2021 PRO thread

[AJS914]

The one thing I applaud Lefevere for is his winning ways. He knows how to win a lot of races on not the biggest budget. He usually doesn't back a single prima donna. And every rider is replaceable.

It's quite amazing how sprinters are successful at QS, they leave and then stop winning. I can think of Viviani, Gaviria, Bennett, and now Cav. It remains to be seen if Bennett will be as good as he was without QS.

[jasjas]

In any case I kind of thought he would retire on the high of matching Merckx.
But if in fact he is asking silly money for his fee's to continue then rightfully so PF would speak out as he does.

But lastly the vibe/camaraderie/wolfpack mentality that got him wining again is likely gone now

He is also a year older, i think he should either just take a years extention on similar terms as last year or retire BUT i guess it depends on whether he can ride the TdF again... plus who is faster.. Fabio or Cav? the Tour is a long way off, a lot can happen.

[maquisard]

Cavendish is perhaps a bi-polar psyche. On the one hand when things not going well he is reflective, intelligent and appears a slight depressive. When his career is on the top he changes into being a narcissique personality.

He should take a year contract with DQS and then retire. He will get some more win, but only with the right lead out.

[UpFromOne]

+1 Maquisard. All he needs is one little TdF win, then he should announce his retirement mere meters after that finish.

Isn't that what he really wants (aside from eternal youth)? One and Done!

[Karvalo]

It's quite amazing how sprinters are successful at QS, they leave and then stop winning. I can think of Viviani, Gaviria, Bennett, and now Cav.

Not 'and now Cav' yet. That's just making an assumption.

Probably a correct one, but still.

[spud]

I agree with Lefevere that Cav may well be overstating his value. I believe Cav won at Tour due to lack of presence of the premier sprinters like Bennet, Ewan, off form Demare etc. The stars truly aligned for Cav. What I don't agree with is putting the negotiations out into the public sphere.
If Cav really wants to win another stage, I'm not sure its going to happen with QS, I think Fabio is better, and QS is not in business to get Cav his record.

[AJS914]

Not 'and now Cav' yet. That's just making an assumption.

Probably a correct one, but still.

Cav had 9 victories and a green jersey at the Tour de Frace in a single year sitting on the QS train. That's a career for most other riders.

[Karvalo]

Not 'and now Cav' yet. That's just making an assumption.

Probably a correct one, but still.

Cav had 9 victories and a green jersey at the Tour de Frace in a single year sitting on the QS train. That's a career for most other riders.

And the last time he left QS he got 10 victories including 4 Tour stages in 2 weeks, an Olympic medal and WC silver.

So again, you're making an assumption. He is not yet a rider who leaves QS and stops winning.

[spartan]

cav at his best can beat overated ewan and other pretenders. did this occur this year ? ohhh wait at the prep race all the best sprinters were present guess who won.

http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube ... jU&yr=2021

[Kjetil]

Ewan overrated.
This thread keeps on giving.

[jasjas]

cav at his best can beat overated ewan and other pretenders. did this occur this year ? ohhh wait at the prep race all the best sprinters were present guess who won.

http://www.steephill.tv/players/youtube ... jU&yr=2021

Yep Cav survived the carnage of this years TDF and had the endurance to ride the full distance plus win 4 stages, he also beat WVA on occasion too, not shabby at all, easy to down play this achievement with "oh but the best weren't on form/crashed out etc etc"

Whether Lefevre wants to help Cav beat Merckx's record is another matter, even if MC is capable.

[maquisard]

he also beat WVA on occasion too

WvA isn't a sprinter, he won a mountain stage in TdF and also a TT - Cav should always be beating WvA in sprints. Especially true as Cav has dedicated sprint lead out

[Kjetil]

Is Cav overrated too now? Trying to keep up here.

[Flasher]

Cav is the GOAT sprinter.

[spud]

^ of course he is, by definition. But that doesn't mean much for next year. Year or two ago, I saw some statistic that said something like 90% of sprint stages over a few years were captured by 3 or 4 sprinters. While the composition of that roster can change, when Bennett, Ewan, Groenewegen are out of the race, and DeMare, Gaviria are completely off form, then I think it's fair to say that the sprinter field is probably not at its very best. Nothing against Cav, you can only race those actually in the race. But to expect another dominant performance from him again next year is a stretch.