Menchov back in the light in 2012 at Katusha ?

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Cav can and does win without a train. It's not like he's completely helpless without it. I'd say he's much more similar to McEwen than to Greipel in that regard.

 

[orangerider]

+1 Freire doesn't really seem to have much of a sprint in him these days... maybe he should shift his focus.

Maybe not as much, but he's not in the same has-been boat as say, McEwen. Freire can still compete and I'd say he has far better chance of taking a TDF stage than Menchov ever will. Hence, riders to support Freire (you still need guys to take him to the front) which only hurt Menchov's GC chances.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Cav & Greipel need a strong leadout to win a sprint; Freire is a different kind of sprinter, more similar to McEwan or Rojas, who can win without a train.

Freire is a guy who can definitely win without a train, has never needed one, and so can be included in the team the way Rojas is, with no support and eight riders after another goal. He's better the longer a race is though, and I don't see any 260km+ stages in that Tour route, sadly for him, as he doesn't quite have the finishing kick that he used to.

I do have a couple of problems with your case though;
1) Cav has shown that he doesn't need a strong leadout, just one rider to put him up in the right kind of place. He can do the rest. He's better with a full leadout for sure, but he has the acceleration that means he doesn't need it; Greipel is much more of a train sprinter than Cavendish.
2) You said Rojas can win without a train. I think you mean Rojas can come second without a train.

 

[gustienordic]

Freire is a guy who can definitely win without a train, has never needed one, and so can be included in the team the way Rojas is, with no support and eight riders after another goal. He's better the longer a race is though, and I don't see any 260km+ stages in that Tour route, sadly for him, as he doesn't quite have the finishing kick that he used to.

I do have a couple of problems with your case though;
1) Cav has shown that he doesn't need a strong leadout, just one rider to put him up in the right kind of place. He can do the rest. He's better with a full leadout for sure, but he has the acceleration that means he doesn't need it; Greipel is much more of a train sprinter than Cavendish.
2) You said Rojas can win without a train. I think you mean Rojas can come second without a train.

Ha, how right you are about Rojas! What kind of sprinter is Feillu?

 

[craig1985]

Just because he's Russian doesn't mean it will be a perfect move for Menchov. Vladimar Karpets when to Katusha and he sucked hard whilst he was there and took the first opportunity he could get to go back to Movistar.

 

[karlboss]

Freire is a guy who can definitely win without a train, has never needed one, and so can be included in the team the way Rojas is, with no support and eight riders after another goal. He's better the longer a race is though, and I don't see any 260km+ stages in that Tour route, sadly for him, as he doesn't quite have the finishing kick that he used to.

I do have a couple of problems with your case though;
1) Cav has shown that he doesn't need a strong leadout, just one rider to put him up in the right kind of place. He can do the rest. He's better with a full leadout for sure, but he has the acceleration that means he doesn't need it; Greipel is much more of a train sprinter than Cavendish.
2) You said Rojas can win without a train. I think you mean Rojas can come second without a train.

Not so sure, Greipel seems to lose his train an awful lot and having lost his train Greipel still sprints well. The difference may just be that Cavendish is better and hence with or without a train Cav wins, with or without a train Greipel sometimes wins.

 

[roundabout]

Greipel a bit too often seems to start his sprint from a bad position so I would say he would like a train.

Cavendish from the limited sprints that I've seen him do without a train seems to be able to position himself a lot better.

 

[airstream]

I suppose they both are a bit worse, but still very very good with no train. Possibly Petacchi in Milram and LPR was the last world class sprinter, that needed train vitally. Nowadays they are obliged to be able to fight alone, though train is an additional guarantee undoubtedly.

Feillu is just a very risky brave sprinter. With regards to final 100-150m punch he's probably not even among 10 the best, but due to his capacity to act boldly and shove with elbows he shows very not bad results.

Unfortunately, I don't think now Freire is way faster than Feillu.

 

[Parrulo]

freire much like boonen is very slow compared to the top sprinters after an easy race(short stage or botherline pathetic parcours like this years worlds) but on a real tough race that is either long with some hills like M-SR or some very hilly worlds parcours where that sprinters can still make it i would back them up over cav any day.

 

[gustienordic]

freire much like boonen is very slow compared to the top sprinters after an easy race(short stage or botherline pathetic parcours like this years worlds) but on a real tough race that is either long with some hills like M-SR or some very hilly worlds parcours where that sprinters can still make it i would back them up over cav any day.

+1 That is a very true statement, I think both of those guys are tanks, much like Thor.

 

[c&cfan]

freire much like boonen is very slow compared to the top sprinters after an easy race(short stage or botherline pathetic parcours like this years worlds) but on a real tough race that is either long with some hills like M-SR or some very hilly worlds parcours where that sprinters can still make it i would back them up over cav any day.

if cav is there for a big win, never (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) back anyone up over him, with or without train, up or down, left or right.

 

[Nick C.]

Click in a thread about Menchov and Katusha ... and latest posts reference Cav. Wow!

 

[El Imbatido]

Click in a thread about Menchov and Katusha ... and latest posts reference Cav. Wow!

It is not like the thread has been completely derailed. And you can easily see how logically it got there. It is not as though it was purposly hijacked.

Katusha>>>>Freire signing for them>>>>>sprinters Freire is like>>>>>>ways freire wins compared to others>>>>Cav


To add my 2 cents. I don't think Freire will go to the TdF with or without Menchov on Katusha. Freire has said in the past that the TdF is one of the most boring races + i'm pretty sure he knows he can't cut it with the big sprint boys these days (Cav, Greipel, Farrar etc), so he will probabaly like races more suited to him. (competitor and parcour wise)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

if cav is there for a big win, never (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) back anyone up over him, with or without train, up or down, left or right.

If a stage is totally flat and then finishes on a short climb, like Mont-des-Alouettes for example, I will happily back Gilbert over Cavendish, though Cavendish has every chance of still being in the group when they get there.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

If a stage is totally flat and then finishes on a short climb, like Mont-des-Alouettes for example, I will happily back Gilbert over Cavendish, though Cavendish has every chance of still being in the group when they get there.

No one cares about silly little hill finishes, so it could never be a 'big win'.

Only sprints have prestige.

lalalalalalalala

 

[webvan]

Does CN know something we don't http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gianetti-ive-got-two-sponsorship-options

Although Gianetti has already lost the services of Denis Menchov, Mauricio Ardila and Fabio Duarte for next season,

So Menchov has signed with Katusha?

 

[Fetisoff]

Does CN know something we don't http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gianetti-ive-got-two-sponsorship-options



So Menchov has signed with Katusha?

I'm sure if he did, it would be all over the katusha website, and the Russian sports websites... Which it is not for now, so my guess is - no, he hasn't

 

[The Hitch]

Boys and girls. Tis official.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/12122011/58/russian-menchov-joins-katusha.html

The course is there. The team is there. The elimination of the favorite is almost there.

With the wind behind his back (unlike the Bordeaux tt) can the Pope bring it on when it really matters.

ITS ON!!!

 

[Havetts]

Lets hope he wont fall again when he FINALLY attacks on a MTF .

 

[webvan]

Better late than never (one year wasted basically) hope he doesn't fall off the wagon, i.e. go from a 9 to a "flagged" on the UCI chart...

 

[ElChingon]

Looks like Katusha finally found some one to replace Di Luca

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Great course for him at next years tdf and since he only cares about the tour now among the 3 gts..POPE FTW 2012.

 

[webvan]

Posted here too now : http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/menchov-finally-signs-with-katusha with a quote from the man himself.

 

[jens_attacks]

the pope will be there on the podium...which step i don't know.

 

[taiwan]

Le Tour 2012

1. Bert
2. Menchov
3. Evans

Evans has a Tour already. Menchov will be hungrier. They're pretty closely matched in terms of ability.