Sky train

rayjay

I think it must be very difficult for Cav to keep performing at his highest level. He has won just about everything he can win as a sprinter on the road. He really is one amazing sprinter.

Perhaps he needs new goals and the Olympics will serve that purpose.

I will be surprised if he dominates as he has done in previous years.

I agree with the weight loss point. I would not have tampered with his diet. He has been known to get up a climb or 2 ok.

RonB

Improvement in the competition (both individual sprinters and their respective trains) might also be a factor.

wallace_and_gromit

whiteboytrash wrote:

ddraver wrote:

You mean the one he won? The only Northern Hemisphere team to do so? Also, the team voted as the best World Cup Winning team? (though I suspect that may have been pre NZ)

Christ you'd argue Black was white if one of us posted the opposite wouldnt you...

Youre going on the list, it's boring now...

I agree, it was impressive, albeit 10 years ago. He had a mighty team though. They were good and injury free for that WC window.

I think he went to Southampton for a while? Can't remember. Then swimming.

He's shopped around a but to find a place where he fits.

He's no Brailsford though in terms of track record.

Woodward's main achievement was persuading the leading clubs to release the players so they could prepare properly for the World Cup. Andy Robinson did most of the technical coaching. In the WC final itself, Woodward came onto the pitch before extra time commenced to give a pep talk, and so valued was his opinion that Jonno shooed him off the pitch and did the pep talk himself.

Sir Clive's true merit as a coach were seen on the 2005 Lions tour, where the squad selection, man-management and match-day selections were abysmal.

ddraver

His skills, which if you listen to the pod would be clear, was to get the right people doing the right job, and then make sure that they do it to the best of their ability.

In short that's what Red Bull do and what Sky do...

There are Unions/teams with more money (I think France, don't know about F1, BMC, Astana, Katusha) but they don't get that bit right and hence don't win as often.

Woodward was slightly hampered by only having England to work in rather than the whole world as the others do...

whiteboytrash

Wallace and Gromit wrote:

whiteboytrash wrote:

ddraver wrote:

You mean the one he won? The only Northern Hemisphere team to do so? Also, the team voted as the best World Cup Winning team? (though I suspect that may have been pre NZ)

Christ you'd argue Black was white if one of us posted the opposite wouldnt you...

Youre going on the list, it's boring now...

I agree, it was impressive, albeit 10 years ago. He had a mighty team though. They were good and injury free for that WC window.

I think he went to Southampton for a while? Can't remember. Then swimming.

He's shopped around a but to find a place where he fits.

He's no Brailsford though in terms of track record.

Woodward's main achievement was persuading the leading clubs to release the players so they could prepare properly for the World Cup. Andy Robinson did most of the technical coaching. In the WC final itself, Woodward came onto the pitch before extra time commenced to give a pep talk, and so valued was his opinion that Jonno shooed him off the pitch and did the pep talk himself.

Sir Clive's true merit as a coach were seen on the 2005 Lions tour, where the squad selection, man-management and match-day selections were abysmal.

Thanks! I didn't know the details but remember some ancodatial stories at the time.

Was it the next World Cup when they just fell off the edge of the earth? Fading memory again.

I know at Southhampton they didn't think much of him and then bounced around a bit.

What's his background? Did he play rugby himself?

rayjay

RonB wrote:

Improvement in the competition (both individual sprinters and their respective trains) might also be a factor.

I agree. It will be interesting to see if he can get as good a lead out as in past years.
Renshaw was perfection for Cav.

Kittel beat him fair and square and now has the belief he can win.

wallace_and_gromit

RichN95 wrote:

whiteboytrash wrote:

I agree, it was impressive, albeit 10 years ago. He had a mighty team though. They were good and injury free for that WC window.

I think he went to Southampton for a while? Can't remember. Then swimming.

He's shopped around a but to find a place where he fits.

He's no Brailsford though in terms of track record.

He was Elite Performance Director for the British Olympic Association, 2006-2012. 113 medals, 49 of them Gold.

Don't think he actually did much, to be honest. Rowing, cycling and sailing were already established medal-winning regimes. A lot of other medalists were one-offs rather than as a result of anything systematic (e.g. Mo Farah, Jess Ennis, Andy Murray). Maybe he helped the boxers, horses and canoeists.

wallace_and_gromit

whiteboytrash wrote:

Wallace and Gromit wrote:

whiteboytrash wrote:

ddraver wrote:

You mean the one he won? The only Northern Hemisphere team to do so? Also, the team voted as the best World Cup Winning team? (though I suspect that may have been pre NZ)

Christ you'd argue Black was white if one of us posted the opposite wouldnt you...

Youre going on the list, it's boring now...

I agree, it was impressive, albeit 10 years ago. He had a mighty team though. They were good and injury free for that WC window.

I think he went to Southampton for a while? Can't remember. Then swimming.

He's shopped around a but to find a place where he fits.

He's no Brailsford though in terms of track record.

Woodward's main achievement was persuading the leading clubs to release the players so they could prepare properly for the World Cup. Andy Robinson did most of the technical coaching. In the WC final itself, Woodward came onto the pitch before extra time commenced to give a pep talk, and so valued was his opinion that Jonno shooed him off the pitch and did the pep talk himself.

Sir Clive's true merit as a coach were seen on the 2005 Lions tour, where the squad selection, man-management and match-day selections were abysmal.

Thanks! I didn't know the details but remember some ancodatial stories at the time.

Was it the next World Cup when they just fell off the edge of the earth? Fading memory again.

I know at Southhampton they didn't think much of him and then bounced around a bit.

What's his background? Did he play rugby himself?

Sir Clive was a centre of the highest order, gracing the Leicester, England and Lions backline in the 1980s. He was superb to watch.

England started plumbing the depths pretty much straight after RWC2003, though they did somehow make it through to the final in 2007, losing narrowly to the 'Boks. Ironically, the official coach, Brian Ashton, was sidelined by the players after the early matches, where results were poor, with Mike Catt taking over the coaching duties.

ddraver

Is that right? I did nt know that! (why did they make Jonno coach then not Catt?)

Oh well, I think Lancaster is in the Woodward vein so hopefully he's going in the right direction...hopefully

wallace_and_gromit

ddraver wrote:

(Why did they make Jonno coach then not Catt?)

I think the RFU wanted a figure that no-one in the media or ex-players could (publicly) deride after the experiences with Andy Robinson when he became head coach.

The Catt was never a great favourite of the Twickenham faithful and if things had gone t*ts up with him officially in charge, one shudders at the fallout. He's now on the coaching staff, albeit with a lot of work to do...

frenchfighter

rayjay

frenchfighter wrote:

Inject me now so I can catch up with Pellizotti

shinyhelmut

RichN95 wrote:

Ha, ha! First! Snooze, you lose.

I blame the time zone! Or the slow internet connection.

It's good to see someone else from my era.