Milan - San Remo *spoiler*

greasedscotsman

iainf72 wrote:

This thread is proving what I babble on about. If cavendish loses it generates more interest than him winning

OK, here's one that has nothing to do with either Cavendish or Team Sky. Did Liquigas get their tactics wrong. Was Nibali's attack just too obvious, everyone was waiting for it and it wasn't that devastating when it happened. Would he have been better off not attacking at all, then everyone who's waiting for it misses the best moment to attack, don't get as big a gap by the end of the descent of the Poggio, then Liquigas has another rider in Nibali to bring the group back together for Sagan to clear up in the sprint.

The answer is yes and I should be a director of Team Hindsight!

rick_chasey

That's not the only picture where he looks a bit paunchy.






I don't understand why he's got that settup when he could have a very fitted normal styled jersey, like for example, the winner.

rick_chasey

greasedscotsman wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

This thread is proving what I babble on about. If cavendish loses it generates more interest than him winning

OK, here's one that has nothing to do with either Cavendish or Team Sky. Did Liquigas get their tactics wrong. Was Nibali's attack just too obvious, everyone was waiting for it and it wasn't that devastating when it happened. Would he have been better off not attacking at all, then everyone who's waiting for it misses the best moment to attack, don't get as big a gap by the end of the descent of the Poggio, then Liquigas has another rider in Nibali to bring the group back together for Sagan to clear up in the sprint.

The answer is yes and I should be a director of Team Hindsight!

Sagan should have been on Cancellara's wheel like a limpit.

Then it would have been fine.

ddraver

Oh for crying out loud Rick, maybe he just prefers it? What so he lost because of his jersey now? Who cares what the guys are wearing?

Why is it so hard to accept that he screwed up? Man City beat Man Utd 6-0 last year - does that mean Man Utd are finished? Does nt look like it....

rick_chasey

ddraver wrote:

Oh for crying out loud Rick, maybe he just prefers it? What so he lost because of his jersey now? Who cares what the guys are wearing?

Why is it so hard to accept that he screwed up? Man City beat Man Utd 6-0 last year - does that mean Man Utd are finished? Does nt look like it....

It's not that. I don't understand why he does it.

I can't see the benefit.

And I still think he could lose some weight.

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

Sagan should have been on Cancellara's wheel like a limpit.

Then it would have been fine.

True, but there was already someone there, sucking his wheel!

ddraver

Rick Chasey wrote:

I can't see the benefit.

He tried both on and said, "Meh, I think i prefer this one"?

greasedscotsman

Rick Chasey wrote:

It's not that. I don't understand why he does it.

I can't see the benefit.

You can't see aerodynamics, air is invisable!

liquor box

Rick Chasey wrote:

ddraver wrote:

Oh for crying out loud Rick, maybe he just prefers it? What so he lost because of his jersey now? Who cares what the guys are wearing?

Why is it so hard to accept that he screwed up? Man City beat Man Utd 6-0 last year - does that mean Man Utd are finished? Does nt look like it....

It's not that. I don't understand why he does it.

I can't see the benefit.

And I still think he could lose some weight.

I'll swap my weight loss problems for his weight and muscles any day

frenchfighter

greasedscotsman wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

I just checked up to 2008 and actually Cav's race was the shortest timewise, or in other words, the fastest.

Cavendish won in 2009, Cancellara in 2008.

Yeah, 2009 was the quickest. The race Cav won was the fastest for the last 5 years. I said I checked up to 2008 for race times.

iainf72

Rick Chasey wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

This thread is proving what I babble on about. If cavendish loses it generates more interest than him winning

It's the same with most races when there's an uber favourite though isn't it?

Not really. Wait til the Grand Tours start. Sprint stage and Cavendish doesn't win I bet there will be way more posts than if he does win.

I don't know why people made him the uber fave. Everyone knows he can win now, so they're going to do whatever it takes to get rid of him before the end of the race because if you arrive at the finish with him you will lose.

DF33

iainf72 wrote:

Everyone knows he can win now, so they're going to do whatever it takes to get rid of him before the end of the race because if you arrive at the finish with him you will lose.

^^^This.

He isn't nicknamed 'the missile' for nothing. He isn't the best climber. 2+2=4, stuff him on the climbs so he's not around to take the finish. I'm sure he's well aware of it.

He probably just had a bad day, cold coming on etc. You can't be the best on the day every day.

squired

After years past where star riders were always great in the races they targeted (with everyone accepting now that the majority had pharmaceutical assistance thanks mainly to EPO) I think it is actually great to see Cav get dropped so early. It helps people to believe in the sport more.

Given that Cav performed so badly and the words he used to describe the day after one has to hope that he isn't coming down with something. Lets face it, the guy has done hundreds of days of racing now over the course of his pro career, so should know his body very well.

I've never really been a fan of MSR, but I did find this race entertaining. Sky may not have got the result they wanted, but thanks to Cav they got a serious amount of airtime. In terms of sponsorship value, the camera time Cav and team Sky got was probably worth a fortune.

I am now starting to get excited about the impending battle between Boonen and Spartacus in the cobbled classics!

RichN95.

iainf72 wrote:

Not really. Wait til the Grand Tours start. Sprint stage and Cavendish doesn't win I bet there will be way more posts than if he does win.

It depends what he says. One word out of place and the internet forums will be outraged that the ****ing ***** **** doesn't show respect to riders. (Irony not being the internet's strong suit).

smithy21

So, moving on, Volta a Catalunya anyone??

Or shall we just keep going round in circles re Cav and Sky?

Art Vandelay

Latest Greenedge 'Backstage pass' is fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHAKie2XiU0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Seems like the team called the race perfectly. Liquigas were super strong and I think they played the game pretty well - it's just that the Swiss Express didn't want to gamble.

rick_chasey

iainf72 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

This thread is proving what I babble on about. If cavendish loses it generates more interest than him winning

It's the same with most races when there's an uber favourite though isn't it?

Not really. Wait til the Grand Tours start. Sprint stage and Cavendish doesn't win I bet there will be way more posts than if he does win.

I don't know why people made him the uber fave. Everyone knows he can win now, so they're going to do whatever it takes to get rid of him before the end of the race because if you arrive at the finish with him you will lose.

I guess what I meant is, had Cancellara waltzed away with Flanders last year like we all expected to when he took off with many kms to go, we'd have chatted less about that than the race as it turned out.

Similarly when Contador trounced everyone in the Giro, no-one was fussed.

rick_chasey

smithy21 wrote:

So, moving on, Volta a Catalunya anyone??

Or shall we just keep going round in circles re Cav and Sky?

Stage race chat after classics?

It's all about Dwars Door Vlaanderen, E3, Ghent Wevelgem, and the Ronde after this

tailwindhome

smithy21 wrote:

So, moving on, Volta a Catalunya anyone??

Or shall we just keep going round in circles re Cav and Sky?

Maybe Sky riders should stick to going round in circles....


You know like on a track

See what I did there.

Comedy Gold.....

greasedscotsman

Well looks like Cavendish won't win in 2013 then...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/route-c ... n-san-remo

Tusher

Poor soul- he had un jour sans. That's all. He's human.
But Iain's right- a Cavendish loss does generate a whole lot more chat.

ratsbeyfus

greasedscotsman wrote:

Well looks like Cavendish won't win in 2013 then...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/route-c ... n-san-remo

They're thinking of putting the finish at the foot of the Poggio! Assuming they still want the riders to climb the Poggio and descend to the bottom, surely there'd be carnage on the descent if anything but a small breakaway sticks?

frenchfighter

Eisel saying that one of the reasons Sky chased was so they could get guys up to help EBH. They had given up with Cav a while before they stopped chasing.

rick_chasey

ratsbeyfus wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

Well looks like Cavendish won't win in 2013 then...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/route-c ... n-san-remo

They're thinking of putting the finish at the foot of the Poggio! Assuming they still want the riders to climb the Poggio and descend to the bottom, surely there'd be carnage on the descent if anything but a small breakaway sticks?

Pretty sure they go flat out anyway.

ratsbeyfus

Rick Chasey wrote:

ratsbeyfus wrote:

greasedscotsman wrote:

Well looks like Cavendish won't win in 2013 then...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/route-c ... n-san-remo

They're thinking of putting the finish at the foot of the Poggio! Assuming they still want the riders to climb the Poggio and descend to the bottom, surely there'd be carnage on the descent if anything but a small breakaway sticks?

Pretty sure they go flat out anyway.

But a mass bunch cresting the Poggio will descend fast, but there won't be major overtaking attempts as there is time for the bunch to resettle before the current finish line. Move the finish line back to the foot of the Poggio and there will be bikes and riders bouncing off the walls.

rick_chasey

If the finish is nearer the bottom the race will explode on the Poggio in a way it doesn't at the moment.

They are flat out downhill as it is. Won't be any more or less dangerous.

They don't literally mean at the bottom anyway, just not 2km still to go when you're done.

frenchfighter

FYI, Cavendish is not fat. Check photos of him with his jersey unzipped at Qatar/Oman

ddraver

frenchfighter wrote:

Check photos

FRENCHIE!!! You tease you!! We all know you have them somewhere!!!

frenchfighter

I don't have it to hand, but thought I'd do this as like the original photo.

ddraver

frenchfighter wrote:

I wish I looked that good on a bike!