Confirmed! Mark Cavendish To Team Sky
by Jen See on Oct 11, 2011 11:47 AM EDT
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Team Sky has announced today that Mark Cavendish will ride for the team in 2012. The announcement comes after months of speculation about the British sprinter's future, speculation that escalated after he won the World Championship road race in Copenhagen. Rumor suggested that Cavendish had signed his new contract as far back as the Tour de France, but more recently, media reports suggested he might race for Quick-Step instead.
The rounds of will-he or won't-he prompted Gerard Vroomen to quip that Cavendish and Team Sky should just get a room already. Now, it's smiles all around as one of the top British riders joins Britain's Pro Tour team with the London Olympics next year.
Team Sky also announced today that Bernhard Eisel will also ride for the team next year. Eisel has ridden as road captain with Cavendish at HTC-Highroad, and played a central role in organizing the team's fearsome lead-out train. Eisel will ride in support of Cavendish at Team Sky, though he also hopes to try his own chances during the spring classics.
Dave Brailsford, Team Sky Principal, said on the Team Sky site: "Mark is the greatest sprinter of his generation and is well on his way to becoming the greatest of all time. He is a rider of exceptional talent who has proved his pedigree at the very highest level of our sport.
"Mark is a born winner and what excites me most is the attitude he brings to all the teams he rides for. We want to inspire more fans to get into cycling and I can think of no one better to help us do that. We are delighted that the new world champion will be riding for Team Sky next season."
Arguably the most successful sprinter in the sport, Cavendish has won 20 stages at the Tour de France. The 26 year old counts three straight victories in the prestigious Champs Elysèes stage, and in 2011, he won his first ever Green Jersey. Cavendish has also won the points competition at the Vuelta a España. In 2009, he took a narrow win over Heinrich Haussler at Milano-Sanremo.
Like many top British riders, Cavendish began his career on the track, and his first international result came in 2005 when he won a World Championship title with Robert Hayles in the Madison. At the Beijing Olympics, Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins failed to win an anticipated Gold Medal in the same event.
Since Beijing, Cavendish and Wiggins have had a difficult relationship that only recently improved. At the Copenhagen World Championship, Wiggins played a key supporting role in Cavendish's victory. In the press release today, Wiggins said he was looking forward to riding with Cavendish at Team Sky, though the sprinter's presence on the team may complicate the chances of Wiggins at the Tour de France.
For his part, Eisel is happy to be following Cavendish to Team Sky after the dissolution of HTC-Highroad.
"The fact that I wanted to stay with Cav was also a major factor and we’re both happy that we will now have more years ahead of us.
"My main job will be keeping him protected leading into the sprints, but the spring Classics are also very important to me and I’ll be looking to ride well in them. If I can secure a ride in the Tour de France that will be great as well. I have ridden the last eight Tours and finished them all, and next year is my 12th season as a professional so I’d like to think I have the experience to be able to contribute to the team."
Currently 30 years old, Eisel turned professional with Mapei in 2001. Though he devoted much of his time at HTC-Highroad to supporting Cavendish, Eisel scored a big victory of his own in 2010 when he won Gent-Wevelgem.
...Phew... I was sooo dying from the suspense of this one.
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Poor Wiggo
Finally gets a TdF that gives him a superb chance of winning, and bang goes his chance of getting team support. I know Geraint is saying all the right things, but I don’t want him to become Renshaw II. He deserves the chance to be his own man.
It just seems a shame. We have a primarily British team doing great things and demonstrating impressive depth across a range of targets. Brailsford is right that Cav is superb, but his team is too good to be a one-trick outfit.
Bah.
It should be fine. They’ve given them a perfect route to get the GC lead with the ITT, then control the bunch throughout, since there’s about eight billion flat stages. Will be easy, nobody of any importance will have a chance of getting away.
Besides, if they don’t want to control it, it’s not like GreenEdge won’t try to set up the sprint. Then you can just have Eisel and Boasson Hagen take Cav to the front near the end and ride their coattails to the win. After all, what else are GreenEdge going to do? It’s not like they have any options other than sprint…
by UrlaubinPolen on Oct 11, 2011 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
According to Baden Cooke
quoted in Velonews Greenedge intends to go for green
"We could potentially have myself and Stuey O’Grady, who has been second in green jersey, piloting Matt Goss, the up-and-comer, to go for the green jersey…
I was told there'd be no math.
I like the sound of that :)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Besides the drawn out transfer debacle, this is an excellent signing by Sky imo.
Of course it will have a negative impact of lots of talented riders on the team, but for exposure, Sky can’t get it any better.
Wiggo, go fetch some bottles please.
Hurrah!
Now we Aussies can really relish the Goss/Cav sprint off because it will be Greenedge/Sky and Aus/Brit. Its actually the best thing Britain could have done for Australian cycling.
Goss vs Cav?
maybe, if Goss improves considerable in flat road bunch sprints. Personally I think Goss will become a factor in the Sagan/Degenkolb/EBH/Modolo battle, more so than in the Greipel/Cav/Kittel/Guardini competition. Time will tell.
Good call.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Cav versus Goss? Ouch. And then there's Kittel who may be Cav's equal soon.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I was kind of hoping
that the OP-QS signing would happen after all.
No particular reason except I like surprises.
by uninformed consent on Oct 11, 2011 12:16 PM EDT reply actions
Sky is getting way too crowded
Porte. Rogers. Wiggins. Froome. Cavendish. Thomas. Boasson-Hagen. Eisel.
Too much overlap, not enough complimentary riders. Like in the Tour, Boasson-Hagen and Wiggins complimented each other nicely. Boasson-Hagen could freelance and still be around to help Wiggins when needed.
Cavendish and Wiggins? Neither ride helps the other and both require support riders. Plus you add Porte and Froome, where do they fit in? What about the younger riders who need chances for themselves?
This isn’t Sky-bashing. I think Sky earned the right to not be made fun of anymore this year. But it looks like their eyes are too big for their stomach.
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
He's had some virus all year
Rogers in form is easily competitive for most week long stage races. The exact types of races where Porte and Wiggins should shine.
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
Yeah, we'll see
You’ve got a point though. Flecha should be really happy – he’ll still be their prime cobbles man.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
But they already had him :)
And I think, for now, it’s better for Geraint to be the shadowman, co-leader, sneaky surprise. The Devolder to Boonen, Summie to Thor. I’m with you though, that boy’s got cobbles skill. But, at this point in time, I think Jan Antoon still deserves the number one.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Not too much overlap
There are three grand tours to cover and the olympics and they will want teams for each of them that are as fresh as possible.
I was told there'd be no math.
Yeah, because Sky isn't Tour focused or anything
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
He'll win the TdF ONE day!
Aka Pigeons!
by Sarah Connolly on Oct 11, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I honestly think Rogers had a realistic chance to win the Tour the year he crashed out on Cormet de Roselend (I forget the year, 2008?) – he was super strong, doing well in the mountains and very well placed.
+1
Yeah, that was a tragedy.
I think that was the first year I watched the TdF and I saw him crash.
I was told there'd be no math.
O'Grady broke his collarbone on the same stage
not a good day for Convicts
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 6:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Wasn't that THE day where he broke all the bits that aren't meant to move?
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Borderline? I was praying...that may have been his problem!
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Do understand, when I saw Wouter, the very first thing I thought was "we'll be hearing from him in six months about how scary the crash was, won't that be interesting."
“Scary” for me would have maybe meant career-ending injury. I had never seen a person die before. Might also be how they handled it on the TV broadcast – some video clips of Stuey being loaded into the ambulance as an afterthought during discussion of Rogers’ DNF (which, fairly I think, was a bigger story).
I wouldn't worry about Froome
He will be the Nibali to Wiggo’s Basso, and get to ride as leader in the Giro. Unless Uran proves to be the better climber after all.
Are you saying that the Sky isn't the limit?
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
by TheFigurehead on Oct 12, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think so
I can easily see sky let him do his own thing in the big races where he is the team with Cav. Like Thor/Farrar at the TDF this year.
On that point, they are going to be a pretty stacked team that July race. A genuine (on that course) GC guy, the best sprinter in the field and one of the best allround PITA riders (in the nicest possible way) going.
There's not enough room on a Tour squad to support a GC contender and the best sprinter and have guys freelancing
The stages where EBH would be “doing his own thing” are the stages where the team should be protecting Wiggins or chasing the break for Cavendish.
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
One big diff between a Cav based team and one which has a good sprinter on it (Garmin)
is the task of controlling a break on flat stages. With Cav on the team Sky will need to spend considerable resources on flat stages. EBH will not be able to ride his own chances imo.
And Cav likes a posse around him
Even a Velits on the Vuelta podium was chasing down breaks for him.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
agree, Cav is high maintenance all around.
He is worth it, but it does affect all other riders.
yeah
but it could be fun watching them try
by thebongolian on Oct 11, 2011 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Cav has proven he can win green
Wiggins has yet to prove that he can win yellow. I think you have to put your eggs in the Cav basket.
by Tyler Bleszinski on Oct 11, 2011 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
yep
And, the podium time for all those stage wins, ka-ching! Sponsors love that stuff. Fifth on GC? Not so much.
~ Gavia ~
But
didn’t we also think that about HTC? :-(
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
I don't think
the exposure was really the issue with HTC. More like, the costs, and maybe also a shift in their business aims. Also, Stapleton has said that HTC decided late in the game that they didn’t intend to renew, which made his task much more difficult. I’m not sure the problem was necessarily that the exposure wasn’t what they had hoped for. More that they had maybe achieved their aims, wanted to go a different direction, and Stapleton couldn’t find someone else to step in quickly enough for enough cash.
~ Gavia ~
My money is on Wiggins riding the Giro
and resting for the Olympics where he will focus on track. Cav to ride the TdF and come in full gas for the road.
I was told there'd be no math.
maybe that was the plan
but with a TT heavy TDF route, I would think they’d be forced to reconsider.
Good point
Wiggo will need to polich his classics skills though, to have a chance.
I was told there'd be no math.
Worse still – Kim Kirchen in the maillot jaune was helping set up the sprint back in the ’08 Tour. Not to the extent that Velits was asked to, admittedly.
by UrlaubinPolen on Oct 11, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh! Yeah, It’s couldn’t be Cav without Drama! No way!
Very predictable signing became Mystery / Soap opera!
Very entertaining guy, our Cav!
What next on schedule for us? Probably very public funeral of his trusted old " Specialized" bike with crying women and children in the audience?
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
who cares about cav (sorry holmovka)?
Sky’s northern classics squad is looking increasingly formidable. Flecha, Thomas, EBH, Eisel are all legitimate conteders. Not quite in the Spartacus or Boonen class but probably next rung down and I have a hunch Thomas will step up next yar if he doesn’t get distracted by the big O. Perhaps EBH too if he can stay injury free. They’ve also got guys like Stannard, Dowsett and Wiggo to do the hard work.
While other teams have bigger stars in terms of depth I’d suggest that’s on a par with BMC, RaNT, Quickstep.
Classics riders for the VDS are gonna be a much tougher call next year
I was told there'd be no math.
Sky knows the GC has a much bigger importance for their sponsor than sprint wins
if anything the demise of HTC should make this abundantly clear. I think it’ll be Cav who may be more screwed having Wiggo on his team than vice versa, especially with the Wiggo friendly route the Tour will have.
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
except that
Cavendish is currently a better media personality than Wiggins.
(This could change, of course. One need not cast too far around to find examples of changing media skills in the pro peloton).
Wiggo says just as many ridiculous things
he just isn’t interviewed as often
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
At least Cav's consistent.
I suppose Wiggo’s consistently inconsistent. He tends to say the first thing that comes into his head, in my view.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Question to Phil
You think that general public ( no cycling fans) is more impressed with guy who fighting for podium, than with the guy who they see crossing first the finish line pumping his fist in celebration 3 or 4 or 5 times during the 3 weeks of GT?
Just remember I said general TV viewer, Not a cycling fan!
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
Seriously?
General public – people understand winning or being current leader (smiley podium pic in yellow jersey), and stage winner (sprint with \o/), and generally don’t understand why these are different things. They understand that “world champion” is a big deal, and that olympic medals are a big deal. If marketing to the ignorant masses is the criterion, then Wiggo should go back to the track and try to win olympic medals, because nobody has a clue what 2nd or 3rd on GC even means.
Not that I actuallly think that’s what Wiggo should do, of course.
It does look like his body may have now adjusted a bit to ultra-low body fat, because his TT power seems to be returning without any apparent increase in weight. And if he has a reasonable chance of finishing on the podium in 2012, well then he has a small chance of actually winning it. I know if I had his palmares, a 3% chance of winning the TdF, and a 30% chance of another Olympic gold, I’d be all in for the Tour.
The GC is a 3 week battle full of intrigue
and it is what the TV broadcasters advertise and market full on. It’s also what gives the sponsors the most important exposure. Cav is British and maybe therefor his wins will have a greater impact for the British sponsor than the American one. But doing well in GC is what Sky must be targeting as priority number 1. You think Versus rather have Lance winning the overall or Farrar winning stages? It’s not even close. And marketing to the ignorant masses is what has made the Tour so much more exposed than any other race in cycling. It’s about making $$ for the sponsors and for a sponsor like Sky that demographic is quite important(unlike say Quickstep).
(Ignorant mass is a pretty mean way to call casual fans)
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
Of course *winning the GC* is better than winning stages, even to the uninitiated
But while non-fans probably know who Alberto Contador is, maybe even Andy Schleck, do you think they know or give a crap who Jurgen Van Den Broeck is?
British viewers probably have an idea of who Brad Wiggins is, his Tour 4th surely gained him some exposure(British can chime in here)
and for Team Sky that is all that matters. Wiggins in the GC run in a route that is perfect for him, after a GT podium last time out=marketing ability.
"Weltmeister!!" Zwei mal: 2010-2011...und weiter gehts
Being a triple Gold medalist probably trumps a 4th place in the Tour...
by Vlaanderen90 on Oct 12, 2011 3:05 AM EDT up reply actions
In Britain and Oz it certainly does.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I think we're simultaneously dealing with the question in the abstract and with the question as it relates to Team Sky
But I’ll just add that American non-fans would have no clue who Christian Vandevelde is, even after his 4th in ’08. They might know who Levi Leipheimer is.
broadcasters and marketers will put lipstick on the pig
that they’re told to, or that they think looks best in their cameras.
Witness: George Hincapie, GC hopeful, circa 2006.
wasn't that a rare mistake though?
but the camera does like GH
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
It was the low-hanging fruit that I could remember easily
There are always 3-4 ‘contenders’ for every major race who are only ‘contenders’ because the flaks only have to dust off the previous year’s articles about them.
Hincapie as TdF GC contender, though, was a special case born out of Bruyneel’s and OLN/Versus’s mutual desperation.
I used to wonder why Lance didn't go into breakaways
“WTH dude, they’re 10 minutes ahead! Why don’t you want to be 10 minutes ahead?~!”
Hehe!
Floyd was thinking along same lines, looks like.
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
Took me about three years to get the hang of the tactics
and not worry about the breakaways!
I was told there'd be no math.
The first time I saw someone (McEwen) win on the Champs Elysee, I thought he'd won the whole thing
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Someone has to do the post about misconceptions in Cycling.
I was watching one of the TDF stages with my daughter. So I mentioned to her, that HTC up front raving up the pace, working for Cav. My daughter was very surprised, she said, that she thought they working against him, because they going too fast, making Cav tired! :)
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
first pro-cycling memory
reading in the paper that an american had won the tour day france. But then it said that Lemond (obviously a frenchman) had won. But then they kept saying that an american had won. But then they talking about this frog Lemond. Ack, cycling, too confusing.
This would be a great idea for a post...actually, both ideas
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Mine one of the earlier cycling memories.
I was watching "Pease Race" and couldn’t understand why every one starting together, when according to GC standings leader had 1min to the second place guy, who in turn had 30 sec to the third place guy and so on.
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
Kloden says that after seeing his first Peace Race, he decided he wanted to be a cyclist.
They sound like very special races.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
The best we had on that side of the Iron curtain.
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
See...this could be a chapter ;)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Ha! You and Pablo are on my case!
I am working on it.
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
I was in France in July 89
staying with a cycling-mad French family. I remember watching that last day time trial, not having the faintest what was going on & entirely failing to understand why the French family were pissed off.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
Me too, and I also wondered where they would find a place broad enough to line up 200 guys so they could all start at the same line ;)
by LittleOldLady on Oct 14, 2011 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Because Swiss Francs are pretty?
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
I was in Switzerland last weekend and I haven't changed my Swiss Francs back yet.
They’re worth more euros than they were a week ago. If I wait another couple of weeks I may be able to buy a very small cyclist.
"These are my principles and if you don't like them....well I have others." Groucho Marx
very briefly they went to equal
versus euro couple of weeks ago until Swiss Central Bank steeped in.
Versus US dollar almost twice as strong as a low point several years back.
On the bright side — less tourists :)
+1
Yes, we are planning our big European tour
on the way back to Australia and Switzerland was very much on the agenda until I started trying to find a hotel. Sorry, you got dumped in favour of Austria – ‘the hills are alive…’ (be nice, I have kids to keep happy)
I was told there'd be no math.
Will Sky put a lot of effort into chasing breaks down?
There are other teams who’ll need to do it. OK, so some teams won’t want to do it to help Cavendish, but other teams will have to do it to support their sprinters. Cavendish won’t be the only sprinter in the peloton.
And what will GreenEdge do if they don’t chase down the breaks? After all, they’re not going to have that many options outside sprinters next year, are they?
I saw someone say elsewhere that the best way to beat Cavendish next year, will be to get two trains with two sprinters going down opposite sides of the road. Then kill the one Cavendish tags on to, and have the other win. Now that would be funny….
"These are my principles and if you don't like them....well I have others." Groucho Marx
In the last couple of TdF's no other sprinter team wants to help Cav's outfit
wheel in the break, because the missile is too dominant. Why would that change in 2012?
Cause other team knew, that HTC will chase, maybe with lots of grumbling and eyes rolling, but HTC will chase.
Sky, with their interest in GS is a different story! Other teams will have to do their share of chasing, or we will see a large number of successful breakaways.
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
so you think Sky just put EUR2.5M/year (guess) on the table for Cav to have him sit
in the peloton with Eisel? I am pretty sure they will go out full power until Cav have bagged a few wins.
That is a beauty of it!
Sky will chase but not like HTC, and Cav can win with no train or from someone else train.
That is why he has such a price tag.
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
I subscribea bit to this theory.
Where it falls down slightly is that Cav’ll still use up a couple of riders helping him drag his arse over all those (medium) mountains.
"I’m hoping for the Mortirolo-Gavia combination, then we can ride down to Bormio for ice cream." Emma Pooley on the Giro Donne
That is what Grupetto for, I think.
Where sprinters and other stragglers show their brotherly love and affection to each other and common hate to anything with more than 5% gradient! :)
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
The best mathematicians are in the grupetto :)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Unfortunately
Cav regularly gets his ass dropped by the grupetto.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Oh my! GS, let me pinch myself! You said unfortunately?
Are you one step into Cav’s fans wagon?
"I love bike races warm up, warm down, cobbles mountains or flats."
perezbike
.
nah, don't think so. Rather Sky will use an industrial approach
in making sure their bankable star gets chances to deliver. The benefit to Wiggo is that he/the team will be riding at the front often where dangers are less. Anyway, we will see what their plan is by July next year.
If you have Cav
You’re gonna have to chase down breaks if you wanna win. They’re not going to just hand those wins over.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Indeed
You don’t sign him without having already committed to chasing a shit-ton of breaks next year and beyond.
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 11, 2011 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
if Cav wants an Olympic gold
he had better learn how to win without being delivered to within 5km to go – if for no better reason than “just in case”. Dont necessarily see Sky as HTC mark II
I want Greenedge to be HTC Mark II
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
[rubbing hands gleefully]
I so can’t wait to start previewing classics season. How’s next week sound?
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 11, 2011 4:35 PM EDT reply actions
and yes
I am more excited about Eisel’s announcement than Cav’s.
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 11, 2011 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
agree - the icing on the cake
his addition, retaining Hayman, keeping Thomas, EBH, Uran and Stannard. Wiggins, Porte, Rogers and the like are the grunt squad. Cracking classics team in the making. Sprint boy and GC boy can take the crumbs.
Meh...I think Cav breaking 20 wins would be better than a 3rd place at Roubaix ;)
by Vlaanderen90 on Oct 11, 2011 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
No you don't
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 11, 2011 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
The classics lineup is at least fun because it sets up some competition against BMC (needed) and Cance and Boonen...
More competition is good. Sky winning would be, grumble…but I do like Eisel and Flecha…so I can bear it…
by JustJoshinYa on Oct 11, 2011 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
When did Boonen last win anything?
That guy does a great job of getting by on past glory. Someone needs to check that sell-by date …
Plus 4th at RVV
Some people are really good at jumping on bandwagons
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Boonen will come back and deliver some results, perhaps not on the same
scale as the glory years.
Damn...win everything one year and the rest of your career is shit.
Glbert’s gonna totally disappoint next year (and probably still win 20 races)…
by JustJoshinYa on Oct 12, 2011 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
(and not meant to be directed at you Uphill...comment in general)
by JustJoshinYa on Oct 12, 2011 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Before writing off someone like Boonen
check out how old Duclos-Lasalle was when he won Paris-Roubaix . . .
That said, Boonen’s got some troublesome lingering injuries and some motivation problems.
I think his motivation was better this year than it has been before sometimes
He stuck around for a long time in TdF with serious injures, desperate to make something good happen.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Sounds good to me.
"These are my principles and if you don't like them....well I have others." Groucho Marx
Preliminary tests promise Sky will have the bestest, winningest year ever in 2012 with their stellar roster...
But Leopard had that destiny at the beginning of 2011 according to lab testing but the fieldwork proved otherwise with them not meeting the production, er, winning quota.
"As you can imagine, there are better places to have your birthday party than in some village called Mushny Mush Mishme." --Jens! Voigt
Sky
have gone from 22 to 32 wins this season and from #13 to #1 at CQRanking, more than doubling their points. In a way this has been a perfect transition for them, assuming impatience hasn’t been too awful. Because now they add Cav to a really solid team that’s had two years to gel and find its identity.
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Oct 11, 2011 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Dem be the cold hard facts (poke fun at that)
They indeed learned from their mistakes of the first year, realizing most of all that the mighty and starched business approach isn’t the best way for cyclists to approach bike racing. More relaxed and less stressed = better performance.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Couldn't stand them the first year
but I’ve started to like them a bit better this year. And I truly love their Classics line-up for next year.
"These are my principles and if you don't like them....well I have others." Groucho Marx
I also wonder
if Cavendish really does bring an infectious drive for winning to his team, if so, we could see the new HTC with Sky next year.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Knock me down with a feather :)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I almost needed the fainting couch.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Me too! Me too!
And I was already on my couch ;)
Joke running around Twitter, whether journos had prewritten their stories on this one. I didn’t, but really, like, I could have?
~ Gavia ~
Cav on July plans:
“I am confident that we can win stages, the yellow jersey, the green jersey; to win whatever we want to win, actually.”
More information on Velonation.
My favourite line in that interview:
“I know its a great setup and it is possibly the biggest team in cycling right now.”
Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10068/Cavendish-thrilled-about-joining-Team-Sky-says-squad-can-win-anything.aspx#ixzz1aZJr3xTK
Must have temporarily forgotten about BMC – win whatever we want? ROFL
I was told there'd be no math.
Easy claim to make... "win whatever we want"
you just say afterwards… “we didn’t want to win that one”
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Well Goss had a free role in some sprints this year for HTC at the TDF
If Hagan takes that role at Sky, you’d think he’d do a better job too.
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 6:18 AM EDT reply actions
EBH had that role at the tour this year
(and it worked pretty well for him I think)
I was told there'd be no math.
HTC at TdF 2010: (demanding) sprinter + free agent = ok
Garmin at TdF 2010: Sprinter + free agent = ok
Sky at TdF 2010: GC man + free agent = ok
Sky at TdF 2011: (demanding) sprinter + GC man + free agent = not ok
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Nah
Way I see it, on EBH style stages they do what they did this year, Thomas setting him up and EBH going bang bang.
When it’s Cav’s turn: Eisel-EBH-Thomas-Cavendish
Leave Wiggins with 4 other domestique/lieutenants. One of Froome/Porte, 2 climbers, 1 All-rounder. Then the all-rounder could also help in the train, pulling back breaks. When push comes to shove on the big mountain stages it comes down to the leaders, out of all the climbing stars at the tour this year only two “leaders” had team-mates when the elite selection happened.
Sky wont be the only team chasing down breaks for the sprints. With the vacuum created by HTC, you’ll have as well as Sky, Garmin, GreenEdge, Lotto, Rabobank and anyone else who brought a sprinter along. They’re not going to “do a HTC” and line everyone up to bring it back but the peloton will bring back breaks more often than not.
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 8:50 AM EDT up reply actions
At the TdF...Cav plus 8 guys riding for Cav
for the green jersey and many wins otherwise why bother bringing him in at all.
EBH was at HTC/Highroad a few years ago right? This is kind of the problem with someone as good as Cav, or Contador… when you have guys like Tony Martin or EBH how do you let them do their thing too?
Speaking of, waiting to see what T mart can do next year not having to drive the peleton from 5Ks out every flat stage.
Cavendish doesn’t need a full team devoted to him. He has had the luxury of being that good, that a team can bank all its chips on him and work exclusively for him.
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Right, he doesn't need that much help
it just makes it easy for him when he does have the help.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
He's never not had a full team devoted to him, so how do you know?
Ignore the sprint. He needs several teammates to control the break. You can’t do that unless you get help from other teams or have several teammates good at setting tempo for hours.
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
Are you absolutely assured in your knowledge that Cavendish has always had a whole team to control breaks for him?
Because I highly doubt he got the HTC treatment his whole pro-career
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
In any race that is germane to this conversation, he's had a full team dedicated to him
"Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!"
I think his whole Pro Career from '06 onwards is relevant
and I think Mark would be the first to tell you that he hasn’t had a whole team ride for him at every race.
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 14, 2011 12:32 AM EDT up reply actions
except, if I'm on those other teams
I’m looking to get riders IN those breaks.
cf Paris-Tours this year.
and if all those teams get riders in a break then they will want the break to win
and that is different to normal, how?
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, when this happens more than about once
and you’ve got a pissed off million euro sprinter sitting back in the field remembering the good old HTC days.
well . . . here's how Paris-Tours differed from a typical Tour sprint stage:
The riders in the break could win (And . . . consider . . . that this strategy has already started: think back to the stages Hushovd won in 2011 Tour . . .).
If I’m anywhere close to correct, the first hour of these stages will be brutal.
You've got more than one pissed off sprinter too
…and eventually the teams/DS’ get the picture? End result is still the same
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions
In the end its all about winning a stage. Everybody knows
Cav will very likely win a bunch sprint, which is why very few other teams will do the break wheel in part. Its going to be mainly Sky doing the heavy lifting if they want Cav to win, just like it happened at the worlds with the British team.
considering that sky's tdf 2011 gc man crashed out, ebh's two stage wins were more than quite ok (imho)
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
Ok just means 'a situation that could work'
in my own humble daylight deprived opinion
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
so the scenario I described wouldn't work?
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 12, 2011 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions
In my own humble daylight deprived opinion
No. Too much split focus. I don’t think it would’ve worked for OPL at this year’s Tour either, btw. JVDB + Phil + André = too many cooks.
I am ready to hug the world - Tony Martin.
Ah yes, OLO, perfect example
No sublot for them at all during the tour :D
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 14, 2011 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
oops
Yes, I missed that letter, sorry
by RollinRollinRolland on Oct 14, 2011 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Looking forward to next year
There is going to be quite a tactical shake up – a not so difficult Giro, a not so climby TDF, the Olympics, more teams with serious classics ambitions and a lot more competition for points at the second tier races. A lot riding on who has the most flexible and creative DS to come up with new approaches (like Bruyneel transformed the TdF and HTC transformed the sprints). I am thinking it will be the year of the breakaway.
So, which team has the cleverest DS?
I was told there'd be no math.
unless team sky gets a new bike sponsor :)
(and no, i don’t have any specific intofrmation on that, just, well, it wouldn’t surprise me.)
~ Gavia ~
Late to the thread...
Just wanted to say that Cav’s move to Sky is a bit mystifying. Team Sky was put together to develop British cyclists in Pro-Road Cycling and help raise the profile and build the sport in the UK.
Cav has a pretty big profile (for a cyclist) in the UK anyway and I am not sure how much difference it will make him being at Sky as opposed to any other big team. It is arguable that his presence will block the progress of other young Brits (eg Ben Swift?) and will in anycase take up a fair amount of the budget. His presence will not substantially increase the profile of cycling in the UK media and not help other young pros.
The two contexts that this makes sense is that Brailsford is building toward the Olympic Roadrace and is ensuring that he gets his ‘aggregation of marginal gains’, or that it is simply sponsor driven.
If Cav doesn’t win gold next year, British Cycling’s (the sports-body) position in regard to Sky Pro-Cycling will again be under scrutiny.
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