Sky's Lead-out

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Comments

  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    bobbymeister wrote:
    Sky did everything they could yesterday: they won, and won well.
    Sure, the HTC will be different with Renshaw as last lead out and Cav at the head of it all.
    But won't Sky be different with, potentially, Barry, Arvesen, Flecha and EBH?
    The odds still favour a Cav win, of course, but at least we have the promise of some interesting sprints rather than an HTC victory parade.
    Personally, I'm looking at the battle between these two as a season-long scrap for Cav's services in 2011 and beyond.
    Sky have the money to pay him, the personnel he knows and trusts and the ability to raise his profile - and therefore his earning potential - in the UK.
    Cav has always said he'll sign for the best team that will bring him the most wins, whether that's HTC or Sky.
    If Sky continue to prove they can do that, then I'd imagine Stapleton will start getting a little twitchy.

    If Sky develop the best leadout team possible, what's to stop Cav hopping on the back and accelerating past Sky's sprinter in the last 50m? Genuine question.
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    DaveyL wrote:
    I think Andy Hampsten turned up for a shortened Giro mountain stage in a skinsuit, didn't he? Possibly the first time his team rode the Giro?

    Dave Z did something similar in a full length race last year. I can't remember what race it was, but he attacked and was in the break all day.
  • wicked
    wicked Posts: 844
    calvjones wrote:
    bobbymeister wrote:
    Sky did everything they could yesterday: they won, and won well.
    Sure, the HTC will be different with Renshaw as last lead out and Cav at the head of it all.
    But won't Sky be different with, potentially, Barry, Arvesen, Flecha and EBH?
    The odds still favour a Cav win, of course, but at least we have the promise of some interesting sprints rather than an HTC victory parade.
    Personally, I'm looking at the battle between these two as a season-long scrap for Cav's services in 2011 and beyond.
    Sky have the money to pay him, the personnel he knows and trusts and the ability to raise his profile - and therefore his earning potential - in the UK.
    Cav has always said he'll sign for the best team that will bring him the most wins, whether that's HTC or Sky.
    If Sky continue to prove they can do that, then I'd imagine Stapleton will start getting a little twitchy.

    If Sky develop the best leadout team possible, what's to stop Cav hopping on the back and accelerating past Sky's sprinter in the last 50m? Genuine question.

    Nothing really.
    To those saying its a small race yes it is but you can only win what you are in. Its important for a new team to put down a marker and get team morale going, remember Cervelo at Qatar last year they really ripped that race and then went on to have an excellent first season. If Sky match Cervelo last year they will have done alright IMO.
    It’s the most beautiful sport in the world but it’s governed by ***ts who have turned it into a crock of ****.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    afx237vi wrote:
    DaveyL wrote:
    I think Andy Hampsten turned up for a shortened Giro mountain stage in a skinsuit, didn't he? Possibly the first time his team rode the Giro?

    Dave Z did something similar in a full length race last year. I can't remember what race it was, but he attacked and was in the break all day.

    Dave Z was up the road in the 2008 Paris Tours wearing a skinsuit (and a beard).

    Stephen Roche won a TdF split stage on the Col d'Aubisque in '85 wearing a skin suit and Andy Hampsten used one in the mountains in the Giro the same year.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    calvjones wrote:
    What's to stop Cav hopping on the back and accelerating past Sky's sprinter in the last 50m? Genuine question.

    If you get into formation early enough, don’t allow anyone else to get in the mix and time it right…in theory you win. I suppose in that scenario Cav would effectively have two men to come round and the line would be coming up really fast, but if anyone could do it, he could.

    That’s what I like about sprinter team battles, it becomes an arms race, each bringing bigger guns to bear, and hoping to disrupt each other’s meticulous plans. Makes all races fun to watch as they muscle each other off the racing line, positioning is everything. A decent rivalry here would be great, as otherwise Columbia are usually so dominant no-one else even tries any more.

    Anyone know the first race when all the big guns are likely to be lined up for both teams ?
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    le patron wrote:
    calvjones wrote:
    What's to stop Cav hopping on the back and accelerating past Sky's sprinter in the last 50m? Genuine question.

    If you get into formation early enough, don’t allow anyone else to get in the mix and time it right…in theory you win. I suppose in that scenario Cav would effectively have two men to come round and the line would be coming up really fast, but if anyone could do it, he could.

    That’s what I like about sprinter team battles, it becomes an arms race, each bringing bigger guns to bear, and hoping to disrupt each other’s meticulous plans. Makes all races fun to watch as they muscle each other off the racing line, positioning is everything. A decent rivalry here would be great, as otherwise Columbia are usually so dominant no-one else even tries any more.

    Anyone know the first race when all the big guns are likely to be lined up for both teams ?

    For sprinters it'll be Qatar.
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • pontarlier_pete
    pontarlier_pete Posts: 195
    le patron wrote:
    calvjones wrote:
    What's to stop Cav hopping on the back and accelerating past Sky's sprinter in the last 50m? Genuine question.

    If you get into formation early enough, don’t allow anyone else to get in the mix and time it right…in theory you win. I suppose in that scenario Cav would effectively have two men to come round and the line would be coming up really fast, but if anyone could do it, he could.

    That’s what I like about sprinter team battles, it becomes an arms race, each bringing bigger guns to bear, and hoping to disrupt each other’s meticulous plans. Makes all races fun to watch as they muscle each other off the racing line, positioning is everything. A decent rivalry here would be great, as otherwise Columbia are usually so dominant no-one else even tries any more.

    Anyone know the first race when all the big guns are likely to be lined up for both teams ?

    I don't know why the sprinter is always last man in the train. They should use another teammate or two to sit on his wheel and act as a "rear gunner" and give the sprinter even more advantage.
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    I guess because then you get two guys not doing their turn ramping the pace up to ridiculous levels before you unleash your star sprinter.
  • PauloBets
    PauloBets Posts: 108
    great to see Sky dominate their first race. They are going to show the others this year and no scandals or drug cheats will be from there
  • thamacdaddy
    thamacdaddy Posts: 590
    bobbymeister wrote:
    Sky did everything they could yesterday: they won, and won well.
    Sure, the HTC will be different with Renshaw as last lead out and Cav at the head of it all.
    But won't Sky be different with, potentially, Barry, Arvesen, Flecha and EBH?

    It's defo too early to say anything at all for all this, it is interesting to see it might be a competition though. Think of others too, geriant thomas (part of the world record holding track pursuit), ben swift (who was there yesterday) who has indicated his focus is the track pursuit in 2012 before road after that and the other big guns present.

    I am not sure how you split dual focus though with only nine men.

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