The New World Champion! Appreciation

[BYOP88]

Not a Cavendish fan but not a hater either. This may have already been said in here, but the people here who are pi$$ed off he won, wouldn't you be the same one's mocking him if he didn't win on this course?

 

[El Pistolero]

You are doing that all by yourself.

No, you are. What's the point in stating Cav rides the Ronde? He insults the race by saying he could actually win it some day. He sucks at it. He's horrible every time he rode it. He should never ride it again and let someone that's actually good at it have a chance of riding it. I wonder who's place he'll steal for the Ronde next year when he's going to Sky.

How many DNF or coming in 15 minutes behind the winner does he need to convince him self the cobbled classics are nothing for him?

 

[Hawkwood]

It's a good job none of us are running a cycling team `no we can't sign him he wins races, but cycling forums don't like him... now who can we sign...?'

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

The only thing not to appreciate about Cav's win is the helmet and skinsuit. Everything else...

 

[Hawkwood]

The only thing not to appreciate about Cav's win is the helmet and skinsuit. Everything else...

Still haven't seen any overhead footage of the final 300 metres or so, I thought he'd lost it, but wow did he find a way through.

 

[Ragerod]

Cavendish will earn my respect if I see him outside the peloton for once. And I don't mean behind it, but in front of it

That's the only reason why I dislike Cavendish. Not because he's British, not because he's gloomy, not because he's arrogant, not because he's a funny guy, but only because of his racing style.

Greipel for example I really like. He went into a breakaway in the Driedaagse van de Panne and he won. He did the same in the Tour of Turkey. Even in Paris-Brussel he went into the attack! The stage he won in the Tour was pretty impressive as well because it wasn't just a flat stage, it had real obstacles in it and the race it self was great to look at even if it ended in a bunch sprint. He was also up there in Paris-Roubaix for a long time and actively riding up front. And unlike Cavendish he actually works a lot for his team mates like Philippe Gilbert.

Just because you're a sprinter doesn't mean you have to be a boring cyclist! There are plenty of interesting sprinters out there like Hushovd(though I wouldn't call him a real sprinter anymore, but in 2009 he definitely still was one), Tom Boonen and Greipel.

Ps: I'll rephrase my self. Cavendish was happy, but he just has a bad way of showing it sometimes

I would also like to see him get in a break once in a while in a race where it won't hinder his chances, like P-R, but Greipel isn't really a fair example because HTC and now Sky are highly unlikely ever to let their top asset be wasted in such a manner.

Cavendish has highlighted that his desire to do races like P-R is because he does find sitting in a bunch for 4 hours boring but it's a job, that's what he gets paid for. Winning supposedly generates the most exposure so why would a team waste an odd's on favourite to win plenty of races in ones where he doesn't have a chance or let himself hinder his own chances in ones where he does have a legitimate opportunity to win? In that respect I don't think Cavendish wants to be a boring cyclist but he's getting paid a lot of money to be one because he's very good at it.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

No, you are. What's the point in stating Cav rides the Ronde? He insults the race by saying he could actually win it some day. He sucks at it. He's horrible every time he rode it. He should never ride it again and let someone that's actually good at it have a chance of riding it. I wonder who's place he'll steal for the Ronde next year when he's going to Sky.

How many DNF or coming in 15 minutes behind the winner does he need to convince him self the cobbled classics are nothing for him?

Well that was Rhubromas point, that Cav only participates in races that he wins and this will somehow show a lack of class to the rainbow jersey.
So thanks for proving my point.

 

[spalco]

Yea, right, like when Lemond one the Worlds twice or when Evans claimed the victory. Same thing I suppose.

I will say this about the guy, however, he will certainly wear the jersey after such a race without compunction and actually believe he has a class that he doesn't, to then go on to say "I'm the world champion, so I don't have to finish races if I'm not so inclined and if it's not what I'm here to do and get paid for: namely, win sprints"... especially to the Italian and Spanish press.

That's unfair. Cavendish finished 5 of the 10 GTs he's taken part in so far, which is not at all unreasonable for a young cyclist who's not a climber (to say the least) and actually shows a lot of dedication to the races. Other sprinters never bothered riding over the Alps.

 

[El Pistolero]

Well that was Rhubromas point, that Cav only participates in races that he wins and this will somehow show a lack of class to the rainbow jersey.
So thanks for proving my point.

Well that point is indeed nonsense. Cav rides lot's of races with the only purpose of training in them because they're not prestigious enough for him to try and win. As for the cobbled classics, he's just not good enough to win those.

 

[Hawkwood]

I would also like to see him get in a break once in a while in a race where it won't hinder his chances, like P-R, but Greipel isn't really a fair example because HTC and now Sky are highly unlikely ever to let their top asset be wasted in such a manner.

Cavendish has highlighted that his desire to do races like P-R is because he does find sitting in a bunch for 4 hours boring but it's a job, that's what he gets paid for. Winning supposedly generates the most exposure so why would a team waste an odd's on favourite to win plenty of races in ones where he doesn't have a chance or let himself hinder his own chances in ones where he does have a legitimate opportunity to win? In that respect I don't think Cavendish wants to be a boring cyclist but he's getting paid a lot of money to be one because he's very good at it.

Exactly, he is employed to do a job. At the point at which he is no longer winning sprint finishes he will either move to plan B, trying to win from breakaways, or retire. If he tries to win sprints from breakaways he will have a massive problem as no breakaway group would want to form with him in it.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Well that point is indeed nonsense. Cav rides lot's of races with the only purpose of training in them because they're not prestigious enough for him to try and win. As for the cobbled classics, he's just not good enough to win those.

Thats a good point - Cav is the only rider ever to ride events as training or preparation

 

[El Pistolero]

Thats a good point - Cav is the only rider ever to ride events as training or preparation

Nope, it's a trend started by Armstrong. Andy Schleck for example is even worse than Cav in this case.

 

[spalco]

It's a good job none of us are running a cycling team `no we can't sign him he wins races, but cycling forums don't like him... now who can we sign...?'

Txurruka, Voigts, Hoogerland, maybe Voeckler (although he has his haters too), a couple Colombians and that guy from Eritrea, Vino and some other Eastern Europeans with unpronouncable names and Floyd Landis [eta: and fill up the rest of the roster with some Frenchies who never win anything but always get into breaks]. The team might not win any meaningful races, but it would have the longest Appreciation thread on cyclingnews ever.

 

[Hawkwood]

Txurruka, Voigts, Hoogerland, maybe Voeckler (although he has his haters too), a couple Colombians and that guy from Eritrea, Vino and some other Eastern Europeans with unpronouncable names and Floyd Landis [eta: and fill up the rest of the roster with some Frenchies who never win anything but always get into breaks]. The team might not win any meaningful races, but it would have the longest Appreciation thread on cyclingnews ever.

We'd need to run the whole list past the Clinic first....

 

[euanli]

Nope, it's a trend started by Armstrong. Andy Schleck for example is even worse than Cav in this case.

I forgot Armstrong invented racing to train.

 

[El Pistolero]

We'd need to run the whole list past the Clinic first....

And some of Cavendish his teammates while we're at it

 

[El Pistolero]

I forgot Armstrong invented racing to train.

He only raced other races to train for the Tour. He did set the trend for that yes.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

He only raced other races to train for the Tour. He did set the trend for that yes.

It started long before Armstrong.

 

[jordan5000]

Everybody please stop the hate, it's becoming clear that this is more about the fact that it was Cavendish who won and not somebody else, I bet if it was Petacchi or Greipel you guys would all be showing him as much love as you could. The fact is that the course was flat and made for sprinters, and the best sprinter won it. You can argue that the course wasn't difficult enough but with so many quality sprinters (Greipel, Petacchi, Hushovd, Farrar, Goss) that he wasn't a worthy world champion. Excuse me if I'm wrong here, but if you're the best in the world at one thing, and one only, aren't you still the best in the world at that one thing? (sprinting)

As for the person who said Cav was wiping his nose with it on the podium: it's his jersey for the year, he can kiss it, rub it, sleep with it, etc. for all I care, it's his and beside I think the nose is just about as clean as kissing it with the bacteria you could get from the mouth

Also while I am a fan of Cavendish, I'm not really a fan of British cycling, and although I'm extremely happy for him I'd give props to any rider who could beat him in a bunch sprint, or hold off the peloton to win from a breakaway as either way would be extremely difficult.

 

[Angliru]

Gilbert or Cancellara have a different type of arrogance than Cavendish. They don't go around and insult their fellow cyclists for example. The Phil arrogance is classic Vandenbroucke or Usain Bolt arrogance. Cavendish arrogance is uuhhhh.... I just hate his interviews post race. He almost never seems happy, not even now after his WC did he look happy with his angry responses to interviewers. He also thinks he needs to continuously proof him self or something and is always defensive in his interviews. The guy is clearly suffering from a Napoleon complex if you ask me.

As for Cancellara arrogance, it's just plain stupid and that makes it incredibly funny "Strap on your belts cause I'm like an airplane"

Haha.

I wouldn't really call Cancellara's bitter reference to Nuyens after his RVV victory as "not a winner" a compliment. It was a sour grapes insult. While not on the level of juvenile whiner that Cav can be, Cancellara in the past year has taken himself to new lows in terms of his image, IMO of course.

 

[El Pistolero]

I wouldn't really call Cancellara's bitter reference to Nuyens after his RVV victory as "not a winner" a compliment. It was a sour grapes insult. While not on the level of juvenile whiner that Cav can be, Cancellara in the past year has taken himself to new lows in terms of his image, IMO of course.

Yes, you're right.

 

[Anonymous]

The fact is that the course was flat and made for sprinters, and the best sprinter won it. You can argue that the course wasn't difficult enough but with so many quality sprinters (Greipel, Petacchi, Hushovd, Farrar, Goss) that he wasn't a worthy world champion.

Boasson Hagen 8th
Farrar 10th
Galimzyanov 11th
Sagan 12th
Bennatti 14th
Boom 29th
Sutton 72nd
O'Grady 91st
Flecha 95th
And countless others finished 8 minutes back or did not finish.

The fact Cancellara came 4th shows it wasnt a pure flat sprinters course.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

Only if you like boring races that serve merely the fastest man the victory on a plate!

Come on, yesterday's race was a pathetic joke! And only a liar or a hypocrite would say otherwise. And I don't think someone like Cavendish has the right class, nor the proper attitude to don the Rainbow Jersey in any way that is becoming, but is only grotesque. They may as well have called the Worlds the third stage at the Tour.

Worst World's course I have ever seen in 28 years watching the sport. Is it getting funny yet?

As far as a pure sprinter winning goes, I'm not for it. Let then win as many flat stages at the Tour as they want, and Paris-Brussels. Even when Cipollini won it, I didn't approve. Yesterday's course was a piloted marketing scam.

you are obviously the world's greatest cycling fan. you can tell by how much you hated yesterday's race. because the best fans are the ones who hate the sport the most.

pity the fools who actually enjoy bike racing. and show them the error of their ways.

silly.

an alternate and possibly more constructive approach for you might have been to not watch the race. the course has been published for a year now. you knew how it was going to be.

but then you wouldn't get to demonstrate what a superior enthusiast you were by bringing the rest of us down.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

Everybody please stop the hate, it's becoming clear that this is more about the fact that it was Cavendish who won and not somebody else, I bet if it was Petacchi or Greipel you guys would all be showing him as much love as you could. The fact is that the course was flat and made for sprinters, and the best sprinter won it. You can argue that the course wasn't difficult enough but with so many quality sprinters (Greipel, Petacchi, Hushovd, Farrar, Goss) that he wasn't a worthy world champion. Excuse me if I'm wrong here, but if you're the best in the world at one thing, and one only, aren't you still the best in the world at that one thing? (sprinting)

As for the person who said Cav was wiping his nose with it on the podium: it's his jersey for the year, he can kiss it, rub it, sleep with it, etc. for all I care, it's his and beside I think the nose is just about as clean as kissing it with the bacteria you could get from the mouth

Also while I am a fan of Cavendish, I'm not really a fan of British cycling, and although I'm extremely happy for him I'd give props to any rider who could beat him in a bunch sprint, or hold off the peloton to win from a breakaway as either way would be extremely difficult.

the hate will not stop. everytime cav wins or doesn't win in the rainbow, we'll have to listen to this dog*&^t.

btw, i'm not sure that greipel has any actual fans. but everything else you said is true.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Thats a good point - Cav is the only rider ever to ride events as training or preparation

I'm still not sure if El P is as dumb as he seems, or if it's just a brilliant s**** of a 9 year old internet warrior.

The constant deliberate missing of obvious irony, and pasting of irrelevant facts from wikipedia points strongly towards s****.