2015 'PRO' cycling discussion

Questions about bike hire abroad and everything light bike related. No off-topic chat please

Moderators: robbosmans, Moderator Team

Locked
User avatar
Rob81
Posts: 538
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:54 pm
Location: Northern Italy
Contact:

by Rob81

Commentators (Eurosport, ITA) yesterday said Cav is looking leaner than previous years. That photo seems to confirm it, ready to hang on the "hills"/capi on the new-but old route-Sanremo? We'll see.

User avatar
Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez
Posts: 2147
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:21 pm
Location: around Paris

by Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez

Cav has said repeatedly that he had a good winter training this year

He has enough pride to bounce back after a bad season, also MSR going back to basics and that gave him a mental boost obviously

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



HillRPete
Posts: 2284
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:08 am
Location: Pedal Square

by HillRPete

guyc wrote:Cav commenting that Wifried Peeters didn't think he had it in him to win today at the team briefing this morning.

Not a great weekend for that DS.

Maybe he just knows how to best motivate Cavendish, and used it to save the weekend? :mrgreen:

Antoine
Posts: 551
Joined: Tue May 03, 2011 6:36 pm
Location: France

by Antoine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxGq7K0LFfg#t=82

The Lotto Jumbo rider VAN ASBROECK should have been disqualified , he almost brought down 3 riders.

nathanong87
Resident master of GIF
Posts: 3405
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 2:44 am
Contact:

by nathanong87

Antoine wrote:The Lotto Jumbo rider VAN ASBROECK should have been disqualified , he almost brought down 3 riders.


looked ok.

pastronef
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:33 am
Location: Asti, ITALIA

by pastronef

as said in previous posts, seeing Stannard distancing Boonen (ok, he was tired) with pure strength was one of the best things in a while. he just crunched away, not caring about Terpstra on his wheel. best team Sky win ever.

spud
Posts: 1266
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:52 am

by spud

VAN ASBROECK was mighty assertive in the finale, banging into 2 guys including an Etixx guy. He isn't going to make many friends doing that kind of stuff. I could see someone closing the door hard on VA if given the opportunity in the future.

petepeterson
Posts: 1402
Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 6:58 am
Location: 604

by petepeterson

I watched OHN yesterday. Really entertaining finale and too bad SVM flatted. He is looking very strong. Hindsight is 20/20 but EQS without the radios.... wow.

1) Of course Stannard gets a free ride. Whomever suggests he should be more 'gentlemanly' and help 3 guys from his team 'because that's winning with panache'... c'mon. And Lefevre of all people knows better.
2) Why have Boonen go first with 5 to go if he's your guy for the win? You could see straight away his legs were not great. They really underestimated Stannard.
3) Why did SVDB try to bridge to Terpstra straight away without even making Stannard initiate the chase. I could not believe my eyes.
4) Why did Terpstra allow Stannard to take his wheel and essentially lead him out?

wingguy
Posts: 4318
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:43 pm

by wingguy

Scenario: Boonen felt he didn't have the legs for a sprint and gambled on an attack, figuring that at worst it would take something out of Stannard to bridge and help set up the other two from Ettix.

Boonen's strength beginning to fade?

spud
Posts: 1266
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:52 am

by spud

^ doubt it. I've used the above tactic, but only when I knew one of the guys in the group was a great sprinter. Any other time, I'd take my chances if I were Boonen. Maybe just fatigue induced poor decision making by the 3 Etixx guys. Terpstra is not beating anyone in that group in a sprint. He and Vandenberg should have been the softeners, with Boonen staying planted on Stannard. I really think Etixx was trying to ensure that Boonen won, not that Etixx won.

nathanong87
Resident master of GIF
Posts: 3405
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 2:44 am
Contact:

by nathanong87

wingguy wrote:Boonen's strength beginning to fade?


personally when he attacked, i thought boonen just wanted to ride to victory solo which would have been glorious

poly peloton guy is awesome
Image

pastronef
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:33 am
Location: Asti, ITALIA

by pastronef

Dowsett and other team mates on (non team sponsor) Zipps for Omloop

https://instagram.com/p/zsUOp_lbQ_/?modal=true
https://instagram.com/p/zruQCboLj7/?modal=true

User avatar
Tinea Pedis
Posts: 8615
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:08 am
Contact:

by Tinea Pedis

KWalker wrote:At what point are we just going to finally admit that he is probably the greatest sprinter of the modern era and possibly all time?

don't think that was ever in doubt. Only people keep speculating that it'll be the end this time.

...or this time...

...or this time...

Major props to Cav to keep proving them wrong. But even if it was true and he never won another race or stage again, he's still easily the greatest of the modern era. And right up there with the best of all time.

Wingnut
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Jun 23, 2007 12:41 am

by Wingnut

Agree Cav best of the most recent sprinters but compared to history's best not sure...Van Poppel, Cipollini, Zabel, Petacchi, McEwan, Abdoujaparov, Maertens, Kelly etc etc...I guess you're only as good as your competition ;)

KWalker
Posts: 5722
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 8:30 pm
Location: Bay Area

by KWalker

Wingnut wrote:Agree Cav best of the most recent sprinters but compared to history's best not sure...Van Poppel, Cipollini, Zabel, Petacchi, McEwan, Abdoujaparov, Maertens, Kelly etc etc...I guess you're only as good as your competition ;)


JP Van Poppel- 9 Tour stages, 22 GT stages total, 0 monuments doesn't even belong on this list.

McEwan- 24 GT stages, handful of 1 days

Zabel- 20 GT stages, 4 MSR, Amstel, Worlds Silver, lots of 1 days, EPO positive, lots of wins overall though

Petacchi- 48 GT stages, MSR, how many doping positives?

Abdoujaparov- 17 GT stages, 0 monuments, some minor stage race stages

Cipo- 57 GT stages, 1 MSR, 1 world championship, Gent-Wevel 3 times, later tested positive for EPO and had almost no one to compete with him in his early years.

Cav- 43 GT stages, 1 World championship on the road, 1 world championship on the track, 1 MSR, a bunch of semi-classics, and countless 1 week stage race stages, and still has 5-8 years left in his career. If Cav only wins 2 more GT stages a year until he retires he will easily top everyone on this list overall.
Don't take me too seriously. The only person that doesn't hate Froome.
Gramz
Failed Custom Bike

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



Locked