Author Topic: Will Cav be OffSki?  (Read 9589 times)

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #25 on: 21 August, 2012, 09:47:25 am »
Cav said at the beginning of the season (don't remember where) that Sky's set up was one of the biggest factors influencing his move there. This could have been linked to his Olympic hopes.

What Brad said definitely makes sense. They will be chasing GC for the coming seasons which prevents Cav having the support he needs (such as lead out train) to get 5 or 6 stage wins in a grand tour.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #26 on: 21 August, 2012, 10:07:17 am »
The Sky setup is the backroom staff and organisation. The proper managing and nurturing of riders, logistics etc. Sky have taken teh approach of 'what do we want to deliver? What do we need to put in place to achieve that?' rather than 'what do other teams do?' And so we see developements like for the time trials where they have carefully calculated and individually tailored warm up and warm down. They put in place the structures that support their goals, and the infrastructure to ensure it just works. And so far they have been very successful. Yes they do have some excellent riders, but so many others in teh pro peloton could do much better with a Sky type approach. And it isn't just about money (though that is a great enabling force.)
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #27 on: 21 August, 2012, 10:49:29 am »
Well my vote's for Cav to leave - we are in the transfer window now of course. He wanted the Olympics Gold, and that attempt failed despite Sky's support in training him for it. No reason for him to stay at Sky (if he still wants to be a pure sprinter and not a spring calssics rider), and I think he'd be able to attract sponsorship to a team that employed him as a pure sprinter, and also other riders to act as his lead-out.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Rhys W

  • I'm single, bilingual
    • Cardiff Ajax
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #28 on: 21 August, 2012, 11:00:35 am »
He was probably just caught up in the euphoria, but towards the end of the BBC's Olympics coverage he expressed a keen desire to compete on the track in Rio. In which case, if he does leave Sky, he'll want to minimise any bridge-burning with Brailsford & co.

fuzzy

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #29 on: 21 August, 2012, 01:04:28 pm »
He was probably just caught up in the euphoria, but towards the end of the BBC's Olympics coverage he expressed a keen desire to compete on the track in Rio. In which case, if he does leave Sky, he'll want to minimise any bridge-burning with Brailsford & co.

I heard that comment as well.

I wonder if maybe he could be a replacement for Chris Hoy in the Keirin as a result of his sprint ability.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #30 on: 21 August, 2012, 01:40:50 pm »
I wonder if maybe he could be a replacement for Chris Hoy in the Keirin as a result of his sprint ability.
Maybe we could find out at the commonwealth games?
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #31 on: 21 August, 2012, 01:45:00 pm »
The Sky setup is the backroom staff and organisation. The proper managing and nurturing of riders, logistics etc. Sky have taken teh approach of 'what do we want to deliver? What do we need to put in place to achieve that?' rather than 'what do other teams do?' And so we see developements like for the time trials where they have carefully calculated and individually tailored warm up and warm down. They put in place the structures that support their goals, and the infrastructure to ensure it just works. And so far they have been very successful. Yes they do have some excellent riders, but so many others in teh pro peloton could do much better with a Sky type approach. And it isn't just about money (though that is a great enabling force.)
Yes - and perhaps as Sky riders staff move to other teams, they'll spread those ideas with them. In which case we could be in for a general step change with other teams moving up to Sky's level as they become more 'logistical'.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #32 on: 21 August, 2012, 01:49:18 pm »
Some of the ideas were already coming in from Slipstream, the idea of centralised bases for the riders and better support to reduce the temptation to dope.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #33 on: 21 August, 2012, 02:15:42 pm »
I wonder if maybe he could be a replacement for Chris Hoy in the Keirin as a result of his sprint ability.
Maybe we could find out at the commonwealth games?

He'll be riding for the Isle of Man, so he won't replace anyone.

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #34 on: 21 August, 2012, 02:16:06 pm »
I wonder if maybe he could be a replacement for Chris Hoy in the Keirin as a result of his sprint ability.
Maybe we could find out at the commonwealth games?

Well, he'd be up against Hoy in that case, and unless Cav drops out of road racing altogether to concentrate on track sprinting for the next two seasons, he'll be eaten up and spat out. Track sprinting is just too specialised a discipline. Hoy's training regime leading up the Olympics was full-time - in the gym, on the track, or on a stationary bike in the lab, sprinting to the point of throwing up. Does Cav really want to put himself through that, given the outstanding goals he's still like to pursue on the road? As mentioned upthread, he was most likely caught up in the euphoria.

Cav's track background was the long endurance events - scratch, points and Madison. Given that the points and Madison were dropped, the best event for him would be the omnium, or the team pursuit, and then there is still the question of whether he's up to putting himself through the training regime for the TP. When Lizzie Armitstead was being interviewed on The Cycling Show last night, she said that the one thing she didn't miss after switching from track to road was the regimented nature of the training.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Rhys W

  • I'm single, bilingual
    • Cardiff Ajax
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #35 on: 21 August, 2012, 03:34:53 pm »
I don't actually think he'll do it, but the omnium is his only realistic option. He could do well in the points, scratch, elimination and possibly the flying lap with minimal disruption to his road career (like Viviani). I don't think Team GB will be interested though, the young riders they're investing in will take priority.

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #36 on: 21 August, 2012, 04:22:25 pm »
I don't think Team GB will be interested though, the young riders they're investing in will take priority.

Team GB are interested in winning and if Cav has the 'numbers' good enough to ride an event, whatever they decide is best suited to his ability, then he will ride (IMO).  Regards training, he will have to do what is required and G missed the TDF in order ro prepare for the Olympics.  Cav could do the Giro, Olympics and Vuelta in one season, by which time he will probably have more TDF stage wins than anyone else.  Perfect plan!

Cav is burning no bridges with Brailsford by moving as Brailsford has already set all the 'mood music' in place for a move to take place.

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #37 on: 21 August, 2012, 10:04:54 pm »
In financial terms, a rider like Cav is a double-edged sword - he's not going to leave Sky for peanuts, but he'll bring with him a huge amount of press attention. Cav is trusted as a clean rider, which is a big draw for sponsors - nobody wants to be the next Festina. A team due to renegotiate their sponsorship contracts could potentially pay off his transfer fee before the ink is wet on his signature.

Rig of Jarkness

  • An Englishman abroad
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #38 on: 01 September, 2012, 09:02:23 am »
I read that the Sky riders have been served a muzzling order.  Not surprising after Wiggin's (once again ill-chosen) comments. 

Personally I hope he moves, but not to BMC.  He needs a team without strong GC ambitions.  Omega Pharma or Katusha look a better match.  The Katusha Rocket ?
Aero but not dynamic

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #39 on: 01 September, 2012, 07:18:48 pm »
In financial terms, a rider like Cav is a double-edged sword - he's not going to leave Sky for peanuts, but he'll bring with him a huge amount of press attention. Cav is trusted as a clean rider, which is a big draw for sponsors - nobody wants to be the next Festina. A team due to renegotiate their sponsorship contracts could potentially pay off his transfer fee before the ink is wet on his signature.

There's a report in the Times today about how the "transfer fee" could scupper a move for Cavendish from Team Sky. He's got two years left on a contract that's understood to be worth £2.5 million a year, and Team Sky are insisting that they receive seven-figure compensation for releasing the sprinter. So it's down to whether OPQS are willing or able to pony up £2.5-£5 million, before they even start paying his wages...
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #40 on: 01 September, 2012, 08:10:40 pm »
Do you think Sky might have got Cav in order to stop ant other team getting any publicity with a British rider?

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #41 on: 01 September, 2012, 09:19:27 pm »
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #42 on: 01 September, 2012, 10:41:32 pm »
Get him out of the way before the Worlds, I don't want a repeat of the Olympics.

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #43 on: 01 September, 2012, 10:56:56 pm »
Get him out of the way before the Worlds, I don't want a repeat of the Olympics.

1) Transfers don't take effect until the end of the year.

2) Team GB can take more riders to the Worlds than were allowed for the Games, so the factors that led to the failure of Plan A-Z (Cav in the sprint on the Mall) don't apply, or at least, not as much.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #44 on: 01 September, 2012, 10:58:44 pm »
3) Cav doesn't stand an earthly at the Worlds this year.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #45 on: 01 September, 2012, 11:07:20 pm »
3) Cav doesn't stand an earthly at the Worlds this year.

Quite so.

The course at last year's Worlds was perfect for Cav, and IIRC Team GB even announced what their game plan was as soon as it was unveiled.  Having the maximum team allowance meant we had 8 guys riding for Cav, which made it easier to stick to the game plan.
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." ~ Freidrich Neitzsche

Rig of Jarkness

  • An Englishman abroad
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #46 on: 02 September, 2012, 07:36:24 am »
What have the Worlds got to do with which pro team he rides for ?
Aero but not dynamic

Toady

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #47 on: 03 September, 2012, 08:48:50 pm »
Quote
"The news of Mark Cavendish leaving Team Sky at the end of 2012 has been confirmed by a Norwegian website, Procycling.no.
 Te website claims that “a source close to Team Sky” has confirmed that the Manxman will indeed end his associations with the British team by the end of this season."

http://blogs.bettor.com/Mark-Cavendishs-exit-from-Team-Sky-confirmed-a184778

Hmmm

Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #48 on: 04 September, 2012, 12:00:37 am »
From the link above:
Quote
The cyclist marked his professional debut with Team Sparkasse in 2005 and stayed with the team for period of two years.

Most of his stay has been with Team T-Mobile which he joined in 2006 and devoted as many as six years of his professional career with the team.

Team T-Mobile announced its demise by the end of 2011 season due to financial constraints and Cavendish had to find a new home to continue his professional pursuit.

He was approached by the British side, Team Sky in 2012 and the cyclist accepted to ride with the team throughout 2012 season.

I know High Road were the company behind T-Mobile, but T-Mobile finished in 2007, followed by various combinations of HTC/High Road/Columbia. This is what happens when you believe everyrhing Wikipedia tells you!
Allow me to explain through the medium of interpretive dance

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Will Cav be OffSki?
« Reply #49 on: 04 September, 2012, 04:36:56 am »
Well, Highroad was the continuation of T-Mobile, paid for the next year by T-Mobile sponsorship money but T-Mobile didn't want their name associated with dopers. Highroad got several sponsors after that but was the same basic organisation.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...