Cav - Giro or Cali?

iainf72

He's undecided - Where do you think HTC will make him go?

I would say California.

teagar

I think so too.

Will they then send Greipel to do the Giro?

pedro118118

HTC Phones, Columbia Activewear and Scott bikes? Makes you think they'll insist on the big stars being present - I see the likes of Shack, BMC and Garmin are committed to sending strong squads.

That said, Cav was talking big about winning stages at all three of the GTs this year, so who knows?! And the ToC looks pretty hard - should he chose to actually complete a stage race other than the Tour for a change.

calvjones

Yeah, Cali.

Greipel v Petacchi v Bennati v Napolitano v Loddo will be quite interesting enough though, thanks.

blazing_saddles

Not sure if Cav will fancy that scenario, but he may well have to put up with it.
A lean year for Grand Tour stage victories on the cards?

teagar

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Not sure if Cav will fancy that scenario, but he may well have to put up with it.
A lean year for Grand Tour stage victories on the cards?

I'm sure when he glances at his bank balance he'll feel a little bit better about it.

northernneil

teagar wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Not sure if Cav will fancy that scenario, but he may well have to put up with it.
A lean year for Grand Tour stage victories on the cards?

I'm sure when he glances at his bank balance he'll feel a little bit better about it.

I am sure if he stands on the podium in paris in july wearing green he will feel a bit better about it

Tusher

If the link works, (edit- it doesn't) it's a short video clip of Cav saying that he adores the Giro, wants to ride it, it's the best race in the world and so on.

Admittedly, he was talking to Gazetta dello sport.


He'll ride in California. Too many important sponsors to please, and allowing Greipel to ride the Giro may sweeten the pill somewhat when they tell Andre that he's going to go to the Tour, but only as a bike washer.

CakeHag1

This is why I lurk through here - I didn't know there was a possibility he wasn't racing the ToC??? Alarm bells are now clanging. My daughter works on that race and we've friends that have already booked air and hotels, and all of them are huge Cav fans - Save me from a future whine and cheese session(s) if he doesn't race it! And yeah, I agree that HTC will want him there. AEG took the race over this year and I'm sure they want him there also-

Tusher

CakeHag,
I suspect that you'll not be needed to cancel to any flights or rooms. He'll be in California.

Enjoy!

redddraggon

The Tour and the Worlds are his main targets apparantly this year, so I'd imagine he'll use the Vuelta to set himself for the Worlds, and miss the Giro this time around.

PauloBets

I think it would be good if Mark Cavendish rides The Tour of California as this is a big event in its own right now and it will have some of the best riders, not the Tour of Italy.

intothe12

I suspect that he will be where ever Lance is, especially after seeing his big lance love in at the tour last year.

PauloBets

intothe12 wrote:

I suspect that he will be where ever Lance is, especially after seeing his big lance love in at the tour last year.

Mark will go where his sponsors ask and that could well be California considering the growing stature of the event, forget your rubbish about Armstrong and think sponsors view

blazing_saddles

PauloBets wrote:

intothe12 wrote:

I suspect that he will be where ever Lance is, especially after seeing his big lance love in at the tour last year.

Mark will go where his sponsors ask and that could well be California considering the growing stature of the event, forget your rubbish about Armstrong and think sponsors view

As opposed to the stature of the Giro?
Someone is buying in to Uncle Bob's 4th Grand Tour proclamations.
I thought the idea of Columbia sponsoring a cycling team was to promote the brand name across Europe?

The Tour of California will enjoy a brief golden period, followed by a Georgian period, after the old guys retire.

mididoctors

Blazing Saddles wrote:

PauloBets wrote:

The Tour of California will enjoy a brief golden period, followed by a Georgian period, after the old guys retire.

+1

caveat

if the USA doesn't come up with a tour winner pronto...

timoid.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I thought the idea of Columbia sponsoring a cycling team was to promote the brand name across Europe?

What's a better way to get exposure? Be in race with Armstrong in it or in a race that outside its own country has limited appeal. The media glare is always on Armstrong and Joe public will more likely see Cav's wacky winning celebrations if he wins a stage of Cali than the Giro.

Blazing Saddles wrote:

The Tour of California will enjoy a brief golden period, followed by a Georgian period, after the old guys retire.

I'm sure people thought the same thing about the Tour at one time. I think California has the ingredients to succeed. Fourth Grand Tour? Not likely, but as an equal to the likes of Switzerland or the Dauphine? I don't see why not.