Getting disappointed with Sky's lack of support for Cav

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  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    iainf72 wrote:
    I see he got an award from L'equipe for being the best sprinter Tour history.

    Which would be the GC equivalent of "most stylish wearer of polyester trousers" I suppose. :P
    I wonder if they assumed he would have passed Andre Darrigade's total by this stage of the tour
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    JonGinge wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    I see he got an award from L'equipe for being the best sprinter Tour history.

    Which would be the GC equivalent of "most stylish wearer of polyester trousers" I suppose. :P
    I wonder if they assumed he would have passed Andre Darrigade's total by this stage of the tour

    I suppose it depends what they mean by 'sprinter' really. Darrigade won most of his stages from small groups of about a dozen or so, as was the style at the time.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    iainf72 wrote:
    I wonder where coming 2nd to Greipel would rate? :P

    As much chance of that as you getting lucky with Lindsey Lohan :wink:
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    dougzz wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    I wonder where coming 2nd to Greipel would rate? :P

    As much chance of that as you getting lucky with Lindsey Lohan :wink:

    So quite high?
    _
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    dougzz wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    I wonder where coming 2nd to Greipel would rate? :P

    As much chance of that as you getting lucky with Lindsey Lohan again :wink:

    FTFY
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Lichtblick wrote:
    FWIW (I've only been following the Tour since 2005) I think the sprint finishes this year are far more interesting without the HTC train and stages having Cavendish-win written all over them. I also think that Sagan's more interesting per se.

    I miss Hushovd though. Another much more interesting rider than Cavendish. IMO.


    Only. That's 7 years!

    You're right though.

    Thank you.

    This is the 8th year. In the early years I couldn't even see it on the computer, being on dial-up. We didn't get broadband here until 2007? I had to follow the Tour on messageboards and the newspapers. It's the only time of year I read the sports pages first. :)
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Lichtblick wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Lichtblick wrote:
    FWIW (I've only been following the Tour since 2005) I think the sprint finishes this year are far more interesting without the HTC train and stages having Cavendish-win written all over them. I also think that Sagan's more interesting per se.

    I miss Hushovd though. Another much more interesting rider than Cavendish. IMO.


    Only. That's 7 years!

    You're right though.

    Thank you.

    This is the 8th year. In the early years I couldn't even see it on the computer, being on dial-up. We didn't get broadband here until 2007? I had to follow the Tour on messageboards and the newspapers. It's the only time of year I read the sports pages first. :)

    Mate, get yourself some proper TV!
    _
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    He'll stay in the race & win in Paris, with a full Sky train, to lead him out, including Wiggo!
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    Looks a bit sulky at the moment. Read that yesterday he got fined twice, once for swearing at the commisair!
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    rozzer32 wrote:
    I bet Cav is regretting not moving to Omega Quickstep. They have no real GC contenders so could have built a team with a decent lead out train for Cav. He would have stayed on Specialized instead of the awful Pina's. HTC riders and staff went to Quickstep so he would have already knew the guys and how they work etc. To be honest I think Sky wanted a British world champion on a British team and to win the Olympics in Britain and they offered him so much money he couldn't turn it down.

    Excuse me but they have Peter Velits. He has come 3rd in the Vuelta and is oing loads better than Leipheimer and IMHO should have had the team support this year.
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • Lichtblick
    Lichtblick Posts: 1,434
    OffTheBackAdam wrote:
    He'll stay in the race & win in Paris, with a full Sky train, to lead him out, including Wiggo!

    Having seen the circle of death stage (or whatever it's called), I think he'll pull out before or during that. Ostensibly to prepare for the Olympic road race. I'm now wondering how he'll get up Box Hill nine times.

    Query: instead of why did he go to Sky, why did Sky hire him this year? He's not much help for their GC aim is he, apart from water-carrier?

    Note: I've always preferred Hushovd. He has much more style and far less of a potty-mouth spoilt-child persona. He can also climb, and speed down hill. He's even better looking.
  • bazbadger
    bazbadger Posts: 553
    OffTheBackAdam wrote:
    He'll stay in the race & win in Paris, with a full Sky train, to lead him out, including Wiggo!

    I'd like to think so too.
    Mens agitat molem
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    I've just finished watching the stage highlights from today, and if Cav isn't bluffing, then I can't see how he's got any chance of winning the Olympic Road Race. A sprint finish contested by the renowned climbers Griepel and Goss, with Cav a minute back. Seriously, WTF? How is he going to get up Box Hill 9 times if he can't get over a Cat 3 with Griepel? :shock:

    I've actually stopped caring about the fact he's sucked balls at this TdF, but I am concerned that this weight experiment seems to have been a huge mistake. He's thinner, sure. But he's lost speed and he still can't climb :?
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    Lichtblick wrote:
    OffTheBackAdam wrote:
    He'll stay in the race & win in Paris, with a full Sky train, to lead him out, including Wiggo!

    Having seen the circle of death stage (or whatever it's called), I think he'll pull out before or during that. Ostensibly to prepare for the Olympic road race. I'm now wondering how he'll get up Box Hill nine times.

    Query: instead of why did he go to Sky, why did Sky hire him this year? He's not much help for their GC aim is he, apart from water-carrier?

    Note: I've always preferred Hushovd. He has much more style and far less of a potty-mouth spoilt-child persona. He can also climb, and speed down hill. He's even better looking.

    Because he offered instant success by winning stages in races. Sky have always been targetting GC Tour and have stuck to their plan. However, despite a lot of money success did not come immediately and when Cav came on the market he was too good to pass up as someone who could get wins.

    He knew what he was getting in to and if a grand piano were to fall on Froome and Wiggins during tomorrow's stage then all of the attention would switch to the World Champion and getting as much out of the Tour as remains possible.
    @JaunePeril

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  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    OffTheBackAdam wrote:
    He'll stay in the race & win in Paris, with a full Sky train, to lead him out, including Wiggo!

    I don't think he will TBH. He's a shadow of his former self.
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    I've just finished watching the stage highlights from today, and if Cav isn't bluffing, then I can't see how he's got any chance of winning the Olympic Road Race. A sprint finish contested by the renowned climbers Griepel and Goss, with Cav a minute back. Seriously, WTF? How is he going to get up Box Hill 9 times if he can't get over a Cat 3 with Griepel? :shock:

    I've actually stopped caring about the fact he's sucked balls at this TdF, but I am concerned that this weight experiment seems to have been a huge mistake. He's thinner, sure. But he's lost speed and he still can't climb :?

    On the merits of today's stage where he could have been a contender I am also concerned he didn't make the cut. I don't think Greipel has missed out on being in the mix yet so if I were Cav I would have attached myself to him as he has a team working to get him over thisd sort of thing and Cav doesn't at the moment.

    I think he can do it but he needws to know that guys are there for him on the hills. He should just leech off other teams as far as possible in these situations
    @JaunePeril

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  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    On the merits of today's stage where he could have been a contender I am also concerned he didn't make the cut. I don't think Greipel has missed out on being in the mix yet so if I were Cav I would have attached myself to him as he has a team working to get him over thisd sort of thing and Cav doesn't at the moment.

    I think he can do it but he needws to know that guys are there for him on the hills. He should just leech off other teams as far as possible in these situations

    I don't want to be misunderstood either, I do admire Cav, but I am very concerned he's made a mistake. It appears to me that he's now in a cycling no-man's land.

    As I said, if he's bluffing then he needs to get Voeckler's Oscar TBH.
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    I think we share the same concerns but I've written him off a copuple of times before and he's come good. I feel I've got to give him the benefit of the doubt and try and work out why he isn't making the cut. A lack of support is all I can think of at the moment. Surely the weight loss should make the climbing easier.
    @JaunePeril

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  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    I think we share the same concerns but I've written him off a copuple of times before and he's come good. I feel I've got to give him the benefit of the doubt and try and work out why he isn't making the cut. A lack of support is all I can think of at the moment. Surely the weight loss should make the climbing easier.

    It has. He did really well on the stage that Froome won, wasn't miles back. But today is a mystery to me. To be fair I missed the stage and the highlights didn't explain why he got dropped on the final climb but his rivals got over it. Perhaps he punctured or something and I'm doing him a dis-service?
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    I think we share the same concerns but I've written him off a copuple of times before and he's come good. I feel I've got to give him the benefit of the doubt and try and work out why he isn't making the cut. A lack of support is all I can think of at the moment. Surely the weight loss should make the climbing easier.

    It has. He did really well on the stage that Froome won, wasn't miles back. But today is a mystery to me. To be fair I missed the stage and the highlights didn't explain why he got dropped on the final climb but his rivals got over it. Perhaps he punctured or something and I'm doing him a dis-service?

    The peleton got driven quite hard up the climb as Sky shut down Evans. To me it looked like Cav was doing a Wiggo i.e unable to cope with the change in climbing pace. Perhasps he has a more effective but set climbing tempo? I'm clutching at straws now.

    I'm starting to wonder whether he'll stick it out but the draw of the Champs is strong for him especially as WC.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    van Hummel described today's climb like a La Redoute, so it's hardly box hill....though there was only one of them ;).
    _
  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    Cav's doing fine, and I think he's enjoying himself even if he's missed a few chances he should have made better of. My question is whether there was any value in including Eisel in the team? Cav seems to be out climbing him this year - surely they could have benefitted more from Pate / Stannard to do some of the donkey work both for Wiggo or Cav?
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  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    nic_77 wrote:
    Cav's doing fine, and I think he's enjoying himself even if he's missed a few chances he should have made better of. My question is whether there was any value in including Eisel in the team? Cav seems to be out climbing him this year - surely they could have benefitted more from Pate / Stannard to do some of the donkey work both for Wiggo or Cav?


    He's stronger and better and he can play the 'road captain' role very well.
    _
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    nic_77 wrote:
    Cav's doing fine, and I think he's enjoying himself even if he's missed a few chances he should have made better of. My question is whether there was any value in including Eisel in the team? Cav seems to be out climbing him this year - surely they could have benefitted more from Pate / Stannard to do some of the donkey work both for Wiggo or Cav?

    Eisel's not a bad climber, didn't he do a big turn for Wiggo on the first of the climbing stages? It's a tough Tour for Sky and he may be feeling the burn out a bit more than the others.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • nic_77
    nic_77 Posts: 929
    OK, I'll turn my point around... If G had not been focussed on the track this summer he'd have been in the team - who would he have replaced? I say Eisel...
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  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    nic_77 wrote:
    OK, I'll turn my point around... If G had not been focussed on the track this summer he'd have been in the team - who would he have replaced? I say Eisel...

    Wasn't Knees a late replacement for someone?
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • ruswilks
    ruswilks Posts: 72
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    nic_77 wrote:
    OK, I'll turn my point around... If G had not been focussed on the track this summer he'd have been in the team - who would he have replaced? I say Eisel...

    Wasn't Knees a late replacement for someone?

    I thought it was always Knees vs. Pate for the final place?
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    Are people saying that Box Hill is difficult compared to a TdF/Giro ascent? He rode AdH in 55 mins last year with nearly 3 weeks racing and 4 stage wins so a gallop around the Surrey hills isn't comparable. The Sky Team was put together with the aim of getting the MJ with Wiggins the anticipated winner. Cavendish knew this and I'm sure he'sok with the decision esp. if he gets to Paris and wins and can get the Gold medal. HTC were a team built around winning stages whether sprint or TT (for Tony Martin). Sky offered the money, he took it but there isn't another team apart from Lotto doing it that well who can afford the Cavendish salary.
    M.Rushton
  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    ruswilks wrote:
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    nic_77 wrote:
    OK, I'll turn my point around... If G had not been focussed on the track this summer he'd have been in the team - who would he have replaced? I say Eisel...

    Wasn't Knees a late replacement for someone?

    I thought it was always Knees vs. Pate for the final place?


    I think you are right so I would have thought that thomas would have been in for either of these. Having said that I think Knees has done a good "job of work" this Tour.

    Erm...the honest and obvious answer from a GC point of view is the current WC. But he is a stage winner and that would have meant all eggs in one basket.
    @JaunePeril

    Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
  • Gazzetta67
    Gazzetta67 Posts: 1,890
    Anyone else get the feeling that this is gonna go pear shape for Cavendish this summer - Boonen must start as the favourite for the RR. I reckon the belgians will try and blow the race apart and distance cavendish. or someone like Luis Leon Sanchez sneak a win.

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