Cavendish to Sky

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Comments

  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Snorebens wrote:
    BigMat wrote:
    Milton50 wrote:
    I think many of you are talking about the wrong Martin - Dan Martin to SKY for 2012, 2013 at the latest - nearest chance of a Grand Tour GC winner within SKY's 5 years tbh.

    I would have thought that Uran and Henao are just as good, if not better, prospects for a SKY GT victory in the next few years.

    Was about to ask who on earth Henao is - Kennaugh?! If so, maybe a bit optimistic but then Dan Martin equally so. I actually think Wiggo is still our best bet for a home GT win. A favourable Vuelta parcours and 100% commitment to that race could see him through, but doubt it will ever happen.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergio_Luis_Henao

    Muchas gracias.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    Perfectly possible to put a team together to support a push for the podium and Win sprint stages. Surely something like this could work

    Wiggins - leader
    Lofkvist - mountain support
    Uran - mountain support
    Cav - sprints
    EBH - leadout, hilly stages and some moutain support
    Thomas - lead outs
    Eisel - lead out / bunch engine if he joins maybe Stannard if not
    Renshaw - lead out if he joins otherwise Sutton / Henderson
    AN Other

    Lofkvist could be kept happy as team leader for Giro and Uran for Vuelta. EBH and Thomas could go all out for Classics or short stage races with Swift and Appollo going for srages in other tours (maybe Giro for Apollo). Kennaugh can be developed gradually. There's a fair bit of deadwood in the team that can be cut if necessary.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    edited June 2011
    Fecking phones - sorry! :oops:
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,463
    edited June 2011
    Doh! :oops:
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Just because you say it three times doesn't mKe it right :wink:
    Lance had the whole team built around him and that's what you have to do if you're serious IMO. Still pleased to see Cav there just think it means they've seen the light re a tour win
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    edited June 2011
    inseine wrote:
    Just because you say it three times doesn't mKe it right :wink:
    Lance had the whole team built around him and that's what you have to do if you're serious IMO. Still pleased to see Cav there just think it means they've seen the light re a tour win
    #

    But Wiggins isn't Armstrong - he's looking to come top 10, maybe top 5. He doesn't need a paceline charging up the climbs. Saxo and Leopard will do that. There's no need for Sky to do it too.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    Yup, Brad just needs 2-3 guys with him on the climbs as support. The other teams will be doing the pacing unless he finds himself in yellow somehow
  • mr_poll
    mr_poll Posts: 1,547
    There is another way to view this. Whilst Mr Cavendish is attracting all the attention and winning all the stages, could not the 'emerging talent' being nurtured by Sky have the opportunity to learn their craft outside the media spotlight?

    The heightened expectations of last year seemed to do Mr Wiggins no favours.

    This in my view is the reason Sky need Cav next year - IIRC Sky sponsorship will be reviewed at the end of 2012 (3 year deal) and the Team Sky back office bod's need some high profile wins that get the media attention (Cav should give you that) and allow them to renegotiate a new sponsorship deal. This then gives them time to bring on - Uran, Henao, Kennaugh, Thomas and EBH if he stays.
  • paulcuthbert
    paulcuthbert Posts: 1,016
    inseine wrote:
    Just because you say it three times doesn't mKe it right :wink:
    Lance had the whole team built around him and that's what you have to do if you're serious IMO. Still pleased to see Cav there just think it means they've seen the light re a tour win

    Wasn't aware he'd moved yet. It's not even certain.

    Really hope it isn't true. I can't be the only one who doesn't like Sky!
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I was talking about SKYs aim to win the tour within 5 years, not whether Wiggins was likely to be a contender. Just seems that they've taken their eye of that goal. Probably rightly so.
  • cogidubnus
    cogidubnus Posts: 860
    http://www.youvs.oakley.com/

    Little competition. Though check out who rides past Cav at the end...
  • xcmad
    xcmad Posts: 110
    Good luck Cav. Rock on
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,599
    only in britain can so many people claim to hate their national team. i'm glad we're not all that cool
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,652
    gsk82 wrote:
    only in britain can so many people claim to hate their national team. i'm glad we're not all that cool

    they're not our national team though. They're just a team that happens to have some British riders.

    I don't hate them, though I do hate Murdoch.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • Seanos
    Seanos Posts: 301
    gsk82 wrote:
    only in britain can so many people claim to hate their national team. i'm glad we're not all that cool

    they're not our national team though. They're just a team that happens to have some British riders.

    I don't hate them, though I do hate Murdoch.
    +1. I don't read the Times or the Sun or have Sky tv and will never knowlingly buy anything from a Murdoch owned company, so despite liking a lot of the riders and hoping they do well, I really don't like the name on the front of the jersey and can't bring myself to 'support' them.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    It's cycling, not football.
  • I don't support any cycling team. I just have favourite riders. It's not like football or rugby or whatever, supporting your local team is it!
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I think it's ok (good even!) to dislike Murdock but SKY has done good things for cycling.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    inseine wrote:
    I think it's ok (good even!) to dislike Murdock but SKY has done good things for cycling.

    We should all realise there is a difference between Murdoch and the companies he owns. Sky themselves (until recently only 40% owned by News International) have done a huge amount for British sport - football, rugby, rugby league, cricket, darts etc. Now they're doing it for British cycling.

    Also, Murdoch's companies are generally left to get on with their jobs. He doesn't micro manage. For example my cousin works for the Wall Street Journal (a Murdoch paper). He used to write about Chinese economics - presumably a big deal for Rupert - but he was never told what to write (except by the Chinese government).

    Sky are a good company. I imagine many products you buy are from companies owned by far worse people. Do you check every time? Of course you don't.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    inseine wrote:
    I was talking about SKYs aim to win the tour within 5 years

    You, and many other people really, really need to forget that quote. That was said for the (non-cycling) press as an ultimate goal, not as the reason for the team.

    Any reading of the history of Sky shows that it was set up as a path for British cyclists into the top level - regardless of where their talents lay. At it's conception, the main riders where seen to be Cavendish and Thomas - not GC riders. Sky was conceived long before Wiggins came 4th.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • cornoyemade
    cornoyemade Posts: 180
    Yes, my letter writing campaign to HTC seems to have worked. Cavendishy let loose. Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.


    Hope you feel better for getting that off your chest.
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    You, and many other people really, really need to forget that quote. That was said for the (non-cycling) press as an ultimate goal, not as the reason for the team.

    Good point. I think everyone probably needs to forget that idea while Contador is around.
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    Get over yourselves.

    I will happily admit to reading the Times, Sunday Times and News of the Screws on Sunday. Oh yes and sky tv is brilliant. The only thing wrong us Eurosports ability to screw with the schedules so you miss the end of the cycling sometimes.
  • Yes, my letter writing campaign to HTC seems to have worked. Cavendishy let loose. Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.

    Odd. Not only does it make no sense, it's just a ridiculous post.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    Yes, my letter writing campaign to HTC seems to have worked. Cavendishy let loose. Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.

    Odd. Not only does it make no sense, it's just a ridiculous post.

    Don't feed the tw@t, sorry troll!

    (not that sorry really!)
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Yes, my letter writing campaign to HTC seems to have worked. Cavendishy let loose. Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.

    Hush pumpkin. Settle down now.

    I'll look forward to Cav destroying Farrar again in the Tour this year.Tyler's the only half decent sprinter the US has, and even he's seen the light and moved to Belgium :P
  • StageWinner
    StageWinner Posts: 202
    Yes, my letter writing campaign to HTC seems to have worked. Cavendishy let loose. Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.



    Ah. Another ignorant Yank. Now it all makes sense.

    Yes, we'll gladly take Mr. Cavendish back thanks.
  • TRbike
    TRbike Posts: 27
    rebs wrote:
    Did Thor need a whole team for him to get the green jersey also? Same for Petacchi last year.

    Exactly.. Eric Zabel was successful at T-mobolie while they had GC riders.. Granted with medical assistance
  • dg74
    dg74 Posts: 656
    Yes, my letter writing campaign to HTC seems to have worked. Cavendishy let loose. Better for all of us in the USA to have that hobbit back in the UK.

    Berk!