The Cav SKY drama

[Machu Picchu]

Cav doesnt usually get going in the tour till the second week, so to start suggesting things are not going well is a bit premature to say the least. He has a stage already so he is better than usual.

Seriously though, he really is a bit of a bad tempered child before races, leaving little to the imagination on what he thinks of the press. Hope he doesnt take that attitude to the race meetings.

Actually he usually has two wins in the first week so he'll need to win today for it to be business as usual.

 

[woodie]

Cav doesnt usually get going in the tour till the second week, so to start suggesting things are not going well is a bit premature to say the least. He has a stage already so he is better than usual.

Seriously though, he really is a bit of a bad tempered child before races, leaving little to the imagination on what he thinks of the press. Hope he doesnt take that attitude to the race meetings.

I think it's more that he wants to stay focused and the press don't exactly have a great reputation in terms of how they portray situations. In his book he talks about how distracting it can be, saying that there's no reason he can't be polite.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Also, Sky has some amazing non-british talents on their squad, but I guess they're irrelevant in the long run.

I think they will get plenty of chances at the Giro and Vuelta, plus various week long races and the classics.

Sky (Greenedge) simply have to give the the Brits (non-Aussies) leadership roles from time to time, otherwise future recruitment becomes compromised.

 

[simoni]

So far Cav has a 1/3 hit rate in pure sprint stages. One of these he was in a crash, the other he was arguably dropped off at the wrong spot but was well looked after by his team before then. He may also have been more affected by the previous day's crash that he's let on. A crash at 35-40mph is going to hurt no matter what!
I think the relationship between Cav and Wiggins is strong. Wiggins did as much as anyone to help Cav win the worlds and, for his part, Cav knew the score when he signed for Sky (i.e. no consistent train) and will have accepted that.
FWIW I think they can deal with what they need to do in the moutains. The team have generally been relatively lightly worked so far and with Porte and Froome good for the serious climbing stuff and Rogers, EBH and Knees well capable of managing the early/mid stages I think they're well set.
They've got to be careful though and make sure that BMC, Liquigas and others do their share.

 

[Lexman]

can't see it as a drama, there are problems in the world though which might be described as drama but Cav & Sky no way

 

[masking_agent]

Too hard to do both Yellow and Green Jersey in Paris

I remember reading where Team Sky's Tour de France objectives were to win both the yellow for Wiggo and the green jersey for Cav. I believe after securing Cav and it was in the off season they mentioned this.

Well it is now proof in today's world of pro cycling at the Tour de France, that is pretty much close to impossible to win both. Cav was no where near a contestant for the green jersey. I wonder if anyone has approached the team with this question ? I'm curious to hear about their reactions now ? I haven't heard any of this topic discussed during any post race interviews either.

 

[Gloin22]

Yellow was always the priority this year.

Next year will be differenet as Froome will be leader - and Froome unlike Wiggins doesn't need a mountain train all the time. So Cav should have more helpers for him i.e. Stannard/Thomas/Flecha - those types of guys.

I don't think Sky would go trough all the hassle to sign up Cav for just 1 year tbh. We'll see I guess.

 

[johnnycash]

Yellow was always the priority this year.

Next year will be differenet as Froome will be leader - and Froome unlike Wiggins doesn't need a mountain train all the time. So Cav should have more helpers for him i.e. Stannard/Thomas/Flecha - those types of guys.

I don't think Sky would go trough all the hassle to sign up Cav for just 1 year tbh. We'll see I guess.

I think they had to sign Cav for PR reasons (A Brit, free agent, top sprinter and World champ) for 2012. Now they have real GC aspirations I don't think they can spare men to help him. Not so much a train but creating more bunch finishes, we know Cav can do the rest.

I'm a brit and a fan of Cav as well as Sky but he has to go, if he stays he won't win what he deserves and will eventually fall out with the team. Why not leave on good terms to a team which will help him, and probablySky's GC ambitions at the same time.

AC's back next year, Sky can't spare any men as they won't have a TT buffer like they did this year.

 

[Afrank]

I think they had to sign Cav for PR reasons (A Brit, free agent, top sprinter and World champ) for 2012. Now they have real GC aspirations I don't think they can spare men to help him. Not so much a train but creating more bunch finishes, we know Cav can do the rest.

I'm a brit and a fan of Cav as well as Sky but he has to go, if he stays he won't win what he deserves and will eventually fall out with the team. Why not leave on good terms to a team which will help him, and probablySky's GC ambitions at the same time.

AC's back next year, Sky can't spare any men as they won't have a TT buffer like they did this year.

Agree, With Wiggins, Froome, Henao, Uran, and others they have more than enough to challenge for each grand tour plus the smaller tours. Sky is a grand tour team, and as long as they are a grand tour team Cav will not get nearly as much opportunities to win like he would at a team like OPQS or Greenedge.

 

[orangerider]

The gold medal was very important for Cavendish this year and being with Sky allowed him to have a season that wasn't so focused on producing results at the sake of fatigue and greater chance of injury. Of course, this all blew up in his face on road race day but that's beside the point - he would've won if it did come to a bunch sprint. That's all in the past now and being with Sky is just not a good fit for him.

I think they had to sign Cav for PR reasons (A Brit, free agent, top sprinter and World champ) for 2012. Now they have real GC aspirations I don't think they can spare men to help him. Not so much a train but creating more bunch finishes, we know Cav can do the rest.

I'm a brit and a fan of Cav as well as Sky but he has to go, if he stays he won't win what he deserves and will eventually fall out with the team. Why not leave on good terms to a team which will help him, and probablySky's GC ambitions at the same time.

AC's back next year, Sky can't spare any men as they won't have a TT buffer like they did this year.

 

[Jaunty Monty]

But it maybe in four years time when its Olympics time again. Cav has expressed an interest in competing on the track in the team pursuit in Rio.

Personally I'd prefer to see him move but I think it will be a tough decision for him to leave. Sky may not be able to fully support his road ambitions but other than that I think he's very content there.

What if the TDF route is announced and its not sprinter friendly?

 

[Jericho]

I remember reading where Team Sky's Tour de France objectives were to win both the yellow for Wiggo and the green jersey for Cav. I believe after securing Cav and it was in the off season they mentioned this.

Well it is now proof in today's world of pro cycling at the Tour de France, that is pretty much close to impossible to win both. Cav was no where near a contestant for the green jersey. I wonder if anyone has approached the team with this question ? I'm curious to hear about their reactions now ? I haven't heard any of this topic discussed during any post race interviews either.

That's really not fair. It was generally believed before the Tour that Cav was not "aiming" at the Green Jersey. Maybe because of the course, but also due to the Olympics. Still, the same three teams (Sky, Liquigas, Lotto) had the top 4 overall finishers and top 3 green jersey/sprinters. So it seems plenty possible to do both, as three teams dominated the two jerseys.

 

[masking_agent]

I have to disagree as I remember discussing the pre -season objectives of Team Sky on this forum and some one posted about it as well. This may shed some light.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/cycling-tour-sky-idUSL3E8C48UN20120104

In that discussion, he mentioned that last time a team won both Yellow and Green was back in the 90's. Can't remember but i think it was ulrich or riis in yellow and Zabel won green.

seems pretty impossible nowadays after watching the 2012 tour..

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Winning both is still very possible. Sagan was a one man green winning team. Froome would have been very capable of winning yellow on his own, without support. Cav ang Wiggins, top riders that they are, are the sort that need a team building around them though.

 

[orangerider]

Winning both is still very possible. Sagan was a one man green winning team. Froome would have been very capable of winning yellow on his own, without support. Cav ang Wiggins, top riders that they are, are the sort that need a team building around them though.

Sagan is a Zabel-like rider, being able to hang in a selective medium mountain stage then blow away the non-sprinters to the line, so I can easily see him being an excellent pairing with a top GC rider to win the double yellow and green, reflecting the Ullrich-Zabel win. Cavendish, not really the case.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Sagan is a Zabel-like rider, being able to hang in a selective medium mountain stage then blow away the non-sprinters to the line, so I can easily see him being an excellent pairing with a top GC rider to win the double yellow and green, reflecting the Ullrich-Zabel win. Cavendish, not really the case.

zabel and sagan can't be compoared at all. they are nothing a like. I see your point about both being able to overcomne mountains. but stages sagan won this year zabel woukld've never won

 

[Anonymous]

It seems to me that now the 'lead-out' technique has been sussed by tour organisers and teams, the 'HTC' era is over. If the Olympic Road race had been a team medal, Cav would have won it along with Froome and the rest of the gang because there would have been enough teams racing like teams. The rider who drops off in the velodrome event gets the medal just like the other three.

Unless the reality of the situation is recognised, it seems to me that his contribution is almost over. Remember Cap d'Agde on the Tour? The last sharp climb was put in purely to spike Cav. In fact the wind along the coast there was just as much a potential threat to team racing so we didn't need the hill.

 

[orangerider]

zabel and sagan can't be compoared at all. they are nothing a like. I see your point about both being able to overcomne mountains. but stages sagan won this year zabel woukld've never won

So Zabel winning his green streaks and Sagan likely having the same goal for the Tour, not to mention trying to rival the classic wins of Zabel makes them nothing alike ? Sagan is obviously punchier, so far - we dont know how he will fair as he gets older, while Zabel was able to stay pretty consistent.

 

[Mr Pumpy]

I think they had to sign Cav for PR reasons (A Brit, free agent, top sprinter and World champ) for 2012. Now they have real GC aspirations I don't think they can spare men to help him. Not so much a train but creating more bunch finishes, we know Cav can do the rest.
.

I'm not sure. It may be that very few teams could have afforded Cav post-HTC, Sky being one of them.

 

[El Oso]

zabel and sagan can't be compoared at all. they are nothing a like. I see your point about both being able to overcomne mountains. but stages sagan won this year zabel woukld've never won

I think of Sagan more in the mold of Sean Kelly, able to win both on hills and in sprints.

 

[El Pistolero]

It seems to me that now the 'lead-out' technique has been sussed by tour organisers and teams, the 'HTC' era is over. If the Olympic Road race had been a team medal, Cav would have won it along with Froome and the rest of the gang because there would have been enough teams racing like teams. The rider who drops off in the velodrome event gets the medal just like the other three.

Unless the reality of the situation is recognised, it seems to me that his contribution is almost over. Remember Cap d'Agde on the Tour? The last sharp climb was put in purely to spike Cav. In fact the wind along the coast there was just as much a potential threat to team racing so we didn't need the hill.

God forbid the organisers to not make every stage suit Cav. They're obviously all out to get him just because they're all so jealous of him.

Ps: Cav got his **** kicked in the bunch sprint of the Olympics.

 

[will10]

It seems to me that now the 'lead-out' technique has been sussed by tour organisers and teams, the 'HTC' era is over. If the Olympic Road race had been a team medal, Cav would have won it along with Froome and the rest of the gang because there would have been enough teams racing like teams. The rider who drops off in the velodrome event gets the medal just like the other three.

Unless the reality of the situation is recognised, it seems to me that his contribution is almost over. Remember Cap d'Agde on the Tour? The last sharp climb was put in purely to spike Cav. In fact the wind along the coast there was just as much a potential threat to team racing so we didn't need the hill.

lol, oh organisers not making every sprint stage being tailor-made for Cav, what a shame. The Cap d'Agde stage was one of the best flat stages in the Tour, but it seems you'd have prefered a HTC procession?

 

[Mr Pumpy]

I thought Cav's wins this year were some of the most exciting of the whole tour. It was great to see him scrap for it, rather than just 'finish off' a la HTC. Lack of a dominant train for Cav definitely makes for more exciting viewing, especially up against an ascendant Greipel with better backing behind him than Cav.

In fairness to Cav (well someone has to) he was always the first to attribute his dominance to the efforts of his HTC team.

 

[mb2612]

I thought Cav's wins this year were some of the most exciting of the whole tour. It was great to see him scrap for it, rather than just 'finish off' a la HTC. Lack of a dominant train for Cav definitely makes for more exciting viewing, especially up against an ascendant Greipel with better backing behind him than Cav.

In fairness to Cav (well someone has to) he was always the first to attribute his dominance to the efforts of his HTC team.

Agreed the flat stages were excellent this year, so much better than when it felt like nothing mattered because Cav would win anyway.

 

[woodie]

God forbid the organisers to not make every stage suit Cav. They're obviously all out to get him just because they're all so jealous of him.

Ps: Cav got his **** kicked in the bunch sprint of the Olympics.

What place were they sprinting for again??