The Cav SKY drama

[luckyboy]

20 in (4 neo-pro), 6 out, 4 unsure about contracts, 9 with contracts ending this year. They have enough space.

 

[Oldman]

Yes, but it's a problem money can solve.

No joke. Cav's the surest bet for results and he should be the highest paid. Considering the lifespan of a top sprinter he has two concerns: 1)his money 2)his leadout's money

 

[MartinGT]

I think if Cav signed for Sky, I would go off him slightly as a rider. I just dont really have the love for Sky for some reason.

Ride for QS Cav lad, youll get to ride as many classics as you like

 

[El Pistolero]

I think if Cav signed for Sky, I would go off him slightly as a rider. I just dont really have the love for Sky for some reason.

Ride for QS Cav lad, youll get to ride as many classics as you like

As if QS would waste a spot on Cav in a real classic.

 

[LugHugger]

As if QS would waste a spot on Cav in a real classic.

LOL. Agreed, he was next to useless at RvV and PR this year.

He was talking about being ready to hand up a wheel to Bernie before PR so he certainly wasn't sick or anything. But if Bernie went with Cavendish to QS that would be awesome. Bernie was solid as a rock at PR this year - he would be a useful ally for Boonen.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

All the way along Brailsford has been saying nothing whatsoever, just the "mark is a good rider, we would like to have him as would many teams"

The fact he has now said we have a verbal contract publicly is partly a hands of, but partly from confidence that there are no other teams in the running.

I would say the fact that DB has finally achknowledged there are negotiations going on mean that it is close to resolution.

But also theres a certain amount of posturing, if sky dont ultimately get cavendish, they need to appear, in the eyes of the british public at least, to have done everything they could to try and sign cavendish.

Erm in the eyes of the British public? This is Sky we are talking about not the National Football team. This is Sky owned by Murdoch (Australian or American take your pic) owner of News International, tapper of the British publics phones (all public record) I dont give 2 hoots if Cav goes to Sky or not. Good on him for maybe not doing whatever everyone expects for the sake of what.........? But actually doing what might be best for him as a short career sportsman.

Lets get it right Sky is a commercial team which sponsors cycling, they are not British cycling or a national squad. Think the British public may be more concerned with double dip recession and all that.

 

[Anonymous]

Boulting and Rendell discussing on twitter today that they think Lance may have recommended Wassserman to Cavendish.

Catch up boys..

 

[Winterfold]

Logically it doesn't matter to me where he ends up

But emotionally it does.

I will think less of him if goes elsewhere - but know pro sport is a short career and he has to follow the money

As a rider he will be better off at Sky.

I think ultimately his image rights will earn him more there too - he is not Beckham or a footballer - that said his missus looks like a woman rather than a Thai lady boy so he is doing something right

 

[Boardslide]

Boulting and Rendell discussing on twitter today that they think Lance may have recommended Wassserman to Cavendish.

Catch up boys..

Cav is quite friendly with Jack Wilshere (English footballer) who is also sponsored by Nike as well as being on the books of Wasserman, he may well have recommended them to Cav.

 

[Winterfold]

While I don't doubt this news is PR spin, the SL3 posts impressive numbers in tour magazin.

Yes I've ridden one and I have to admit it is very good

It's not the one people I see riding though - not those who would buy a Spec cos Cav has one anyway

I don't doubt his Mclaren bike is great - it's just not difficult to get one the same built - if anyone has access to carbon tech then it's GB - would McLaren turn down the call from Brailsford?

This is the part that insults the intelligence - we all know he can get whichever frame design he wants.

 

[MartinGT]

Boulting and Rendell discussing on twitter today that they think Lance may have recommended Wassserman to Cavendish.

Catch up boys..

Cant stand either of them two clueless mugs.

 

[bobbins]

BC already have a relationship of sorts with Maclaren. They even looked into buying their old F1 pit buildings as a temporary base whilst the velodrome was having building work done.

Word is that Brailsford takes home in excess of £1mil so he shouldn't begrudge Cav wanting to capitalise on his world champs win.

 

[Anonymous]

Cant stand either of them two clueless mugs.

i just find it interesting that they are procliaming today information that we all discussed yesterday.

 

[avanti]

........... He's been stung previously with his contract with High Road so wants to make sure his new one is in his favour. ..............

He signed a contract and should stick by it and not complain.
Most pro teams are working on a very tight budget in the current economy. Many succesful pro riders make a lot of money in the off season by giving keynote addresses at conferences.

 

[greenedge]

It would be weird if Cav rode specialised and the rest of Sky rode Pinarello. If QSOP could not sign him who could other than Sky? So it has to be one of the 2.

 

[Swabian Lass]

He signed a contract and should stick by it and not complain.
Most pro teams are working on a very tight budget in the current economy. Many succesful pro riders make a lot of money in the off season by giving keynote addresses at conferences.

I thought the whole point was that he hasn't signed a contract with Sky yet?

 

[briztoon]

Yes I've ridden one and I have to admit it is very good

It's not the one people I see riding though - not those who would buy a Spec cos Cav has one anyway

I don't doubt his Mclaren bike is great - it's just not difficult to get one the same built - if anyone has access to carbon tech then it's GB - would McLaren turn down the call from Brailsford?

This is the part that insults the intelligence - we all know he can get whichever frame design he wants.

Won't the different bicycle manufacturers have the particularly carbon tech they use and thier frame designs copyright protected.

Specialized has invested a fair amount of money into thier carbon research to come up with the type of carbon they use and how they construct the frames from this carbon. Same with thier frame design.

Not only is the Tarmac SL3 frame constructed from a higher grade carbon than the SL2 frame, but the SL3 is constructed differently to the SL2 frame. And the new SL4 frames, while constructed the same as the SL3 frame, the SL4 has a different shaped top tube, seat stays, head tube, etc to the SL3.

As for, would Mclaren work with Team Sky and thier bike sponsor/manufacturer. Depends if (or what type) of contract Specialized has with Mclaren and whether Mclaren would be allowed to (or want to) work with another team.

The carbon tech involved with the Mclaren Venge different to the carbon tech of the other Venges. I highly doubt Specialized want this tech being shared with other bike manufacturers.

 

[Anonymous]

As for, would Mclaren work with Team Sky and thier bike sponsor/manufacturer. Depends if (or what type) of contract Specialized has with Mclaren and whether Mclaren would be allowed to (or want to) work with another team.

if anyone has access to carbon tech then it's GB - would McLaren turn down the call from Brailsford?
.

An interesting question.

They already do. Sky have used MAT's wind tunnel in Woking on multiple occasions to work on bike positioning etc. They also had a lot of imput into the technical design of Sky's skinsuits.

McLaren also have a contract with British cycling, they designed the track teams skinsuits and have an ongoing agreement to "maximise the technological advantages available to British athletes in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic games"

So um. McLaren working with Sky. Already happening.

which is why all this mclaren, specialized, adidas/nike thing is all hot air. Its all about image rights. Cav doesnt care if its its Nike paying him millions a year or adidas paying him millions a year, as long as he's getting paid.

 

[Ragerod]

which is why all this mclaren, specialized, adidas/nike thing is all hot air. Its all about image rights. Cav doesnt care if its its Nike paying him millions a year or adidas paying him millions a year, as long as he's getting paid.

Is it simply about the money? If Adidas pay him what Nike were paying so Sky can control his image rights Cav still loses out.

My question is how much more do Wasserman think they can earn if they control Cavendish's image rights directly than the deal currently on the table? I would've thought with the upcoming Olympics and Cav being the newly crowned World Champion simply covering his deals with Specialised and Nike wouldn't be nearly enough.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Is it simply about the money? If Adidas pay him what Nike were paying so Sky can control his image rights Cav still loses out.

My question is how much more do Wasserman think they can earn if they control Cavendish's image rights directly than the deal currently on the table? I would've thought with the upcoming Olympics and Cav being the newly crowned World Champion simply covering his deals with Specialised and Nike wouldn't be nearly enough.

Exactly. From the point of view of his new agents, Cavendish is bigger than the sport in Britain and their game is to turn image rights into footballer-stupid-money.

 

[Winterfold]

Won't the different bicycle manufacturers have the particularly carbon tech they use and thier frame designs copyright protected.

Specialized has invested a fair amount of money into thier carbon research to come up with the type of carbon they use and how they construct the frames from this carbon. Same with thier frame design.

Not only is the Tarmac SL3 frame constructed from a higher grade carbon than the SL2 frame, but the SL3 is constructed differently to the SL2 frame. And the new SL4 frames, while constructed the same as the SL3 frame, the SL4 has a different shaped top tube, seat stays, head tube, etc to the SL3.

As for, would Mclaren work with Team Sky and thier bike sponsor/manufacturer. Depends if (or what type) of contract Specialized has with Mclaren and whether Mclaren would be allowed to (or want to) work with another team.

The carbon tech involved with the Mclaren Venge different to the carbon tech of the other Venges. I highly doubt Specialized want this tech being shared with other bike manufacturers.

Probably not what they want you to think for sure, but as TSF said McLaren already work with GB cycling and Pinarello are not exactly slouches in the curvy carbon stakes.

Cav will not lose races because he starts riding on a different frame - and they will make him whatever he wants so it might even be better?

I bet Spec will sell a few more Roubaixs and other sportive bathchairs off the back of all this nonsense though

 

[boomcie]

What a tiresome soap this has become. It 's all starting to feel a little 'CavSkyesque' to me.

Had to slip that one in.

 

[Hawkwood]

Probably not what they want you to think for sure, but as TSF said McLaren already work with GB cycling and Pinarello are not exactly slouches in the curvy carbon stakes.

Cav will not lose races because he starts riding on a different frame - and they will make him whatever he wants so it might even be better?

I bet Spec will sell a few more Roubaixs and other sportive bathchairs off the back of all this nonsense though

Don't want to go off-topic, however my Specialized Secteur size XL a `sportive bathchair' and the same geometry as the Roubaix, has virtually the same geometry including the same stack height and top-tube length as my 1995 model Bianchi which was a straight road-racing frame. My saddle-handlebar drop on the Secteur is lower with all the spacers in place, than that of the Bianchi.

 

[Winterfold]

Sorry Hawkwood i will confess it is a cheap shot

A (big) mates just got a Secteur and in XL they look pretty decent - that doesn't stop me taking the **** though as even if overall design puts the bars in the same place that headtube just looks wierd - especially in my shortarse size.

Its the same on the recent tarmacs - headtube looks wrong - but I've ridden an SL3 and I admit it is very nice, light stiff and everything is in a proper racey position.

I still think it's all a load of PR guff though and it makes me think even more they are a big business and behave as such.

Give Cav, Terry Dolan and Chris Boardman some time together and they will make him a pretty special set of wheels I'm sure.

 

[Anonymous]

but cav will have access to the new GB prototype wheels that wiggins has been using.