Mark Cavendish, the best UK cyclist?

The question is can Sky kill the breakaways whilst keeping a steady ship for the last 10-20k?

That was my point.

Wether or not Sky will kill themselves to chase down the breakaway, to give Cav more shots at victory. Is another thing though.

The other teams are'nt going to kill themselves like HTC used to.

Well Cervelo might.

I wouldn't assume Sky's tactics won't change with the personnel...

Big Thor is going to love the early sprint build up battle with Cav's team. Knowing that farrah is going to do the finishing. IMHO hes lost the cambative edge as a sprinter. He's a beast of a lead out man though.

I think that EBH has a tremendous knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. If there's a final hurdle to fall on then he'll fall. He's such an all rounder that he doesn't quite excel enough at any discipline to get the win, so he trundles frustratingly through the season looking like an eternal nearly man.

I think if he'd choose a goal and train specifically for it then he'd have more results, but until then he'll remain on the tips of the commentators tongues and in the top ten of every race result.

This ^.

He's a very talented rider but no-one knows if he's a sprinter, a time-triallist, a GC rider or a classics rider, so he has a go at all of them but fails to excel in one.

Personally I think he's best suited for the classics as he's got the ability to put out short bursts of power that characterise classic winners. He just needs to work on his tactical sense.

Sky have consistently shown that they can set up a sprint, but rarely have the right person to finish it off. Cavendish will give them that.

He doesn't need Renshaw, lead out men are trained, not born.

Personally I think he's best suited for the classics as he's got the ability to put out short bursts of power that characterise classic winners. He just needs to work on his tactical sense.

+1

I think he'd make a great classic's + TT rider.

(sorry for the derail. I just think this will effect EBH a lot)

We've been through this before.
If Cav is up there at the end he can win. The last 1KM leadout isn't as important as people seem to think. He has proved he can use other riders and/or force his way through and win regardless. If a race is set for Renshaw to be able to win, then it's set for all the other sprinters too, and who's the best? oh yeah, shorty.
The question is can Sky kill the breakaways whilst keeping a steady ship for the last 10-20k?

You guys are missing the point. It's not just about a leadout train, it's about who the team focuses on in each stage. There's far more to securing a sprint win than then last 5k and obviously same goes for trying to secure GC places. HTC were there ONLY for Cav. Sky will not be.

(* Up here the Sky team is considered to be half Norwegian, despite having more aussies. But then Aussies are good at getting the drinks and the wins [/hippy baiting])

ftfy

HTC were there ONLY for Cav. Sky will not be.

I refer you to the learned gentleman:

I wouldn't assume Sky's tactics won't change with the personnel...

Sky have consistently shown that they can set up a sprint, but rarely have the right person to finish it off. Cavendish will give them that.
He doesn't need Renshaw, lead out men are trained, not born.

Again, it's not about the train, we've seen Cav win without one. It's about spending riders elsewhere. Are they going to get bottles for Wiggans in the mountains or go back for Cav to make sure he doesn't pop out of the grupetto, etc.

I refer you to the learned gentleman:

What's Wiggans going to think if after his Dauphine win and apparent form, Sky suddenly decide to focus on Green/sprinting?

Well, maybe they have thew resources to deal with both, but Wiggo has to do his work in the mountains.

Anyway, this thread is all armchair pundits, like the football thread. Utter bollocks, unless there's more lance/team leppard trek/doping piss take then I'm out

They have 9 riders. Every other team has 9 riders too. No chance of doing the best for both.

Lance is clean!

Wiggins will only ever win the Tour if they include 3 long time trials and a maximum of two summit finishes. As such, he's aiming for the bottom step of the podium which means he doesn't need the entire team dedicated to supporting him, just a couple of riders who can support him in the mountains. Sky can still have five riders in hand to form a lead out train for Cavendish, which is enough.

I'm settling back into my armchair now.

Wiggins wont take part in TDF next year due to Olympics, leaving Cav as the main man, and by 2013 Wiggo will be past it meaning Cav will be the focus of the team.

^Nah.

By then Ben Swift's star will have risen and he will be smashing Contador under his perfectly formed child-sized fist!

The Tour will be the best preparation possible for Wiggins' Olympic ambitions, he'll ride it for sure.

What, for the team pursuit!

Again, it's not about the train, we've seen Cav win without one. It's about spending riders elsewhere. Are they going to get bottles for Wiggans in the mountains or go back for Cav to make sure he doesn't pop out of the grupetto, etc.

This^

Gerwaint Thomas was committed to helping Wiggins in the GC last TdF. Yet was lead out man for EBH, on a few selected stages. No prizes for guessing who he was working for over the lumpy stuff.

If tactic are'nt to change, maybe the team cars will have more convientently positioned door handles for the mountain stages.

wiggins will never win the tour. that's what Shane Sutton said to me at the Scheldeprijs and i believe what he said.
he's just a stop-gap for sky, the future will be all about Cavendish, EBH and Thomas

And young Alex

Yeah, Dowsett is shaping up nicely.