Road Bike, Cycling Forums banner

Take a closer look at Cavendish today...

4K views 45 replies 30 participants last post by  iktome 
#1 ·
Take a closer look at how Farrar won today and what really happened. Cavendish goes on the sprint but stays next to Goss, notice that he keeps looking to the left... Well to his left was Goss. Goss looks at Cav, shakes head like saying "I'm done, I tried but I can't", Cav goes all out but goes a little too late to catch Farrar. And Farrar wins.

Now, I'm happy for him to have won the final stage, (I just bought an F5) but I'd prefer if he'd won not because Cavendish wanted to give a chance to his teammate to win the stage as a way to say "thanks for all the effort" but for him to actually beat Cavendish. I just hate his "cockiness".
 
#8 ·
Cav didn't win because of that, Tyler didn't win the other day because of this. Five years from now, that big pretty trophy will be sitting on Tyler's mantle. That's what matters.
 
#9 ·
He broke a spoke and had the rim hitting the pads. He said he was doing 800 watts the last 400m because he knew he needed top four placing to win the points. Bad luck. Look at the sprints Cav won. Tyler isn't even in the same class of sprinting when Cav is on. How many stages did he beat Cav in at Le Tour? I think Cav was angy with Farrars statement:

“Even after Mark Cavendish’s two stage wins, I’ve kept confidence in my capacities of beating him by the end of the Vuelta. That’s part of sprinting, to always believe in yourself,” Farrar said
Making it sound like he beat him on skill, not a mechanical.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Not a given that there will be brake rub when freewheeling. 800 W (Boy says so...) does stress a rear wheel ever so slightly.
 
#15 · (Edited)
spookyload said:
He broke a spoke and had the rim hitting the pads. He said he was doing 800 watts the last 400m because he knew he needed top four placing to win the points. Bad luck. Look at the sprints Cav won. Tyler isn't even in the same class of sprinting when Cav is on. How many stages did he beat Cav in at Le Tour? I think Cav was angy with Farrars statement:



Making it sound like he beat him on skill, not a mechanical.
Shall we all announce any and all mechanicals we have at the end of each race and declare that with out them so so and so would not have won. Actually Tyler has beat Cav heads up a couple of times so hes in the same class just Cav in usually the faster one. Cav is not in the same class as Tyler as far as class.
 
#16 ·
I watched the video again after reading this thread. It seems Cavendish was trying to give one to Goss, and Tyler did out sprint him at the line.

And yes, the bike did coast effortlessly after he crossed the line like the other riders around him, so that does send doubt on the brake rub thing.

As for the broken spoke bit, it may just be a story to avoid getting in trouble with his team manager when he's asked how he missed out on such an easy win. Besides, how hard is it to dismount the bike and then kick one of his own spokes to bend or break one?

Anyway, Farrar deserved this win even if it did not look too convincing as a sprint victory. Though he definitely showed more class than Cavendish's nauseating crass... :p
 
#17 ·
Well, "good" to see Cav is back to normal. :p

Mechanicals happen. You can't fault a competitor for your mechanical that they didn't cause. He should consider himself lucky that he placed well enough to keep the green jersey as anything lower than 5th would have given it to Tyler.

As for Tyler. I'm pretty sure he was not aware of Cav's wheel problems. He simply did his job and got to the line first. You don't get more points for how much you beat someone in the sprint.
 
#18 ·
Thank you!

See, everybody else seemed to have lost the whole point. Regardless of a broken spoke (which to me, seems like the perfect excuse to his sponsors) He took off when Goss looked at him.

Doolab said:
I watched the video again after reading this thread. It seems Cavendish was trying to give one to Goss, and Tyler did out sprint him at the line.

And yes, the bike did coast effortlessly after he crossed the line like the other riders around him, so that does send doubt on the brake rub thing.

As for the broken spoke bit, it may just be a story to avoid getting in trouble with his team manager when he's asked how he missed out on such an easy win. Besides, how hard is it to dismount the bike and then kick one of his own spokes to bend or break one?

Anyway, Farrar deserved this win even if it did not look too convincing as a sprint victory. Though he definitely showed more class than Cavendish's nauseating crass... :p
 
#20 ·
kbiker3111 said:
The bigger problem with Tyler during the Vuelta was his position entering the sprint. Over and over the guy is 5-10 spots back entering the final 500m. And its not just this Vuelta. Without Julian Dean towing his ass, Farrar can't seem to hold his spot when its go time.
So, what you are really saying is that it is extremely difficult to position one self properly for a sprint and a good lead out man is essential; a very difficult task that few can do with skill of Julian Dean.
 
#23 ·
0_o

Uprwstsdr said:
it is extremely difficult to position one self properly for a sprint
Yes

a good lead out man is essential; a very difficult task that few can do with skill of Julian Dean
No

Many sprinters have the skill to maintain position in a sprint. Theres more to being a sprinter than top speed. A lot of skill is involved. Farrar gets bumped all over the place and has to make up for it with top end speed.
 
#24 ·
Cavendish threads are my new favorites.
 
#25 ·
albert owen said:
Bottom Lines:

Cav had already won Green and wanted to give Goss the stage.
After Cav, Farrar is the next best sprinter in the Peleton, so he is going to beat him every now and again.
I know he wanted to give Goss a stage, but not sure if he should do that or if the team had given him the green light on that. Definitely easier said than done given Tyler's points. I'm not saying it could not have been done, but anything less than 5th place would have given Tyler the points jersey.
 
#26 ·
Coolhand said:
Cavendish threads are my new favorites.
I thought the banhammer had to be swung to make it a favorite?

Bottom line: Cav was beaten. Doesn't matter why, he WAS beaten.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top