Who can beat Cavendish? Well...

[laura.weislo]

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) dusted Mark Cavendish in the sprint in Tirreno-Adriatico today. Did anyone see the video? Well played Tyler! It looked like Cav had spun his gear out while Farrar was still coming on strong at the line.

 

[53x11 in DC]

been waiting a while for a big win from TF - nice. Good news for Garmin on a day where neither Millar nor VdV was able to stay near the front in P-N.

 

[Anonymous]

Great sprint!

 

[Stani Kléber]

A good sprint but I fear Farrar won't repeat this too often. Farrar's a nice guy and he's on form for the Belgian classics where he should be competitive.

 

[*G*K*S*]

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) dusted Mark Cavendish in the sprint in Tirreno-Adriatico today. Did anyone see the video? Well played Tyler! It looked like Cav had spun his gear out while Farrar was still coming on strong at the line.

Outstanding win!

Last Km:
http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza.be/wielrennen/090313_Tirreno_rit3#

 

[Jamsque]

Props to Farrar for picking the right wheel and doing a great sprint. I was saying in the other thread that I can't remember ever seeing anyone come around Cav in the last 100m of a race before. I wonder if he was tired out, the stage today was not dead flat by any means.

 

[lookkg386]

Got to remember its only March though to be honest, Tyler does seem in top form but I would think Cav still is building up, come July unless Boonen and Thor are in great form hard to see cav not repeating last year, he has such a strong team also.

 

[blackcat]

Props to Farrar for picking the right wheel and doing a great sprint. I was saying in the other thread that I can't remember ever seeing anyone come around Cav in the last 100m of a race before. I wonder if he was tired out, the stage today was not dead flat by any means.

Chicchi has him once, but should have him twice.

The once was at Missouri last year, final stage. The first time, should have been stage two in Driedaagse van de Panne. Chicchi had the wrong gear and had spun it out, and Cav just had enough to come by. Cav did a brilliant and courageous sprint down the barriers through a hole that did not exist, Mcewen-esque, and deserved the win. But if Chicci selected the right gear, he should have on by a few lengths.

If you watch Chicchi in the 2007 Paris-Tours, he is frightfully fast over the final 200 metres. Cavendish type speed.

Petacchi said he used to beat him (Chicchi getting Petacchi) in training. Well, you saw in Paris Tours, how many lengths Chicchi closed on Petacchi, all into the wind too.

The other loss was in Missouri when Cav got boxed, so it does not really count. Van Poppel won, and another Rabobank espoirs rider was second, either Vermeltfort or Van Emden.

Cav has also gotten beaten by Steven Burke in training.

Cav can unleash crazy speed after 220km though, the most impressive was at the Tour last year when he went long, into the wind, from close to 300, and Freire had his wheel. At 75 Freire popped his nose in the wind, from Cav's slipstream, then he went backwards, even though it was into the wind, and Cav had led it out from nigh on 300.

Hope he will get beaten some more this year, mano a mano. Farrar was a little fortunate to get his wheel, and such an armchair ride. But that is sprinting. Congrats to Farrar.

 

[53x11 in DC]

Petacchi:

"I though Cavendish was going to get it, but then this Farrar worked around him."

"this" Farrar... hilarious. I'm sure it was just a translation thing, but you can almost see a head of state like Ale-Jet thinking, "this.... this.... thing, this... Farrar-play-with-big-boys-pretend-sprinter-boy-person...."

Don't get me wrong, I have huge respect for Ale-Jet... just came across as slightly stilted...

 

[lookkg386]

Petacchi:

"I though Cavendish was going to get it, but then this Farrar worked around him."

"this" Farrar... hilarious. I'm sure it was just a translation thing, but you can almost see a head of state like Ale-Jet thinking, "this.... this.... thing, this... Farrar-play-with-big-boys-pretend-sprinter-boy-person...."

Don't get me wrong, I have huge respect for Ale-Jet... just came across as slightly stilted...

Haha, that's funny..was that straight after the race that quote?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

There was headwind in the sprint, so Farrar profited perfectly from the slipstream. Cavendish had the disadvantage of the weather this time. And I still think that in 9/10 cases, he will solidly beat Farrar. This was just one of those sprints where everything just fits for a guy to beat the fastest sprinter.

 

[tifosa]

As they say... "That's racing!"

Always nice to have a new face in the sprints; great win by Farrar!

 

[TheBean]

Farraf has gotten the better of Cav a few times. But, even JV sayd Farrar is a great classics talent who can sprint - not a pure sprinter.

This year's TdF has been great for those who enjoy watching the developing tactics of sprint trains.

The stage where Cav's team played it perfectly, he was able to win without even being challenged.

Sagan's crew played it incorrectly and Gerrans' guys got it right on the day he took Yellow.

Griepel's Lotto guys have had it rough up until today (7/4), but they did an excellent job today and the result is obvious. Cav bouncing off the road earlier in the day certainly made their job a bit easier.

Ironically, most of the big guns in the sprint game have a win to their credit, except Sagan - who is wearing green due to his consistency. All of those men have something to celebrate so far, and something to fuel their desire for continuing the fight.

It has been great racing to watch this first week!

 

[GPdesAmeriques]

Many riders experience the "curse" of the rainbow jersey, but for Cavendish it seems he's having worse luck with the British champion's jersey.

He wasn't too pleased with his bike yesterday.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/07/news/cavendish-livid-after-loss-yells-about-bike-inside-team-bus_293642

 

[puffin]

Farraf has gotten the better of Cav a few times. But, even JV sayd Farrar is a great classics talent who can sprint - not a pure sprinter.

This year's TdF has been great for those who enjoy watching the developing tactics of sprint trains.

The stage where Cav's team played it perfectly, he was able to win without even being challenged.

Sagan's crew played it incorrectly and Gerrans' guys got it right on the day he took Yellow.

Griepel's Lotto guys have had it rough up until today (7/4), but they did an excellent job today and the result is obvious. Cav bouncing off the road earlier in the day certainly made their job a bit easier.

Ironically, most of the big guns in the sprint game have a win to their credit, except Sagan - who is wearing green due to his consistency. All of those men have something to celebrate so far, and something to fuel their desire for continuing the fight.

It has been great racing to watch this first week!

This.

Also, all the sprint stages have been interesting in terms of crashes or breakaways nearly staying away as well. It's been a god first week.

 

[TheBean]

Sagan can outclimb the sprinters and outsprint the climbers.

His team was fantastic today, as was his finish. The guy can make a few tactical errors (i.e. getting himself boxed in a bit), then still win by a couple bike lengths on a day when a Cat2 bump neutralized almost every one of his major rivals.

Cav, Sagan, Griepel, etc. will be sure to keep the racing interesting and fun all the way to Paris.

Cav has almost no chance left for the green jersey, so we will be treated to watching him do what he does better than anyone, go for stage wins.

"I don't race for second" is one of my favorite quotes of his...

 

[bolingbroke]

So a four year old thread gets revived because Cav lost a sprint to Greipel? Shows how well he is doing rather than the other way around.

This is a man who has won all three GT points jerseys, a world championship, and is the fourth best TDF sage winner of all time.

Sagan is a completely different style of rider. Put them against each other in the Tour of Qatar and see who that would suit better.

 

[The Principal Sheep]

So a four year old thread gets revived because Cav lost a sprint to Greipel? Shows how well he is doing rather than the other way around.

Who said it was about how bad Cav is doing?

Sagan is a completely different style of rider. Put them against each other in the Tour of Qatar and see who that would suit better.

Or you could just put them together in something more prestigious, say the Tour de France and see which one ends up winning the Points Classification.

 

[MatParker117]

Who said it was about how bad Cav is doing?



Or you could just put them together in something more prestigious, say the Tour de France and see which one ends up winning the Points Classification.

On paper I'd back Cav but we don't race on paper.

 

[bolingbroke]

Or you could just put them together in something more prestigious, say the Tour de France and see which one ends up winning the Points Classification.

The point went over your head then I take it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

There was headwind in the sprint, so Farrar profited perfectly from the slipstream. Cavendish had the disadvantage of the weather this time. And I still think that in 9/10 cases, he will solidly beat Farrar. This was just one of those sprints where everything just fits for a guy to beat the fastest sprinter.

I love my great insight from 4 years ago. I even think 9/10 times was on the conservative side. Should've said 99/100 times

 

[Mongolian Torque]

Cav wins 99/100 times? Really?...

I love my great insight from 4 years ago. I even think 9/10 times was on the conservative side. Should've said 99/100 times

Are you kidding me? He didn't win THREE of the four stages this year...that's a
75% LOSS ratio...

You gotta be lucky to win sometimes and a lot of the times the other guys aren't so lucky and they lose rather than Cav winning...

 

[The Principal Sheep]

On paper I'd back Cav but we don't race on paper.

Best to check the profile first

The point went over your head then I take it.

Am I to take it that my point went over yours? no I won't be that childish, in a flat sprint Cav will likely win but begin to up the difficulty and Sagan becomes a bigger threat. The difference is Sagan will always be there to challenge the sprint, not fifteen minutes behind.