Where will Cav be riding next year

bcmf

Seems the rumour mill and transfer talk is in full swing
Jelly Bean
or
SKY
or
just stay put

Hail 2 Da Thief

I thought he had already signed for Sky but it can't be announced just yet?

Caroline_ie

Sounds like a publicity stunt from Jelly belly, which makes a variety of gourmet jelly beans, including Juicy Pear, Watermelon, A&W Cream Soda, Very Cherry and Buttered Popcorn.

ednwireland

looking at the talent coming up at htc i cant see them fighting to keep him, esp. if sky offer him the money being talked about

Morrisseeee

Fcek Cav, I'd be signing Sagan !! :cool:

iregk

I read somewhere, can't recall where, that he has signed for Sky but they can't announce until after the TDF due to sponsorship.

ROK ON

Morrisseeee wrote: »

Fcek Cav, I'd be signing Sagan !! :cool:

I read recently that in the top 30 or 50 sports marketing brands globally that the only cyclist appearing was Cav. Contador, Cancellara Et al didn't even come close to making the cut.

The guy is a marketing dream.

ColSheehan

ROK ON wrote: »

The guy is a marketing dream.

I agree, he is! I mean, he's what, 25/26 now with 15 Tour de France stage wins to his name. Surely in the next few years he can add to that. However, it all depends on where he ends up at the end of the year. To be honest, I like HTC Highroad and the talent they've had for the last few years - Eddy Boass, Lovkvist, Ciolek and Cav being some of them brought through the ranks. The only problem I see with them is that they're heading towards a team based around an all rounder for the grand tours (Martin/Velits/Siutsov/Van Garderen) while also riding for a sprinter in the flat stages (Goss/Howard/Degenkolb/Cav - Take your pick). I say it again, it all depends on what Cav does at the end of the year, if he stays at HTC, I can see him winning a few races, but not as many as he had in the last two years or so.. I definitely will be excited to see what happens this year

Harrybelafonte

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Sounds like a publicity stunt from Jelly belly, which makes a variety of gourmet jelly beans, including Juicy Pear, Watermelon, A&W Cream Soda, Very Cherry and Buttered Popcorn.

And don't forget, when you least expect it... Sizzling Cinnamon!

AG2R

iregk wrote: »

I read somewhere, can't recall where, that he has signed for Sky but they can't announce until after the TDF due to sponsorship.

also cannot be announced because can't "tap up" or sing anyone during the season.



He will go to sky imo.

tippx

If he wants to knock more stage wins in thegrand tours he should stay with HTC they have it when it comes to getting cavandish on the podium( love watchin the over head shots when they deliver him 300 before the line )and with his ultra competive streak ,he tottaly hates to lose will sky a train deliver him to the line ? Id rather follow T Martins wheel than B Hagens ,If he wants the glory he should stay were he is .Ill give him his due every time when he,s interviewd he always lays it square on the team whenever he wins a stage but it will make more interesting raceing if he goes

iregk

If he has indeed gone to sky I'd half expect Mark Renshaw to follow suit.

Beasty

tippx wrote: »

will sky a train deliver him to the line ?

I think the Tour of California showed they have the makings of a very good lead-out team. Add Cav (and possibly Renshaw) to it and they will probably be able to take on anyone.

Inquitus

Beasty wrote: »

I think the Tour of California showed they have the makings of a very good lead-out team. Add Cav (and possibly Renshaw) to it and they will probably be able to take on anyone.

Indeed and Cav performed great in the Tour after Renshaw was thrown out, proving even without the perfect train he had what it takes.

dermur

iregk wrote: »

If he has indeed gone to sky I'd half expect Mark Renshaw to follow suit.

Maybe Renshaw reckons he'll inherit the no. 1 sprinter slot in HTC instead.

Although he'll have decent opposition from Goss & Grabsch.

niceonetom

HTC are struggling to land a sponsor for next year so unloading their biggest overhead makes sense, especially if they can still go for stage wins with Degenkolb, Goss and Renshaw etc.

What's more interesting to me here is that hiring Cav seems to signal SKY's transition from a team that rides the tour for GC to a team that rides for stage wins/mailot vert. What does this mean for Wiggins?

And could HTC move in the other direction, targetting GC with Tony Martin, Svitsov, or one of the Velits bros?

ROK ON

niceonetom wrote: »

HTC are struggling to land a sponsor for next year so unloading their biggest overhead makes sense, especially if they can still go for stage wins with Degenkolb, Goss and Renshaw etc.

What's more interesting to me here is that hiring Cav seems to signal SKY's transition from a team that rides the tour for GC to a team that rides for stage wins/mailot vert. What does this mean for Wiggins?

And could HTC move in the other direction, targetting GC with Tony Martin, Svitsov, or one of the Velits bros?

That hits several nails on their heads.
Despite Cavs marketability HTC have struggled to get more dough for a while now. Sky dont have that issue at the present.

Sky is transitioning from a Wiggo vehicle to a more all rounded team. They got badly burned last year and in fairness it was the best thing that could have happened to them. They get lots of guys placed in many different races. Wiggo also seems to be doing reasonably well and possibly a bit more relaxed this year.

If Sky is to succeed going forward I think they will need to be capable of having guys win or place across the season in a wide vairty of races. Cav helps this (so does Gilbert btw who is also a Sky target.)

While Stapleton seeems to be struggling to find a really big and secure backer (multi year deal) he is very very takented at finding, nurturing and launching up and coming talent.

Macy0161

As has been said, Highroad appear to be struggling for a sponsor, and I don't think Cavendish has been too impressed about being tied to a relatively small contract (small for what he brings)

If it is to Sky, then it'll be interesting to see what approach they take. Their aim was a British TdF winner in 5 years. Wiggins best chance probably this year, after that eggs are probably in the Thomas basket (post 2012 Olympics). Maybe next year as a Cav train might suit them, or more likely it'll be a much smaller train with more focus on the green jersey, and Wiggins expected to do more for himself.

afaik Renshaw has another year on his contract with highroad.

Never really warmed to Highroad tbh - I thought the whinging about Hincapie being "robbed" of the yellow jersey was pathetic. Not a massive fan of sky either, but do wonder how Roche would be going had he made the rumoured move - I doubt he'd still be struggling at timetrials for starters!

Chips Lovell

Several teams have combined top level sprinters and GC guys. Ullrich and Zabel were on T-Mobile, for example.

Beasty

I suspect a lot may also depend on how Wiggins does in the TdF this year, which could influence whether he heads back to the track for the Olympics.

Any of the Team GB guys will raise their profile if they do well in the Olympics. However I don't see Cav going back to the track, meaning he could be the main man of whichever team he is riding for at next year's TdF - it could be ideal preparation for the Olympic Road Race if (like last time) he chooses to dip out before the worst of the mountains.

petethedrummer

Macy0161 wrote: »

Wiggins best chance probably this year, after that eggs are probably in the Thomas basket (post 2012 Olympics). Maybe next year as a Cav train might suit them, or more likely it'll be a much smaller train with more focus on the green jersey, and Wiggins expected to do more for himself.

Maybe they will switch their focus to Cav and sprints, cos Thomas hasn't a hope of being a GT contender. Most GT contenders place very high at their first or second attempt, (Wiggins and all the EPO era winners excepted).

Macy0161

petethedrummer wrote: »

Maybe they will switch their focus to Cav and sprints, cos Thomas hasn't a hope of being a GT contender. Most GT contenders place very high at their first or second attempt, (Wiggins and all the EPO era winners excepted).

I wouldn't think sky or Thomas have given up on that - sure even now he isn't a 100% focussed on the road. I'm not saying it's likely, but I wouldn't rule it out either, given what Wiggins has done (regardless of how Wiggins does this year).

petethedrummer

Fair enough, but I reckon Thomas could only hope for 1 day events or short tours. He doesn't seem to have the GT talent of say Roche. And I don't know if Roche will ever win one, so what chance for Thomas.

As others have said, what happens Wiggins this year will be important in all this. I still don't think Wiggins has it in the high mountains to contend. He placed high in an odd tour, but then others could have placed above him and didn't.

Its shaping up to be an interesting tour from alot of angles.

Macy0161

el tonto wrote: »

Ullrich and Zabel were on T-Mobile, for example.

I'd hope cyclings moved on from when this was possible. Recovery isn't what it used to be...

RobFowl

el tonto wrote: »

Several teams have combined top level sprinters and GC guys. Ullrich and Zabel were on T-Mobile, for example.

Not th egreatest example there though !!

Zabel was constantly frustrated at the lack of a decent leadout train which cost him countless stages, and Ullrich never quite had the help he needed at the business end of mountain stages.

(I know I'm burying my head in the sand about other factors here btw )

Anyway sky might have cottoned on that Wiggo will never win the tour (although is a real top 5 and possible podium prospect) and they may refocus on Kennaugh for the future and be happy with sackfuls of stages and a good GC ride in the meantime.

As an aside the whole team GB track emphasis has been hailed as a sucess story. I personally think Wiggins could have been a Grand tour winner if he hadn't been so focused on the track. In reality cycling is, was and always will me about the tours, classics etc with the Olympics really not that important.
I can name every tour winner since 1970 but would struggle to recall any track medallists apart from the GB team.
How many classics would Kelly have swapped for an Olympic medal?? .....

petethedrummer

RobFowl wrote: »

I personally think Wiggins could have been a Grand tour winner if he hadn't been so focused on the track.

Really? What I know about physiology you could write on the back of a stamp but he has to maintain a monastic diet to get down to anorexic body fat levels to be competitive. I know most cyclists are skinny but it doesn't look natural or seem come easy to him. His immune system must be weakened. The likes of Basso, Contador (I know, clenbuterol makes weight lost easy:rolleyes:), Evans, A Schleck etc.. don't seem to change shape much at any given time of the season.

RobFowl

@Pete
Wiggins turned to focussing on the tour in 2009 aged 28.
In th eIP wieght is not a barrier and in some ways helps ans the muscles mass allows more power output (on the track power to weight is not as important).
If he has been concentrating on the road from the age of 21 just think what he culd have won...
Indurain, Ullrich, Jalabert, Rominger, Kelly, Lemond all won grand tours without being anorexic looking (and don't forget Schleck has not won any yet !!)

Macy0161

I could be naive about his recent transformation into at least a GC contender, but I'm not sure Wiggins would've been prepared to do what was necessary to be a GC rider for a lot of his career. I think a clean rider can now be competitive in GC.

This is partly where the Brit obsession for the Track comes from as well - it was/ is? considered to be clean(er). And it has been a success for them, in terms of profile of the sport as well as medals. The road side was definitely the poorer cousin though (fringe benefits for us in Dan Martin!).

RobFowl

Macy0161 wrote: »

This is partly where the Brit obsession for the Track comes from as well - it was/ is? considered to be clean(er). And it has been a success for them, in terms of profile of the sport as well as medals. The road side was definitely the poorer cousin though (fringe benefits for us in Dan Martin!).

From my experience I don't believe the track is any cleaner than the road.
Indeed the 6 day circuit certainly was notorious for amphetamines especially.
The track emphasis is largely because lottery funding is weighted very heavily towards Olympic sports in the UK and Ireland as well.
The British and indeed Irish sports councils place more value on a Gold in a for example the points race than they would in a win in the Tour of Flanders.

Beasty

imo the reasons Team GB do well on the track is simple - they had a couple of good riders (Boardman and Obree), built a track (on the back of a couple of failed Olympic bids), and made themselves very good at it - pre-1990 they had very little track pedigree

Ultimately the general British public are more interested in Gold medals than Grand Tours, whether it's Redgrave, Pinsent, Hoy or Wiggins. In addition track cycling makes the Olympics its biggest event - road cycling (like golf and tennis) does not - it's the pinnacle for track cyclists

TBH, I think Hoy remains a much bigger name in the UK than Cavendish because pretty much everyone knows of his exploits at the Olympics - only those interested in the sport pick up on the other events

In addition GB funding follows medals, and there are a lot more medals available (and a lot less competition) in track cycling

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

TBH, I think Hoy remains a much bigger name in the UK than Cavendish because pretty much everyone knows of his exploits at the Olympics - only those interested in the sport pick up on the other events

Agree the Great British public will know Hoy far better but in 30 years cyclists will revere Cavandishes exploits while Hoy will be a respected but far less known.
Also Cav will earn the big bucks and score the models ..........

petethedrummer

RobFowl wrote: »

If he has been concentrating on the road from the age of 21 just think what he culd have won...

Yeah I know what ur saying, but I still don't think he's in that very top tier. I don't think he'll get top 5 this year.

RobFowl wrote: »

Indurain, Ullrich, Jalabert, Rominger, Kelly, Lemond all won grand tours without being anorexic looking (and don't forget Schleck has not won any yet !!)

We all know what helped the underlined get their big muscular legs over the high mountains. Lemond is a small enough guy, under 6' anyway. Wiggins just looks too big to me. Most good tour riders seem to be under 6' or over 6' and naturally slight. Very simplistic viewpoint, I know and i'm ready for it to be shot down.

RobFowl

petethedrummer wrote: »

Yeah I know what ur saying, but I still don't think he's in that very top tier. I don't think he'll get top 5 this year.


We all know what helped the underlined get their big muscular legs over the high mountains. Lemond is a small enough guy, under 6' anyway. Wiggins just looks too big to me. Most good tour riders seem to be under 6' or over 6' and naturally slight. Very simplistic viewpoint, I know and i'm ready for it to be shot down.

I buy your point's but do feel Wiggo had a Vuelta at least in him. Certainly a Tour of Switzerland/Romadie and a full palmares of quality stage race wins.
I think by flooding the track British cycling missed out on developing a generation of road racers. Something they seem to have identified and with Sky trying to change.

PS re the underlined riders AFAIK Lemond and Eric Caritoux (Vuelta 1984) were "unassisted" and can't think of any other Grand tour winner who hasn't had allegations at the very least.

petethedrummer

RobFowl wrote: »

PS re the underlined riders AFAIK Lemond and Eric Caritoux (Vuelta 1984) were "unassisted" and can't think of any other Grand tour winner who hasn't had allegations at the very least.

I'm drawing a solid line before 1991 when referring to assistance. No 6'3 muscle man won a tour before then. Jesus its impossible not to mention the D word.

Anyway, I can't wait till a proper challenger to Cav comes along. Love to see how he would cope with a genuine rival. There has to be someone out there that can put it up to him.

RobFowl

petethedrummer wrote: »

I'm drawing a solid line before 1991 when referring to assistance. No 6'3 muscle man won a tour before then. Jesus its impossible not to mention the D word.

Pre 91 I know but Freddy Maertens (1977 Vuelta) was a big muscular rider....

petethedrummer

stop shooting down all my wonderful points. still thats only one guy.

RobFowl

petethedrummer wrote: »

stop shooting down all my wonderful points. still thats only one guy.

I agree with almost all them FWIW

Just get a bit frustrated with the emphasis on the Tour and the Olympics these days.
Cycling in the Olympics was never really that important and the events have changed so often there is little history/continuity. Also the position of the Tour above all other great races devalues great performances and elevates the winner of one race to a pinnacle I feel is not completely deserved.

Take Cav he's won MSR which to me is a far better result than a TDF stage yet they are what he's famous for.
He's won 2 Secherpidis semi classics and to me could be a Roubaix, Paris-Tours an possibly even a Flanders contender. But the way cycling is promoted it's far more valuable for him to rack up stages.

Wiggo has just arguably won the most important stage race a British rider ever has (along with Millar and Robinson) yet all the press is about how it shows he's in shape for the tour.......

Doping aside (and I do feel that's a fight that has turned in favour of clean sport) we have a bloody great sport with a season crammed with superb races with long, proud and fascinating heritages.

Yet thanks to British cycling and to a lesser extent the Irish sports council we focus all our funding on the shaggin Olympics.

Kelly's Roubaix wins are to me worth a fistful of Olympic medals. Is Jason Queally's Kilo gold the equal of a Dauphine, a Paris Nice or a Romandie? IMO it's not even close yet our sports bodies prioritise that sort of result about all those historic events.

Rant over and out

ednwireland

couldnt agree more robfowl

since i got the eursoport player ( and broadband in general) i am watching races which i only read about in winning and cycling weekly

love watching the early season classics giro and vuelta

olympics is way overrated (even if i couldnt get velodrome tickets :mad: )
i should be at the olympic TT anyway

honestly i think the brits are in for a big diappointment in 2012 cant see cav winning the road race, everyone else has copied the training methods on the track

the fact that cav won milan san remo showed what a classy rider he is

unfortunately uk sports authorities dole out lottery money on the back of olympic medals (i'm guessing the irish ones do as well)

niceonetom

Bob Stapleton, owner of HTC-Highroad, has said that the team will cease to exist at the end of this season unless a new title sponsor can be found by the end of July...

Cav is their main asset from a PR perspective. Shedding overhead now might have been a mistake when sponsors are so reticent.

It saddens me that the sport has become sullied that even a very successful team without any doping cases agaisnt it under current ownership is still untouchable in the anglo saxon world.