Cav to Sky confirmed

Funkyzeit

No surprise there - by all accounts the Quick Step rumors/moves were just designed by Cav/his agent to try get Sky moving in terms of package.

Interesting to see the dynamic of that team next year. IIRC himself and Wiggins have a bit of history? Though Wiggins did some work getting Cav his rainbow stripes.

velo.2010

So you have a possible Tour route where Cavendish has a theoretical chance of winning 10 stages or so and Wiggins who'll have his best chance yet to win the GC.

How will Sky work this? One guy is only going to have 3 helpers. Plus the route itself, if true, dictates long hours on the front and I guess most teams will look to Sky to control the thing.

Can they aim for both Jerseys? (I know Telekom did it but things are different now, aren't they?)

Lumen

Wiggins suggests Tour de France and Olympics are too much for Cavendish

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-suggests-tour-de-france-and-olympics-are-too-much-for-cavendish

RobFowl

I think this is potentially a bad move for Cav.
Especially with BC's obsession with the Olympics (none of the open RR's at the Olympics have ended in anything close to a bunch sprint).
To even suggest that Cavendish miss the TDF or abandon half way through shows a complete disdain for cycling's history.

velo.2010

Lumen wrote: »

Wiggins suggests Tour de France and Olympics are too much for Cavendish

Did Wiggens anticipate the Tour route when he said this? Both men surely have their eye on the Tour. I was going to say that I can't imagine Sky letting Cav off early to concentrate on the Olympics because of sponsership/getting their moneys worth......but its Sky, its the British team. They could engineer it that Cav gets his early stage wins then goes home. Wiggens may well forgoe any hope of a gold medal if he really believes he can win the Tour.

Chips Lovell

I suspect that whatever Cavendish wants to go for he'll get support for. He's one of the biggest names in the sport and by the sounds of it drove a hard bargain.

sy

Can't see Sky saying no to a possible 3 or 4 stage wins in the TDF. Cav is aiming for the Olympics as its in his home country and who wouldn't blame him for that. But as RobFowl implied earlier' the Olympic RR is a very unpredictible race due to size of teams/tactics etc. In terms of prestige an Olympic Gold is not something to be sniffed at but would Cav(or any other pro) swap it for his Rainbow jersey, not a chance. A lot will depend on how Wiggin's season starts and his form during his build up to 2012 TDF.Still think Cavendish is good enough to win a few stages without the HTC leadout train leaving Sky with 2 strong options. Cav can head home a week early with a few stage wins under his belt and be in form for the Olympics while Wiggins wraps up the Yellow Jersey.....:) Lots of speculation to look forward to.

niceonetom

A very secondary issue, but I wonder what bike supplier SKY will be using next year. From what I've gathered in my not-very-thorough reading of the cycling press, Specialized have probably been paying more wages than many named team sponsors, chiefly to keep their bike under Contador but I'd guess that they do NOT want to see a Dogma with their rainbow stripes under Cav next year either - not after they made him that lovely helmet and everything.

I'm also a little disappointed to see Bernie Eisel follow Cavendish. IMO he's spent enough time controlling stages and it'd be nice to see him on a team where he might be allowed blow stages apart instead. He's a pro and he knows what he's got to do to pay the bills, but purely from a viewing perspective I'd like to see Cav get less help (he'd still win stuff) and also see some of those big engines he's been hiding behind let off the leash.

Chips Lovell

My understanding is that Sky are still on Pinarello next year. I suspect the Specialized thing was a negotiating tactic.

Beasty

I think Sky will be thinking more about gold medals than the Tour in 2012 - the link with Team GB is too close, and the "brand" will get far more UK exposure from the Olympics.

Cav knows he has a fair chance of picking up some stages regardless next year, but only one chance every 4 years of an Olympic gold, which is the only thing he is now missing from his "collection" (given he could never be a Grand Tour contender).

It may actually make it an easier decision for Sky to put their support behind Wiggins for the Tour

sy

niceonetom wrote: »

A

I'm also a little disappointed to see Bernie Eisel follow Cavendish. IMO he's spent enough time controlling stages and it'd be nice to see him on a team where he might be allowed blow stages apart instead. He's a pro and he knows what he's got to do to pay the bills, but purely from a viewing perspective I'd like to see Cav get less help (he'd still win stuff) and also see some of those big engines he's been hiding behind let off the leash.

Fully agree. Goss wasn't too far behind in the Worlds and Greipel was hunting both down, would be nice to see Cav being squeezed a little more next season

Lusk Doyle

niceonetom wrote: »

I'm also a little disappointed to see Bernie Eisel follow Cavendish. IMO he's spent enough time controlling stages and it'd be nice to see him on a team where he might be allowed blow stages apart instead. He's a pro and he knows what he's got to do to pay the bills, but purely from a viewing perspective I'd like to see Cav get less help (he'd still win stuff) and also see some of those big engines he's been hiding behind let off the leash.

I like this idea also of letting them away to see what they can do but it'll never happen with the odd exception here and there as I don't believe neither the management nor Cav et al would let Eisel, etc away to win a stage when they/he can win it with the team working together.

It would be nice to see it more often like you say above, but unfortunately it's first things first (leader stage win) and then if that don't look like it's going to work, re-evaluate (domestic let loose).

elduggo

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

My understanding is that Sky are still on Pinarello next year. I suspect the Specialized thing was a negotiating tactic.

Cavendish is the reason Sky exists. They had to wait a couple of years to get him but that team was formed for Cav and they were going to sign him at all costs.

Eisel wasn't signed as a lead-out man. I'm surprised to see him referred to as that in the cycling press. Sure he'll be part of the lead-out train but he won't be doing anything that another cyclist could do. Eisel was signed for far more than that I reckon - to continue his road captain role (controlling the bus, etc), but now with Sky. For me the most interesting dynamic to observe won't be that between Cav and Wiggins. It'll be that between Eisel and Wiggins. I foresee friction

ednwireland

http://www.atwistedspoke.com/cavendish-to-ride-pinarello-specialized-hybrid/

lol

on_the_nickel

elduggo wrote: »

I foresee friction

Here's hoping. The hype is going to drive me up the wall.

SACH Central

RobFowl wrote: »

I think this is potentially a bad move for Cav.
Especially with BC's obsession with the Olympics (none of the open RR's at the Olympics have ended in anything close to a bunch sprint).
To even suggest that Cavendish miss the TDF or abandon half way through shows a complete disdain for cycling's history.

Too right...what is the Brits English obsession with the Olmypics...and BBC sports star of the year? Cav could win the TdF and would receive little or no recognition in the UK among the general public. However if he were to win the Olmypic RR his place in English folklore would be guaranteed. You'd see his mush on boxes of Kelloggs cereal and he'd probably get a nomination for that poxy BBC sports star of the year

Junior

Tbh Cav might as well write off next season, Geraint Thomas has already said he's skipping the classics for prep for riding the track at Olympics, Dave B has said already that they were thinking of skipping the TdF in prep for the Olympics so you'd wonder what format of a team Sky will have next year, Cav could be left on his own with the B team while the Olympic team is wrapped up in cotton wool. The Olympics are make or break for this whole Sky project...

Beasty

SACH Central wrote: »

Too right...what is the Brits English obsession with the Olmypics...and BBC sports star of the year? Cav could win the TdF and would receive little or no recognition in the UK among the general public. However if he were to win the Olmypic RR his place in English folklore would be guaranteed. You'd see his mush on boxes of Kelloggs cereal and he'd probably get a nomination for that poxy BBC sports star of the year

It's quite simple - some athletes get one chance of this in their career - even most of those that get more than that are unlikely to be at the pinnacle of their career when they hit the Olympic year. In the UK it's a big deal. 2012 is an even bigger deal - it attracts a lot more people to the sport, both viewing and participating

Not too many people know about Chris Boardman's hour record (or the fact he broke it 3 times), even fewer know he wore the yellow jersey in the Tour, but a lot know he won a gold medal at the Olympics

Lets face it, without the "Olympic obsession", Manchester velodrome would never have been built, British Cycling would not be funded to the tune of £30m over an Olympic "cycle";), Team Sky would not exist and Cav, Wiggo, Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendelton, Geraint Thomas and the like would probably never have made it.

Lumen

SACH Central wrote: »

Too right...what is the Brits English obsession with the Olmypics...and BBC sports star of the year?

For British cycling fans I don't think the Olympics is more or less important than the grand tours, it's just different.

Aside from the fans, the BBC is not the country. The BBC loves the Olympics because it's amateur sport and therefore appeals to the "business is evil" and "everyone must be poorer than me" attitudes of the champagne socialists running the gaff. Whilst the Olympics gets good audiences, there is far more deep seated fanaticism amongst the public for ball kicking, just as there is here.

OTOH, the Olympics is very accessible to watch on TV. You tune in and there's different stuff happening every minute, all day every day. In the TdF, to the casual viewer, there is absolutely nothing happening all day every day. The Olympics is therefore more appealing to the 50% of the population with below-average intelligence and negligible attention span.

Chips Lovell

elduggo wrote: »

Eisel was signed for far more than that I reckon - to continue his road captain role (controlling the bus, etc), but now with Sky. For me the most interesting dynamic to observe won't be that between Cav and Wiggins. It'll be that between Eisel and Wiggins. I foresee friction

Do you think Wiggins wants to be the one who controls the autobus?

Chips Lovell

I find this all pretty exciting. It's great to see the world champion and the sport's top sprinter on what is essentially a local team.

niceonetom

Lumen wrote: »

The BBC loves the Olympics because it's amateur sport and therefore appeals to the "business is evil" and "everyone must be poorer than me" attitudes of the champagne socialists running the gaff.

I'll take the champagne socialists and guardianistas over the venal oligarchy of BskyB/Fox/Newscorp any day.

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

I'll take the champagne socialists and guardianistas over the venal oligarchy of BskyB/Fox/Newscorp any day.

How many cycling teams do Polly Toynbee and George Moonbat contribute to?

They'd probably cancel the TdF on the basis of its CO2 emissions if they had the chance.

elduggo

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Do you think Wiggins wants to be the one who controls the autobus?

way to misinterpret what I said.

do you think controlling the bus is all the road captain does?

Chips Lovell

elduggo wrote: »

way to misinterpret what I said.

do you think controlling the bus is all the road captain does?

Enlighten us then.

on_the_nickel

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

what is essentially a local team.

10 pager? :P

manwithaplan

No cheating now...

Name the last three winners of the Olympic men's and women's RR.

Name the last three winners of the men's and women's Olympic Tennis tournament.

Chips Lovell

Sanchez, Bettini and Ullrich. Ullrich was a stretch to remember.

RobFowl

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Sanchez, Bettini and Ullrich. Ullrich was a stretch to remember.

Now the Wimmins .....

Chips Lovell

RobFowl wrote: »

Now the Wimmins .....

Ehhhh.

Can you name the women's World Champs from 2008, 2004 and 2000. In fact, who knows off the top of their head who won the men's World's in 2000?

Chips Lovell

I suspect the Olympic thing is a bit of a null point since by the sounds of it Cavendish isn't being forced into it but wants it himself.

elduggo

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Enlighten us then.

no you're right, thats all he does

RobFowl

Vladimir Kurtains wrote: »

Ehhhh.

Can you name the women's World Champs from 2008, 2004 and 2000. In fact, who knows off the top of their head who won the men's World's in 2000?

Vainstains I think
I know Nicole Cooke won the 2008 worlds/Olympic double but no idea of the rest.

Suppose just highlighting how short lasting Olympic memories are...

Chips Lovell

Twas Vainsteins. But I had to check it.

RobFowl

Beasty wrote: »

Not too many people know about Chris Boardman's hour record (or the fact he broke it 3 times), even fewer know he wore the yellow jersey in the Tour, but a lot know he won a gold medal at the Olympics

Lets face it, without the "Olympic obsession", Manchester velodrome would never have been built, British Cycling would not be funded to the tune of £30m over an Olympic "cycle";), Team Sky would not exist and Cav, Wiggo, Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendelton, Geraint Thomas and the like would probably never have made it.

Re Boardman suspect people remember more the Lotus "funny bike" than actually remember him.
He said at the time the Olympic medal was a stepping stone to getting a decent pro contract on the road as was the original hour.

The Manchester velodrome is a huge plus. It was largely lottery funded and I'll accept that it was directly related to Olympic success. Since then the lottery funding has becomes obsessed with the Olympics (something we emulated here for a bit) at a great cost to other aspects of cycling.

The Olympics are not and never will be the pinnacle of cycle road racing.

As a side note the relative demise of great sports such as cyclo cross (as an elite sport in the UK ) is because as a non Olympic sport it doesn't attract funding.....

Chips Lovell

The reason the British focus on the Olympics as a gauge for lottery funding is that it offers an easy benchmark for success. Trying to quantify other things is trickier, i.e. is a placing in a classic worth the same as a medal at a track and field meet? That does mean that things get skewed and I think most cycling fans see an Olympic road medal as less important than a classic, a green jersey or a Worlds.

Having said all that, if that's what Cavendish wants, so be it. The Olympics is a very big deal in Britain and he may want the recognition.

Beasty

I could name the 2008 women's RR Champion, but that's because she's British;)

SACH Central

Lumen wrote: »

The BBC loves the Olympics because it's amateur sport

The Olmpics can no longer claim to have much to do with amateur sport. All track & field athletes are professional - in deed if not in name, cycling, tennis (who in God' name let that in), etc. etc.

The only sports that only sports I can think of as amateur sports are probably archery & shooting!!