Cav and Wiggo - how will it play out?

NervexProf

Looking forward to the madison - having read:
http://www.markcavendish.com/media.htm
I reckon that Cav will be fizzing for ALL the sprints with Wiggo marking any breakaways.

Will be a 'firework' event, not to be missed

How do you think it will play out?

richa

I was going to ask similar questions.

Of the 200 laps, what % will be ridden by Cav, what % by Wiggins? I'm assumiong that Wiggins rides more while Cav rests for the sprints?

So, Cav for sprints. Wiggins for marking/pursuing.
But who tries to make the breaks? Cav open up a gap, then sling Wiggins into a chase for the rear of the pack?

graeme_s-2

RichA wrote:

I was going to ask similar questions.

Of the 200 laps, what % will be ridden by Cav, what % by Wiggins? I'm assumiong that Wiggins rides more while Cav rests for the sprints?

So, Cav for sprints. Wiggins for marking/pursuing.
But who tries to make the breaks? Cav open up a gap, then sling Wiggins into a chase for the rear of the pack?

I think when they put a lap on at the Worlds it was Wiggins who made the move first. I think they changed back and forth a couple of times during the chase.... :?:

Bronzie

RichA wrote:

But who tries to make the breaks?

Think it depends on how the race pans out - if there's a lull in the pace, whoever is in the race at that time can be expected to go for it.

agnello

Wiggo was tired

Do you think he was being a bit greedy?

Hayles and Cav would have done better.

Bet the cannonball's not happy...

richa

Yup. Unfortunately Thomas, Burke & Hayles should have been used more.

cougie

I havent seen the race live, but I hear that Team GB were marked all over the place ?
I'm not sure it was possible for them to win this with the entire pack against them - regardless of how tired Wiggins was ?

oldwelshman

cougie wrote:

I havent seen the race live, but I hear that Team GB were marked all over the place ?
I'm not sure it was possible for them to win this with the entire pack against them - regardless of how tired Wiggins was ?

I watched the race and did not see them marked that much.
In fact I thought they did not ride well.
On one sprint for instance Cav was on the front with a lap to go and changed with WIggins?
That happened more than once.
They missed the Argies break also.
Then they did have one go with about 30 to go but Wiggins just did not look to have his usual zipp and strength.

Cumulonimbus

Yes, Wiggins seemed to be on the front for the first few sprints although they werent in a good position going into it anyway? The camera was focused mostly on the front people so we didnt see that much of wiggins/cav. I think their idea was to lie low at first. If you are the favourites and have a lead in the actual race then everyone will be against you. Let someone else get in front in the actual race and people dont just have you as a big threat as a gold medal prospect. This is similar to what they did in the world championship. However, i think Wiggins didnt have the zip and there were still enough people trying to stop GB get away.

thamacdaddy

the very fact that Argentina got away so easy shows how the field was marking. Cav tried once or twice to go off the front but when he changed it appeared like Wiggins was not able to power on and they always had the swiss and danish on their backside.

Because there were a few attacks from spain and canada the camera wasn't focused on them that much so I am not sure how anyone not in the velodrome can say whether or not they were marked.The aussie guy was commenting constantly saying no one in the field would let them get away or help with a break, all were watching the brits for when they would attack....as you would if you had the world champ pursuiter and one of the fastest sprinters on the road.

knedlicky

Maybe the Argentina victory is a sign of things to come. From both sociological and climatic standpoints, Argentina is an ideal country in which for cycling to flourish.

dolophonic

Wiggins was saying in an interview "some peoples thing is picking up rubbish in the street mine is getting gold medals " i guess that was karma coming back on him...

Bronzie

knedlicky wrote:

Maybe the Argentina victory is a sign of things to come. From both sociological and climatic standpoints, Argentina is an ideal country in which for cycling to flourish.

Didn't realise this yesterday, but the Argentinian pair won the 2004 World Champs, so not so much of a dark horse as I'd thought. The older of the two is 43! There's hope for me yet

Kléber

Wiggins had a good time afterwards:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/au ... leywiggins

toshmund

I feel sorry for Cavendish. He was probably ready to drop out of the tour, but the amount of pressure he received. He then drops out, fulfills his side of the bargain and turns up at the Olympics...to pretty much make up the numbers. He should have been in the Madison with someone, who had not been so prolific in other events.

RyanBrook

dolophonic wrote:

Wiggins was saying in an interview "some peoples thing is picking up rubbish in the street mine is getting gold medals " i guess that was karma coming back on him...

I can't believe he said that. I always thought he came across like a classy guy but there is no class in that comment. No need to take a stab at the less fortunate.

Coriander

He didn't mean it like that. He the full quote was "Some people's thing is picking up rubbish in the street, for some its DIY, mine is getting gold medals" - he meant it was a hobby, a passion, a need...

He was not dissing anyone.

graeme_s-2

Toshmund wrote:

I feel sorry for Cavendish. He was probably ready to drop out of the tour, but the amount of pressure he received. He then drops out, fulfills his side of the bargain and turns up at the Olympics...to pretty much make up the numbers. He should have been in the Madison with someone, who had not been so prolific in other events.

It seems to me they could have paired him with Chris Newton, or taken Rob Hayles just to do the Madison with Cav, and dropped a pursuiter out of the team.

Wiggins had to do more pursuit races to qualify for the finals at the Olympics than he did at the Worlds, which must have taken its toll.

richa

Graeme_S wrote:

It seems to me they could have paired him with Chris Newton, or taken Rob Hayles just to do the Madison with Cav, and dropped a pursuiter out of the team.

I believe they could also have taken Hayles as part of the road team and then used him in the madison.

cougie

In hindsight Hayles would have been a good choice, but Wiggins did come good in the World Champs ? Why split a winning team ?