Dubai *spoilers*

ShutupJens

Joelsim wrote:

deejay wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

True. He has been on the boards. Add that to the fact he isn't as fast as Kittel and there's your answer.

So your Verdicts are in after the one race.
Kittel was the most desperate with having to prove his worth on a new team and that team also need to show they have got their lead out correct.
They did very well and the next month will be interesting when the season gets started. 8)
The peloton now know the score. ?

Not really deejay.

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

Where is your faith in Gaviria coming from? Promising yeah but nothing substantial yet, sprint wise

http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Rendon_Gaviria

joelsim

ShutupJens wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

deejay wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

True. He has been on the boards. Add that to the fact he isn't as fast as Kittel and there's your answer.

So your Verdicts are in after the one race.
Kittel was the most desperate with having to prove his worth on a new team and that team also need to show they have got their lead out correct.
They did very well and the next month will be interesting when the season gets started. 8)
The peloton now know the score. ?

Not really deejay.

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

Where is your faith in Gaviria coming from? Promising yeah but nothing substantial yet, sprint wise

http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Rendon_Gaviria

He's won every sprint he's done more than convincingly except one loss to Cav in San Luis 2015. He's thumped Cav, Greipel and looks way better than the likes of Guardini, Modolo et al. Look at your link and check the results when he hasn't finished first.

inseine

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

That's going to get interested seeing as they're on the same team. Hope he gets his chance if he's as good as you say.

joelsim

inseine wrote:

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

That's going to get interested seeing as they're on the same team. Hope he gets his chance if he's as good as you say.

He will. He can also do hilly. Clearly he's not going to race Kittel, but let's see how he performs against the others, especially bearing in mind his main goal in Rio on the track this year. If he manages to beat the top sprinters and get a gold on the track too it will be unbelievable.

ShutupJens

Joelsim wrote:

ShutupJens wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

deejay wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

True. He has been on the boards. Add that to the fact he isn't as fast as Kittel and there's your answer.

So your Verdicts are in after the one race.
Kittel was the most desperate with having to prove his worth on a new team and that team also need to show they have got their lead out correct.
They did very well and the next month will be interesting when the season gets started. 8)
The peloton now know the score. ?

Not really deejay.

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

Where is your faith in Gaviria coming from? Promising yeah but nothing substantial yet, sprint wise

http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Rendon_Gaviria

He's won every sprint he's done more than convincingly except one loss to Cav in San Luis 2015. He's thumped Cav, Greipel and looks way better than the likes of Guardini, Modolo et al. Look at your link and check the results when he hasn't finished first.

Yes I am aware of his results - I'm struggling to come to the same conclusion however. There's no reason to believe that he wouldn't be targeting San Luis (localish race) and ToB (looking to impress as a stagiare), whereas the names you mentioned would be more than happy to discount these as shoot, small races. It'll be much easier to draw conclusions when he starts contesting WorldTour level sprints surely

joelsim

Here are a few links.

Beating Greipel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtBt_EnT9Gg

Beating Sagan, Viviani et al
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exeLq1SVSq4

Beating Cav
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEbeRIEzs1c

Beating Cav
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r1xzndqUR8

The boy is going to be a superstar. It's not just the fact that he almost never loses, it's the manner in which he beats the very best sprinters around.

seanorawe

Cav is definitely still in with a chance of good race wins this year, and Kittel, Griepel and Viviani will be his closest competition. Sagan will concentrate on being a loveable rogue. Hopefully Griepel has as good of a TDF as last year.

I do hope Caleb Ewan takes a few wins this year too, simply because I love OGE. Bring on the race season

inseine

seanorawe wrote:

Cav is definitely still in with a chance of good race wins this year, and Kittel, Griepel and Viviani will be his closest competition. Sagan will concentrate on being a loveable rogue. Hopefully Griepel has as good of a TDF as last year.

I'm sure you've all seen the stats that Kittel and Cav have both finished in the top three of the same race 9 times. So far it's 9-0 to Kittel. The times that Cav has 'beaten' Kittel, he has not been in the top 100 (he really can't climb!).

joelsim

ShutupJens wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

deejay wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

True. He has been on the boards. Add that to the fact he isn't as fast as Kittel and there's your answer.

So your Verdicts are in after the one race.
Kittel was the most desperate with having to prove his worth on a new team and that team also need to show they have got their lead out correct.
They did very well and the next month will be interesting when the season gets started. 8)
The peloton now know the score. ?

Not really deejay.

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

Where is your faith in Gaviria coming from? Promising yeah but nothing substantial yet, sprint wise

http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Rendon_Gaviria

I've copied your 'My men 2016' signature - great idea!!

rick_chasey

Cav's not wrong when he moans about people going on about him when he loses but not others.

More importantly quick step did their usual and dropped Kittel off 50m too soon. He got away with it.

Macaloon

ianf's thread length theorem strikes again.

ShutupJens

Joelsim wrote:

ShutupJens wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

deejay wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

True. He has been on the boards. Add that to the fact he isn't as fast as Kittel and there's your answer.

So your Verdicts are in after the one race.
Kittel was the most desperate with having to prove his worth on a new team and that team also need to show they have got their lead out correct.
They did very well and the next month will be interesting when the season gets started. 8)
The peloton now know the score. ?

Not really deejay.

Simply that Cav isn't finished as a top sprinter, he clearly still is. But Kittel is faster. And to my mind there is only one person who could challenge Herr K and that is Gaviria.

Where is your faith in Gaviria coming from? Promising yeah but nothing substantial yet, sprint wise

http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/Rendon_Gaviria

I've copied your 'My men 2016' signature - great idea!!

Cheers - I did copy someone else to be fair.

It's more for my benefit than anyone elses!

joelsim

ShutupJens wrote:

Cheers - I did copy someone else to be fair.

It's more for my benefit than anyone elses!

We should all do it so that it's plain to see.

The_Boy

ftr, I had my men in my sig before it was cool.

*waxes moustache*

joelsim

The_Boy wrote:

ftr, I had my men in my sig before it was cool.

*waxes moustache*

The_Boy done good.


Yes I know it isn't grammatically correct

The_Boy

deejay wrote:

Joelsim wrote:

True. He has been on the boards. Add that to the fact he isn't as fast as Kittel and there's your answer.

Kittel was the most desperate with having to prove his worth on a new team and that team also need to show they have got their lead out correct.

I'm not one for the whol 'Cav is finished' (unless we're talking about bananas), but the above also applies to Cav. As does the fact that Cav has a pretty lean two years by his standards.

Clear one-nil to Kittel, imo.

Ashbeck

Thing is, Cav wouldn't have let himself get boxed in like that 4-5 years ago.

Face facts, he's the wrong side of 30 now and there are better sprinters about. He's at Dimension Data with other riders past their best, for a reason. If he wasn't he would still be at Etixx, Sky etc but he isn't.

Nothing against Cav but everyone has their time and the past few years he's either moaned about bad luck, moaned about his lead out train and team mates or moaned about other riders boxing him in. Whichever way you look at it and however painful it is for Cav fans (and i am one) he just isn't fast enough anymore, that's why he ends up moaning about all the other elements around him.

Just look back at HTC, he never complained about team mates, speed or bad luck then because he was top dog.

Its just life, happens to everyone. Just roll with it. Life goes on..etc etc etc

As Obi Wan Kenobi says to Yoda...'that boy was our only hope'...and Yoda says "no...there is another..'

Goodbye Cav, loved the good days.

cal_stewart

I'm I the only one thinking by cav's standards in early season thats a good result for him? He clearly was in a bad position and still made 2nd. As said Kittel is a beast in a straight line.

On that 2nd Cav for MSR

Richmond Racer 2

Cal_Stewart wrote:

I'm I the only one thinking by cav's standards in early season thats a good result for him? He clearly was in a bad position and still made 2nd. As said Kittel is a beast in a straight line.

On that 2nd Cav for MSR

Actually, looking at his speed (I didnt see it live), he looks pretty nippy considering his training for the last few months...

dav1d1

Maybe with Rio in mind he doesn't want to be jumping from rider to rider like before or going elbow to elbow with other riders and just being more careful and thinking long term.

seanoconn

Little athletes lose leg speed faster than taller athletes, Rooney, Keegan, Napoleon, the list goes on. Their best days behind them before they hit 30. Cav's finished.

iainf72

Macaloon wrote:

ianf's thread length theorem strikes again.

Never fails

At some point Cavendish will win something and "silence the doubters" and then the circle will be complete.

Lanterne_Rogue

Cavendish's problem is that he'll never be as good as he used to be. He's basically being compared to one of the best sprinters of all time, and worse still, it's himself...

ozzzyosborn206

Dav1d1 wrote:

Maybe with Rio in mind he doesn't want to be jumping from rider to rider like before or going elbow to elbow with other riders and just being more careful and thinking long term.

doubt this very much

ocdupalais

iainf72 wrote:

Macaloon wrote:

ianf's thread length theorem strikes again.

Never fails

At some point Cavendish will win something and "silence the doubters" and then the circle will be complete.

I don't know what Fred's leg length "theorem" is, but it sounds boring...

RichN95.

OCDuPalais wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Macaloon wrote:

ianf's thread length theorem strikes again.

Never fails

At some point Cavendish will win something and "silence the doubters" and then the circle will be complete.

I don't know what Fred's leg length "theorem" is, but it sounds boring...

It says that a forum thread for a race Cavendish loses will be considerably longer than a thread for a race he wins.

inseine

Cal_Stewart wrote:

I'm I the only one thinking by cav's standards in early season thats a good result for him? He clearly was in a bad position and still made 2nd. As said Kittel is a beast in a straight line.

On that 2nd Cav for MSR

Well he did win it last year!

blazing_saddles

Already live with Boulting, Backstedt and 120kms of desert:

http://www.dcn.ae/dubaisports/live.asp

joelsim

Come on Silvan, let's have a good season.

ShutupJens

Regretting putting Goss in my fantasy team. Definitely had some sort of brain fart and forgot about his results (or lack thereof) over the last 5 years