Is it over for Cavendish.....?

stu-bim

I really hope not

Richmond Racer 2

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19665875#p19665875]Salsiccia1[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19665848#p19665848]Richmond Racer 2[/url] wrote:

Dunno, but he's back in action on Sunday, riding the Surrey lanes

Makes sense now. He was just using the Tour as prep.

EXACTLY. Should have got him ready good and proper for Ranmore Lane

ddraver

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19665835#p19665835]gsk82[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19665781#p19665781]earth[/url] wrote:

I don't think Cavendish ever recovered from joining Team Sky. The worst career move he could have made where he trained to improve his power/weight ratio. That is an important ratio for a climber but a sprinter has to improve their power/drag ratio as they are aiming for top speed. He will find it difficult to out-sprint his competitors without that power.

He's not had a year as good as that since he joined EQS. EQS are the problem, not Sky

I dig that

EQS have, to my admittedly not great recollection, provided ONE good lead out for Cav in 3 years. For a team full of classics specialists that is woeful. I disagree with Earth totally, I think Sky was actually a very good place for him but he did nt like it there, which is fine. He DOES like it at EQS but he is not going to win much at a team that will always view the tour as a third place option behind RVV and P-R

Having said all that though I don't see an alternative for him in todays teams. The only team set up like Highroad is Giant Alpecin(plus I suppose to some extent Lotto Bellisol) and obviously they don't need another sprinter.

Pross

I'd like to see him use this as the time to adapt in a Boonen / Hushovd type way. The days of more or less guaranteed wins in bunch sprints if he stays upright are gone and we know he's capable of riding in breaks. The biggest problem is breaks will be reluctant to ride with him.

mfin

Y'know I don't care what he does y'know as long as he doesn't land a major role as a pundit y'know, cos when he talks y'know he's not the best speaker y'know.

frisbee

He was brilliant in the British championships, he has a lot to offer besides his sprinting.

tonyf34

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666299#p19666299]mfin[/url] wrote:

Y'know I don't care what he does y'know as long as he doesn't land a major role as a pundit y'know, cos when he talks y'know he's not the best speaker y'know.

And as per the cameras catching him effing and jeffing with Froome on the saunter in he doesn't mince his words, most TV stations/producers don't like that straight down the line talking (even minus the swearing).
It upsets too many of the vanilla's of this world that are watching whom expect all pundits to do a bit of head nodding which for me is one of the most annoying things listening to commentary of sports.
Some of the best commentaries come that are locals and with an inherrent bias to their team...some crackers out there.

As for Cav the sprinter, Cav had being virtually unparalleled in cycling sprints for what 5 years, it was always on the cards that he would lose a bit of edge on occasion (for whatever reason) and that other teams would see that really focusing on sprints (ala Lotto/Giant) was the best route for glory whereas the last two teams Cav has being on haven't had to put all their eggs in the one basket.
Crashing in 2014 did a bit of damage long term for him IMO, not just missing out on the sprints in that years race either.

ozzzyosborn206

I think he has another two years where a team will take him to the tour as their No1 after that the like of Caleb Ewan will be racking up wins too and he will turn himself into a different style of rider, maybe try get in breakaways and then win the sprint from smaller groups? but then who would want to work with him as they know they won't outsprint him

dav1d1

If you listen to him on the friends cycling podcast I think he speaks a lot of truth about crashes on sprints cause splits which cost time on GC so GC teams are all riding at the front as well making more people which cause the crashes! And was brilliant watching the sky team lead him out for his fourth win on the champs élysées, he says he likes it a EQS and should get another contract just out of his performance last year where he only won one less than kittel did!