Cav wins British Road title ... TdF or no?

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by weisan

Cav's renewed joy, motivation and invigoration with cycling clearly shows and I hope will continue...but unfortunately, I think he has lost some of his top-end speed and that "edge". Even if he gets sent to TDF, I am not sure he will be able to grab a stage win.

On the other hand, he is definitely worthy of at least a place at the TDF startup list.

If you don't think he can grab a stage win, he shouldn't go to the tour. Cav is a pretty big liability in the mountains, typically requiring a good portion of the team to keep him inside the time limit. That's hard work, and takes some of the edge off their leadout on sprint stages. If you think he can pick up the stage wins, that can be worth it, but if not, the cost of bringing him is too high.

Personally, I think Cav would be a contender and could likely pick up one or more wins, but I also think Jakobsen would be likely to win more stages than Cav.

On almost any other team, however, I'd be bringing him.

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by 72gmc

If you take Cav, it’s a proverbial quarterback controversy with Fabio, and you risk your relationship with your sprinter of the future. Cav brings eyeballs but on the course he brings nothing if it’s not a flat sprint with him as the centerpiece. Perhaps when he was younger and stronger he should have shown the slightest interest in working for others. He’d at least be able to reference that.

His job has rarely if ever been to work for others. His sole job has been to win stages and he’s done that for a very long time.

I think there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes between him and his team. Without QS I’m sure he would have been out of cycling now. They give him the structure and backing he needs. As mentioned, they shepherded him through the mountains last year. Left dropped alone I very much doubt he finishes the TdF.

There’s an odd dynamic between him and Lefevre somehow. He gets results for his employer but his employer is very non-committal about his future. My guess is he’s on another team next year and has much less success.

Also, it wouldn’t ultimately stun me if he’s on the start line in the Tour. There or not there - neither outcome will be shocking.

[deluz]

No Alaphilippe either at the TDF this year.
That French national championship race was great.
Groupama kept trying to keep DeMare in range but ultimately failed.
Love it when sprint train looses the race. Its not a race unless it is hard enough to drop pure sprinters.

[Clancy]

Originally Posted by merckx

Pro cycling is a business and it is measured in eyeballs. Folks want to watch Cav compete. He'll be in the Tour.

I’ve gone back and forth on Cav, at times even last year during the Tour his behavior turned me off. But then he’d give an amazing in-depth, highly emotional and self deprecating interview after a win and I’d be a fan again.

Watching him I believe his competitive drive is stronger than ever, his passion as well.

And his quote about breaking the record while in the GB’s champion jersey - a very smart PR move on his part. And he’s right.

Just read Cycling News, gotta admit I really thought QS would have taken him. What a shame. I can’t imagine the amount of attention and publicity he would have generated by going. Add to that if he won a stage? Even if Fabio wins the Green jersey. That will not be remembered 10-20 years from now. Cav breaks the record? In the history books forever.

I can’t believe he’s not going.

He more than deserves the opportunity to make history.

[charliedid]

How will someone run him into the barriers or impede his forward motion if he isn't there?

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by 72gmc

If you take Cav, it’s a proverbial quarterback controversy with Fabio, and you risk your relationship with your sprinter of the future. Cav brings eyeballs but on the course he brings nothing if it’s not a flat sprint with him as the centerpiece. Perhaps when he was younger and stronger he should have shown the slightest interest in working for others. He’d at least be able to reference that.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/r...our-role-41224



It's not that Cav won't work for others, it's just that he's not particularly good at it. Is there any rider continually in the world tour over the past decade with lower w/kg FTP than him? His skills as a bike rider are particularly concentrated in areas that help him win races, and not in areas that would help teammates win races.

[Elefantino]

Alpecin took two pure sprinters to last year's Tour. Merlier won one stage; Philipsen had a bunch of seconds and thirds and finished fourth in the green jersey competition. But Alpecin surfs; Lefevere is still a proponent of the sprint train.

Still a d*ck move.

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by prototoast

It's not that Cav won't work for others, it's just that he's not particularly good at it. Is there any rider continually in the world tour over the past decade with lower w/kg FTP than him? His skills as a bike rider are particularly concentrated in areas that help him win races, and not in areas that would help teammates win races.

That's a good way to put it. Any way you say it, history shows that if he's not directly competing for sprints, he's not adding much if any value on the road. And if he doesn't win, but just causes Jakobsen to leave?

Someone's managing this team for sprinting success in many Julys to come. Hard to argue with that.

[jlwdm]

Originally Posted by charliedid

How will someone run him into the barriers or impede his forward motion if he isn't there?

It is amazing what he has been able to blame on others. I won't miss him.

Jeff

[KJMUNC]

well according to Velonews he's officially NOT on the list and neither is Alaphilippe.

Will be super interesting to see how Jakobsen does....I think it's a huge marketing miss to leave Cav at home from a boss who constantly rues how hard it is to get sponsors. Whether Cav wins or not, every sprint stage is going to be super hyped about him.....that won't be the case with Jakobsen.

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by KJMUNC

well according to Velonews he's officially NOT on the list and neither is Alaphilippe.

From the horse's mouth:

https://www.quickstep-alphavinylteam...tour-de-france

The team also has first-reserve riders – Florian Sénéchal and Mark Cavendish.

[Gianni Bianchi]

I can't stand Cav and I hate the media constantly hammering on about being equal to Merckx when Cav is essentially IMO a one-trick pony. He's also a spoiled brat man-child when he doesn't get his way.

FWIW I can't stand Patrick Lefebvre nor his team. So happy to see Cav NOT go to the tour. Can't get past this fanboy devotion for him. Meh.

[LegendRider]

I saw an interesting theory on Cav not being selected. The individual said Lefevre is close to Merckx and is protecting Eddy's Tour stage wins record by not bringing Cav. Add in some Belgian nationalism and it's not completely implausible.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by Gianni Bianchi

I can't stand Cav and I hate the media constantly hammering on about being equal to Merckx when Cav is essentially IMO a one-trick pony. He's also a spoiled brat man-child when he doesn't get his way.

FWIW I can't stand Patrick Lefebvre nor his team. So happy to see Cav NOT go to the tour. Can't get past this fanboy devotion for him. Meh.

Fanboy, yep that's me!!!

I love how brilliantly he can position himself and the announcers breaking out with the "Manx Missile" talk.

As to the "spoiled brat man-child" stuff. Yep I see that sometimes on TV too. But......I also see that a lot on this forum so...

[Jaybee]

Mildly interesting point from Caley Fretz on cyclingtips that the are putting a lot of eggs in the Jakobsen basket.
https://cyclingtips.com/2022/06/the-.../#coral_thread

That said, I don't think I've ever seen the two bunch sprinters thing work out. Alpecin tried it last year, but Philipsen is also a punchy slightly uphill sprinter and they weren't reliant on a train, both Philipsen and Merlier know how to surf wheels. And both did solid work to get MVDP in the jersey. If QS needs a backup plan then they should bring Senechal, another wheel-surfer and punchy sprinter who can win on the stages where Jakobsen doesn't get over the hills with the group. Finally, I wouldn't say they have no other chances for stage wins. Asgreen and Laemparts have to be on the short list for possible winners of the cobbled stages.

Ironically enough, Cav was on the exact right team last year and the exact wrong team this year- Bennett's injury and falling out with Lefevre gave him use of the worlds best sprint train in a year where Ewan crashed himself out (okay, that's a lot of years) and Demare got time cut and WVA was busy domestiquing. WVA smoked him on the Champs when they were both going for it. Any other team besides QS (and maybe FDJ, considering Demare smoked Cav in the Giro) would have Cav as their sprinter of choice this year.