Cavendish to quit Sky...part 2

Pross

The Cyclist of Catan wrote:

Sky are now using Cav as a lead-out man. Water boy, lead-out man - what next, give him the team's kit to wash?

So I imagined him winning yesterday's stage and messing up from a perfect lead out the day before then (oh, and falling off when in a perfect position the day before that). Who has he been leading out exactly?

nweststeyn

He led out Luke Rowe for the first intermediate sprint. If he'd taken it himself, he'd now be in the ToB leaders jersey and some would say he would rather use the opportunity to spend his last few days in the Rainbow bands!

Richmond Racer

nweststeyn wrote:

He led out Luke Rowe for the first intermediate sprint. If he'd taken it himself, he'd now be in the ToB leaders jersey and some would say he would rather use the opportunity to spend his last few days in the Rainbow bands!

..including Cav himself...

Pross

So basically he's being a team player and paying back those who are helping him win? Wow, that's really bad of Sky to force him to do that and no wonder he's apparently leaving. Of course, it couldn't just be that he has chosen to ride like a professional cyclist being that he is one. I suspect Wiggo will also leave, the indignity of a multiple Olympic champion and reigning Tour de France champion having to act as a bunch engine and penultimate man in a lead out train must surely be too great?

edhornby

he's not actually gone yet.... I think Dave B understands what's best for Cav but he has a commitment to the sponsor who isn't going to let a big name walk so easily

I think Cav's conducted himself very well - no point in taking the jersey for one day when there are bigger goals - and yes, he took a big paycheque from sky, I bet other teams offered him similar money

the_cyclist_of_catan

The "lead out man" comment was slightly tongue-in-cheek (and yes, I was referring to the intermediate sprint), but despite their occasional success, I've not felt that the Sky lead-out looked well-drilled or comfortable all season (at least compared to HTC, Lotto Belisol, or Greenedge).

Pross

I think at HTC in particular they had a pretty set lead out team, everything was geared to that and it developed over a few years. Sky have tried to turn whatever team they have had out into the lead out train, they also haven't had G for most of the season who I suspect would become his regular lead out man if he stays (which I still think might happen).

Richmond Racer

Pross wrote:

I think at HTC in particular they had a pretty set lead out team, everything was geared to that and it developed over a few years. Sky have tried to turn whatever team they have had out into the lead out train, they also haven't had G for most of the season who I suspect would become his regular lead out man if he stays (which I still think might happen).

One of the good things coming out of Cav moving would be G not being tied to being his lead-out man next year....

cal_stewart

what has G got for himself after the flat classics anyway

thamacdaddy

Cav is defo off to Quickstep.

I honestly thought this sky thing would work out but when you watch the Sky Atlantic documentary behind the scenes you quickly see he has never really been happy there from the start. He complains from the start of the season about how it is run but all the while he is trying to be professional and win races. They offer him a few perks and support in the odd race but once you see that doc I don't know how anyone can think he is happy or willing to stay if he can buy out of the contract or get brailsford to help him out. I think it's less a falling out and more that Cav doesn't feel he should be scrapping around for support, that a team should be as behind him as they are anyone else. But sky isn't, it's all about wiggo and froome and his team and they are the real solid performers with their heads right as the team is focused around them. From Race to race however cav is in and out of sorts. He struggles in races he probably shouldn't and even admits to Rod Ellingworth that he is used to a team being built around him and he didn't realise how different it would be. Brailsford seems someone so hard working but so hard to actually keep up with and please.

I like the fact it seems like an amicable split though.

Quickstep, brian holm, tony martin, Matt brammier, Grabsch, Ciolek, velits brothers and I am sure a few signings with probably eisel moving with him. All makes far more sense and leaves Sky to worry less about pleasing two opposing agendas and big names (though they will have the wiggins froome thing brooding I expect).

Richmond Racer

Cal_Stewart wrote:

what has G got for himself after the flat classics anyway

If he were tied to leading out Cav all next season, we'd never find out

greentea

The one thing i still can't get my head around though is that everyone told Cavendish this before he signed for SKY. You didn't need to be into cycling to know that Team SKY were going for GC wins and that the way Cav rides for wins was in direct opposition to that.

Even my nan was asking how they could support Wiggins for GC's and Cav for sprints and shes been dead for 5 years

Pross

The sprints would be a real battle between the big 2 Belgian teams as well if he goes to OPQS!

cal_stewart

Richmond Racer wrote:

Cal_Stewart wrote:

what has G got for himself after the flat classics anyway

If he were tied to leading out Cav all next season, we'd never find out

Come on do you really think that G would get to do anything other than carry bottles for the GT hope and he may get a chipper one weeker. After the classics what has he got a chance in.

thamacdaddy

Ciolek is leaving quickstep, just like he left T-Mobile to get out from the Cav train.

craprider

BREAKING NEWS: dave brailsford was just quoted "Cav is definitely going..... I blame wiggle"

kleinstroker

Not being an avid expert on this, but having seen Cav on the olympics and TDF etc, it's been blindingly obvious that Cav just wants to be the centre of attention, and that is just not going to happen at Sky. Fair play to him if he wants to be a big fish in someone else's pond, but I don't understand the benefit to other teams getting him in.

Turfle

Because he wins A LOT.

RichN95.

kleinstroker wrote:

Not being an avid expert on this, but having seen Cav on the olympics and TDF etc, it's been blindingly obvious that Cav just wants to be the centre of attention, and that is just not going to happen at Sky. Fair play to him if he wants to be a big fish in someone else's pond, but I don't understand the benefit to other teams getting him in.

Question: What did OP Quick Step do at the Tour or Giro?

That's the benefit for them.

BelgianBeerGeek

kleinstroker wrote:

Not being an avid expert on this, but having seen Cav on the olympics and TDF etc, it's been blindingly obvious that Cav just wants to be the centre of attention, and that is just not going to happen at Sky. Fair play to him if he wants to be a big fish in someone else's pond, but I don't understand the benefit to other teams getting him in.

^this. He's only a sprinter FFS. All very well, but how do sprinters win a tour? They don't. Sky was probably good for Cav (or he was good for Sky), but I'm not sure what he thought he was going to get out of it. Sky are the winners here, Cav the loser, and doesn't he know it?

ratherbeintobago

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Sky was probably good for Cav (or he was good for Sky), but I'm not sure what he thought he was going to get out of it.

I assume it was to do with the Olympics and the closeness of Sky to British Cycling.

kleinstroker wrote:

Fair play to him if he wants to be a big fish in someone else's pond, but I don't understand the benefit to other teams getting him in.

Apart from winning a lot, he's also quite good at ensuring sponsor visibility. Bear in mind he has previously had teams pretty much built around him; I think he's much more of a team player than he's given credit for.

BelgianBeerGeek

ratherbeintobago wrote:

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Sky was probably good for Cav (or he was good for Sky), but I'm not sure what he thought he was going to get out of it.

I assume it was to do with the Olympics and the closeness of Sky to British Cycling.

kleinstroker wrote:

Fair play to him if he wants to be a big fish in someone else's pond, but I don't understand the benefit to other teams getting him in.

Apart from winning a lot, he's also quite good at ensuring sponsor visibility. Bear in mind he has previously had teams pretty much built around him; I think he's much more of a team player than he's given credit for.

OK, fair points, but I think I'm still with kleinstroker. He is a super team player, but aren't they all (up to a point). If he's not going balls out at the front, then that's their job to look after the boss.
I'm not really doing Cav down, and I think that Sky has been good for him, but It's time to move on maybe, and be that big fish in another pond. It sure ain't gonna happen at Sky.

tailwindhome

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen- ... -quickstep

Boonen says it's all good.

MrTapir

TailWindHome wrote:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-would-welcome-cavendish-at-omega-pharma-quickstep

Boonen says it's all good.

Nice one. I also think that Boonen would be good for Cav's development in some of the classics i think he has said he would one day like to do well at.

TMR

Can't wait to see Cav in OPQS kit!

Frenchie is already bang on trend

mingmong

The Mad Rapper wrote:

Can't wait to see Cav in OPQS kit!

Frenchie is already bang on trend

Or even better, the Mapei kit (as was)

oneof1982

So, as Boonen says Cav will win 3 or 4 stages in TdF. This is pretty much what he would do in any team, including sky. Don't get me wrong, I love Cav, and loved what he did with HTC and what he has done to promote GB cycling. But as it stands he is becoming a one trick pony - though a good trick at that.

Earlier on this year these forum lines were full of people dissing his attempts to win the Giro pointsjersey. But that is what he is about. Winning stages and sprinter/points jerseys. If any team thinks it is in for GC, then as sky have shown, its pretty much impossible to do both. So anyone signing Cav now is basically saying we are not in it for the GC.

Cynically, sky got the best out of Cav. It got a year's worth of photos with him the the rainbow jersey.

ddraver

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

kleinstroker wrote:

Not being an avid expert on this, but having seen Cav on the olympics and TDF etc, it's been blindingly obvious that Cav just wants to be the centre of attention, and that is just not going to happen at Sky. Fair play to him if he wants to be a big fish in someone else's pond, but I don't understand the benefit to other teams getting him in.

^this. He's only a sprinter FFS. All very well, but how do sprinters win a tour? They don't. Sky was probably good for Cav (or he was good for Sky), but I'm not sure what he thought he was going to get out of it. Sky are the winners here, Cav the loser, and doesn't he know it?

If your man falls off and snaps his collar bone - a sprinter still get's you 3 stage wins, one on the Champs Elysee so you can say the tour was a success.

Not many of us thought BW was a shoe in for 2012 back in January did we (be honest!) and none of us though Froome had it in him! However we all knew Cav would pull in 15, 20 wins!

Drumlin

I reckon the mix of riders in OPQS would suit him perfectly. Him and Boonen in the same team - what a tempting prospect !

TMR

Drumlin wrote:

I reckon the mix of riders in OPQS would suit him perfectly. Him and Boonen in the same team - what a tempting prospect !

The same team, yes. They won't often be riding the same races though. Not according to Boonen any way.