Sylvain Chavanel - Super Domestique?

[DirtyWorks]

Does Sylvain Chavanel have ANY opportunity for a win in the Spring Classics this year?

The guy is kicking @ss and taking names getting Boonen into position for the win. Does he ever get let off the Boonen leash in 2012?

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

He can take a Van Summeren

 

[Panda Claws]

Probably not seeing as how he never finished better than 8th in P-R.

 

[Richeypen]

He looked pretty strong today. Stronger than Boonen in fact. When is his contract up?

 

[spalco]

Well, I suppose he will have to attack fairly early next week with a decent group to get a chance. If he's still riding next to Boonen 10k from the finish, a victory would obviously be very unlikely.

 

[will10]

He certainly didn't come into the race as Boonen's b1tch, that was just how the race went in the end. If the race had played out differently he was a card to play. Like when he briefly got away with Terpstra and two others, very reminiscent of RVV 2009 with Devolder.

Well, I suppose he will have to attack fairly early next week with a decent group to get a chance. If he's still riding next to Boonen 10k from the finish, a victory would obviously be very unlikely.

Like when he sprinted for the win in RVV 2011?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

His chances are always going to be limited when he's on the same team as an in-form Boonen.

There are really only two circumstances where he could realistically be given the opportunity to ride for himself: Boonen picking up an injury, or a situation where he covers an attack for Boonen and that attack goes to the end. And the chances of the latter happening are limited by his own abilities - other teams are going to be pretty reluctant to let him get too far up the road.

You can't really make much of a case for him being allowed much in the way of his own opportunities when the team are winning race after race with him working for Boonen. On the other hand, if Boonen gets injured in training, Chavanel will find himself as the main leader of the strongest Classics team.

On balance, unless OPQS are paying him way over the odds, he'd probably be better off elsewhere. He'd be the main cobbled Classics leader of any team other than OPQS, RSNT or BMC.

 

[personal]

In the next races Boonen will be new Cancellara in the sense that as a favourite other teams and riders will watch him and will be sitting on his wheel.
Maybe there is Chavanel's chance.

 

[spalco]

Like when he sprinted for the win in RVV 2011?

Ok, good point. Good on OPQS if they give Chavanel some freedom.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Don't agree on this. Devolder was able to win his RVVs, because he was in Boonen's team!

 

[TMP402]

Well I guess this is his thread? Just to say, Sylvain won a gold medal in the team pursuit at the European Track Championships today.

 

[HelloDolly]

Great rider ...pity about his hair

 

[Jolene]

Re:

Well I guess this is his thread? Just to say, Sylvain won a gold medal in the team pursuit at the European Track Championships today.

Well deserved!!

 

[Tonton]

Yes. Well-deserved. Bravo Sylvain!

 

[TMP402]

Now Sylvain gets a team pursuit silver medal at the track World Cup. The Brits cunningly averted accusations of an Olympic-only super-peak by only needing a weak team (including a track sprinter) to beat the French. The Canadians got bronze, beating the Swiss dominantly. I notice Sylvain has also started an Instagram account in the last 24 hours. What next? A motorbike? Dying his hair?

 

[TMP402]

And now Chavanel wins the individual pursuit Gold at the World Cup!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Great rider, great achievement.

 

[coimbrawu]

did he have any track background before? I can't find any record in wiki. And he is already 37 now. That's a unbelievable transformation.

 

[samhocking]

He used to be a French National pursuit rider in his junior days I think. He wants to take on Wiggins Hour record doesn't he, so assume he's testing himself against the best pursuit riders first, to see if he's got what it takes.

 

[MatParker117]

That time would of won him an Olympic medal.

 

[nuvolablu]

Re:

That time would of won him an Olympic medal.

Individual pursuit is not an olympic event since Bejing 2008 I think...
4'20'' is not really a great time however

 

[MatParker117]

Re: Re:

That time would of won him an Olympic medal.

Individual pursuit is not an olympic event since Bejing 2008 I think...
4'20'' is not really a great time however

What I was referring to it's faster than Burke's time in the bronze final.

 

[samhocking]

I remember a while ago he said he was hoping to split road and track to try and beat Francis Moreau's 4:16 National record in the IP and also Wiggins hour record in 2016. I think because France didn't qualify a team for the team pursuit at the Olympics, he's delayed his 2016 plans for 2017, so expect him to split between road and track like Wiggins and Cavendish did last year or two I guess.

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

That time would of won him an Olympic medal.

Individual pursuit is not an olympic event since Bejing 2008 I think...
4'20'' is not really a great time however

He's 96% of the way to breaking to world record: not bad!

 

[Alexandre B.]

9th in De Ronde, at 37 years of age. Great. He was also part of the break after Kapelmuur.

I've no doubt he will break the record for most participations in Le Tour de France.