The Cav SKY drama

[cycladianpirate]

Sky = too many eggs + one basket.

 

[pmcg76]

And I wonder if Gilbert will switch to sprinting and Contador switch to cobbles classics?

People will be talking about Cav's MSR win and 2010 Champs Elysees win for years.

Yeah, in the sense of "what a ****ing joke that Cavendish was World RR Champion".

 

[El Pistolero]

And I wonder if Gilbert will switch to sprinting and Contador switch to cobbles classics?

People will be talking about Cav's MSR win and 2010 Champs Elysees win for years.

Not really, people will be talking about Vino's Champs Elysées victory for years

 

[Arnout]

And now readers brace yourself for another long El Pointlesslero discussion...

 

[El Pistolero]

And now readers brace yourself for another long El Pointlesslero discussion...

Don't you have something Gesink related to talk about or something?

 

[Richeypen]

And now readers brace yourself for another long El Pointlesslero discussion...

Its what the ignore list was invented for

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He'll get plenty of good chances of his own, just as he has in the past. Who says he'll be understudy in the classics?

I was meaning in 2010, when he moved over to Sky. Flecha was clearly the #1 guy for the Classics at that point, despite EBH's Gent-Wevelgem win in '09. Certainly now I'd imagine he'll get plenty of chances of his own.

But when it comes to the big stage races, he's going to be just a leadout guy. I hope he'll be happy with it.

Actually, no I don't. I want him to be upset about it, and go out there and prove why he shouldn't be a leadout guy, and screw Cav over on the Champs Elysées like Steegmans did to Boonen. EBH deserves more than leadout duties, and Cavendish has proven time and again that he doesn't actually need a leadout train, maybe just one guy to deposit him on the right wheel and he'll let his pace and burst do the rest. And those sprints have always been far more entertaining and impressive to me anyway.

 

[El Pistolero]

I was meaning in 2010, when he moved over to Sky. Flecha was clearly the #1 guy for the Classics at that point, despite EBH's Gent-Wevelgem win in '09. Certainly now I'd imagine he'll get plenty of chances of his own.

But when it comes to the big stage races, he's going to be just a leadout guy. I hope he'll be happy with it.

Actually, no I don't. I want him to be upset about it, and go out there and prove why he shouldn't be a leadout guy, and screw Cav over on the Champs Elysées like Steegmans did to Boonen. EBH deserves more than leadout duties, and Cavendish has proven time and again that he doesn't actually need a leadout train, maybe just one guy to deposit him on the right wheel and he'll let his pace and burst do the rest. And those sprints have always been far more entertaining and impressive to me anyway.

Steegmans won on the Champs when Boonen wasn't even there?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Steegmans won on the Champs when Boonen wasn't even there?

Lol, whoops, memory fail there!

 

[Mambo95]

But when it comes to the big stage races, he's going to be just a leadout guy. I hope he'll be happy with it.

I don't think he will 'just' be a leadout guy. He'll certainly get stuck in on the 'Cav stages'. He'll also be the sprinter on the stages that Cav can't do and have some freedom to get in the break on those 'Norwegian' stages.

I know the leaked route said that there were 14 'flat' stages, but (I'm sorry to disappoint you) I don't think they'll all be pure sprinters stages. I suspect there will be a lot of bumpy stuff, which is where he comes in.

Anyway, I expect his finest moments will come in one day races. Sky really rate him. Brailsford said he was physically the best rider at Sky by some distance. They won't waste that.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm sure there will be plenty of bumpy stuff in those 14 stages too, but that just means he'll be doing the same as he was behind Cavendish this year, only instead of Gilbert instead. The rumours say 9 pan-flat stages, so that's nearly half the race wiped out to leadout duties. He's not going to contend in the mountain stages (or maybe he is. Óscar Freire sprinted for 3rd on the Tourmalet stage a couple of years ago), so chalk them out too.

 

[Thomsena]

Eddy is too good to be leadout. Simple. Welcome to Saxo anno 2013.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

I'd be stunned if he didn't. I would have been even before this parcours was announced. Hasn't he already said he's prioritising the tour over the Olympics?

I thought it was just the opposite, but maybe all that was speculation on the media's part, not anything that came from him.

 

[Winterfold]

I would rather have an embarrassment of riches than no chance of winning anything.

They (Cav, EBH, Geraint, Wiggo, etc etc ) all know each other well and are blokes - they will work it out.

Sky really should win a Monument next year with the team they have...

 

[Mambo95]

I thought it was just the opposite, but maybe all that was speculation on the media's part, not anything that came from him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/15022400.stm

"As big as the Olympics are, being in London, it's kind of 'been there, done that'.
It would be crazy to not do the Tour but it will jeopardise the time trial."

 

[luckyboy]

I would rather have an embarrassment of riches than no chance of winning anything.

They (Cav, EBH, Geraint, Wiggo, etc etc ) all know each other well and are blokes - they will work it out.

Sky really should win a Monument next year with the team they have...

Milan - San Remo? That is the only monument that their signings have improved their chances in.

Can't see Ronde, Roubaix or Liege going to them anyway.

 

[AussieGoddess]

- Wiggins already has an Olympic gold medal - Cavendish does not

- the Tour suits Wiggins (if he could have written the parcours himself it would be pretty much like this)

- the olympic road race suits Cav (again - could have written it for him - oh wait )

I think that Sky will put all their efforts into Wiggins for the Tour. Cav will go to try and get some early wins and take the pressure off the Sky team .... but he will drop out to concentrate on the olympics.

The team will need to concentrate on protecting Wiggins (will need to keep him near the front) and the yellow (assuming they have it). They wont have a huge amount left to guide Cav through the mountains and chase breaks. I know plenty disagree with me , but I just dont see Cav winning his usual 4 or 5 stages this year.

As for EBH .... I think having a team that is going for Sprints, GC and the odd break-away rider is just not going to happen.

 

[richwagmn]

And I wonder if Gilbert will switch to sprinting and Contador switch to cobbles classics?

People will be talking about Cav's MSR win and 2010 Champs Elysees win for years.

Bad analogy, see Boonen.

And no one will be talking about Cav's sprint wins because there's no drama involved. His MSR win was the same as any of his tour wins. Suck wheels, be the fastest man over 200m.

 

[The Hitch]

Sky doing a football like transfer saga, what a surprise.

How much back pages space are they getting in the UK? Trying to milk that could seriously slow things down.

they get a small 3cm box 7 pages from the back.

 

[Ragerod]

Bad analogy, see Boonen.

And no one will be talking about Cav's sprint wins because there's no drama involved. His MSR win was the same as any of his tour wins. Suck wheels, be the fastest man over 200m.

I'm not sure you've seen his MSR win. As far as memorable cycling moments it's right up there with the best. It has everything going for it as a memorable moment; it's short, spectacular and dramatic. It's more memorable to me than Cancellara's 50km time trial at Paris-Roubaix.

 

[c&cfan]

I'm not sure you've seen his MSR win. As far as memorable cycling moments it's right up there with the best. It has everything going for it as a memorable moment; it's short, spectacular and dramatic. It's more memorable to me than Cancellara's 50km time trial at Paris-Roubaix.

a beautiful brunette vs beautiful blonde.

 

[Archibald]

they get a small 3cm box 7 pages from the back.

I've seen bigger articles in both the Metro and Evening Standard, and for lesser publicised stories

 

[JRanton]

Any news on what Zabel will be doing next year? I half expected him to follow Cav to Sky but there's the doping issue which might count against him.

 

[luckyboy]

They wont have a huge amount left to guide Cav through the mountains and chase breaks. I know plenty disagree with me , but I just dont see Cav winning his usual 4 or 5 stages this year.

Eisel will be in there to stay with him in the mountains at least.

How many riders will Wiggins even need in the mountains?
Maybe two who will still be there on the final climb of the day. Froome isn't going to be riding apparently, so that leaves Sivtsov, Rogers, Löfkvist, Zandio, Henao, Porte.
Zandio and Henao aren't going to be there, Porte isn't going to be much use in the mountains as we have seen, Löfkvist seemingly hasn't got it anymore climbing-wise. Leaving Sivtsov and Rogers (if he gets back to his old form).

Someone else has probably put together a provisional Tour team, but I think this'd be pretty good for them.

Wiggins
Sivtsov
Rogers
Löfkvist
Cavendish
EBH
Eisel
Pate
Swift/Thomas/Sutton/Stannard (??)

 

[richwagmn]

I'm not sure you've seen his MSR win. As far as memorable cycling moments it's right up there with the best. It has everything going for it as a memorable moment; it's short, spectacular and dramatic. It's more memorable to me than Cancellara's 50km time trial at Paris-Roubaix.

Having a hard time seeing how a 200m sprint is so dramatic. The only risks he takes are that he may crash in the final 200m.

Why doesn't he put himself out there? Just him, his fitness and his mental toughness.

To me, he's a one trick pony.