuelta? Did Cipo ever reach Paris?

Hey, I love Cav. I would like to see him take the Green someday! It will happen I am sure.
Petacchi is hot too.
What about Freddy Maertens win in the 76 Vuelta though. That will never happen again!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If you genuinely used to take holiday off for GT sprint stages where the result was uncertain but would be of interest for about 10 seconds, then I actually pity you.

Seriously, I know Iberian working conditions are... less intense than northern Europe - but how much holiday allowance do you need to use a day for flat GT stages (or, some might say, cycling at all).

Having spent most of the last few years as a student I had no problem with using holiday.

However, it was a bit of a joke. There was no way I was going to use time off for flat stages, Cavendish or no Cavendish. I hate almost all sprint stages unless the sprinters have really had to work for it. Cavendish's win in stage 19 of the 2009 Tour, for example, was a really good race and I give maximum kudos to him for that. Was it Petacchi who was moaning about how there were too few stages where they didn't have to work for a sprint in the Giro? There should be NO stages where you don't have to WORK for a sprint. If they are made to work and it's still a sprint, then so be it (though I'll probably still moan). But if they aren't, and it's just a nice formulaic flat training ride, then save us all the effort and just hold a 200m ITT.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Having spent most of the last few years as a student I had no problem with using holiday.

However, it was a bit of a joke. There was no way I was going to use time off for flat stages, Cavendish or no Cavendish. I hate almost all sprint stages unless the sprinters have really had to work for it. Cavendish's win in stage 19 of the 2009 Tour, for example, was a really good race and I give maximum kudos to him for that. Was it Petacchi who was moaning about how there were too few stages where they didn't have to work for a sprint in the Giro? There should be NO stages where you don't have to WORK for a sprint. If they are made to work and it's still a sprint, then so be it (though I'll probably still moan). But if they aren't, and it's just a nice formulaic flat training ride, then save us all the effort and just hold a 200m ITT.

I could agree with that (as long as Renshaw is allowed to pace Cav up to the start line).

 

[usedtobefast]

his schedule is ambitious, and i admire him for putting it out there. if he is going well,lookout!

 

[Sasquatch]

I seem to recall him saying earlier in the season that he was partially doing these to improve his chances of getting a full British team in the world championships?

Yep

This is old news. He mentioned it at the TDU.

 

[Eric8-A]

It doesn't matter if he's trying to get points for a complete team for the worlds, he won't win the rainbow jersey.

 

[Francois the Postman]

What about Freddy Maertens win in the 76 Vuelta though. That will never happen again!

That was something else indeed. 13, more than half. And don't forget the 6 Giro victories he clocked up right after that in the Giro's first week, with only 4 days(!) rest between the end of the Vuelta and the start of the Giro. 19 victories in 29 consecutive GT days. Granted, 3 or 4 of them had 2 stages on the same day, but still. A different era, and a feat that will probably never be repeated.

Back to the modern era... I would be curious to see, if Cav does all 3 this year, if he can get over Petacchi's 15 from 2003, when he started all three in one year (G:6/TdF:4/V:5).

 

[Spider1964]

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Why

So

Brief?

 

[brianf7]

his schedule is ambitious, and i admire him for putting it out there. if he is going well,lookout!

He may start all 3 grand tours but will he wont finish them all he will like many before him use the giro to get himself in shape for the TDF and same he will use the Vuelta to get in shape for the Worlds

But finish them all no way

 

[SimonC]

He may start all 3 grand tours but will he wont finish them all he will like many before him use the giro to get himself in shape for the TDF and same he will use the Vuelta to get in shape for the Worlds

But finish them all no way

I was thinking the same, I feel he will ride half of the other 2 big tours and climb off before the serious climbing starts. He will use them to keep his legs in race shape IMO.

 

[luckyboy]

Hoping he does well for my pathetic CQ

 

[Parrulo]

He may start all 3 grand tours but will he wont finish them all he will like many before him use the giro to get himself in shape for the TDF and same he will use the Vuelta to get in shape for the Worlds

But finish them all no way

did any1 even questioned that?

he may finish the vuelta if he is in position to gain the points jersey again but still i doubt that

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Giro DNF, Tour complete, Vuelta perhaps DNF (was really surprising that some sprinters prefered to finish Vuelta 2010).
I predict 12 stagewins from these 3 GTs.

You call Cav "stylish" ?
He rides ugly, sits ugly and wins ugly.Ok he is fastest and wins - but please don't call him stylish. He is just an unstylish power-gnome.

THIS is a stylish sprinter.

I'll give AleJet that credit. He's one of my old favs.

But I'll tell you what I think about Cav = stylish. Who else do you see generate more power in that low down aero position? I'm no expert on aesthetics or what looks pretty, but don't care much either. Tho it's fun to talk about (e.g. ugly climbers = Escartin). Results speak for themselves. And if more sprinters could generate his kind of power in that low position they would... it's got to be more aerod.

 

[Parrulo]

I'll give AleJet that credit. He's one of my old favs.

But I'll tell you what I think about Cav = stylish. Who else do you see generate more power in that low down aero position? I'm no expert on aesthetics or what looks pretty, but don't care much either. Tho it's fun to talk about (e.g. ugly climbers = Escartin). Results speak for themselves. And if more sprinters could generate his kind of power in that low position they would... it's got to be more aerod.

ty for the support ^_^ but ofc you will prolly be called stupid for saying cav is stylish

anyway just to explain why i like his aero sprinting style, i am currently studying mechanical engineering and in this field we like efficiency a lot.

 

[Jamsque]

His sprinting position is really something else. Look at the side shot from the Champs sprint last year and you can see that his back is totally flat and totally level the whole time.

 

[Parrulo]

His sprinting position is really something else. Look at the side shot from the Champs sprint last year and you can see that his back is totally flat and totally level the whole time.

that sprint with that camera is what made me a fan of his sprinting style

btw shouldn't there be a camera like that in every sprint? its just epic

 

[Jamsque]

that sprint with that camera is what made me a fan of his sprinting style

btw shouldn't there be a camera like that in every sprint? its just epic

It's a fantastic shot, they only get it because on the Champs they can run the camera bike up the opposite side of the road so it doesn't interfere with the sprint.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

lol before cav's announcement sporting bet had a bet that if any rider wins a stage in every GT they win (the odds were quite nice if they did. maybe 3-4ish). And now it appears they took the bet down

 

[Parrulo]

It's a fantastic shot, they only get it because on the Champs they can run the camera bike up the opposite side of the road so it doesn't interfere with the sprint.

they could set up one of those cameras like for the 100 m sprints. they don't take much space and with the proper measures it would still be safe for the riders

 

[Captain_Cavman]

they could set up one of those cameras like for the 100 m sprints. they don't take much space and with the proper measures it would still be safe for the riders

Or the overhead cam on a wire

 

[Ryaguas]

Manxman is power and aerodinamic but that is not stylish... is ok if you like his sprinting sytle, but that is an insult to the likes of SuperMario or Alejet... is really sad that that generation of sprinters is passing...

One thing that we cant take away from the power-gnome is that he is soo efective and nowadays the most important thing is the results...

 

[The Hitch]

I havent actually read the article until now, and i always supported Cav as i want him to help increase the popularity of this thing of ours here.

But what he says in that interview about the Giro gains him respect from myself.

Damn right Cav, it is a beautiful race, and Chapeau for going for it even though the course will be hard.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I don't think his schedule is all that ambitious - after all Tyler Farrar has gone to all 3 GTs for the last two years - but I think a bit of toing and froing has been done. Vuelta = worlds prep; Tour = green jersey focus, and ultimately the Giro is a race Cav (rightly) loves - he was very vocal in his complaints that the team made him ride California instead of the Giro. Since he likely won't finish either the Giro or Vuelta (there's little for him in the last 10 days of the Giro, and after this year he will probably quit the Vuelta in Asturias to prepare for the Worlds, unless he's in amazing form and thinks he can make it with the front bunch to Gasteiz!) then it doesn't seem like too bad a calendar at all; sprinters have much more opportunity to ride all year and pick up wins than the big GC men, because they can afford to conserve much more energy.