Cavendish to Quick Step?

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oldroadman

Veteran
Location
Ubique
J T-L is a useful rider, no doubt. Whether he has the ability to step up to division 1 and be good enough to lead a team in smaller stage races is another matter. There is a big shift in standard from pro-conti. That said, if he is good enough as a domestique, then he may get a chance if the move even finalises.
Nothing certain until the contracts are signed.
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
I guess it depends on where Brailsford thinks he is on his graph of riders. JTL has had a complicated career because of the long interuption caused by mononucleosis, which means that although he is older, he may well still be developing as a rider (as Raindog thinks) and that may well be what Brailsford is banking on.
 

lukesdad

Guest
I would hope so, but as people have already pointed out, Thomas and Stannard offer already existing options for stepping up into Flecha's role. And Tiernan-Locke is already older.

I think cav will want 'G' with him I wouldn't bank on him being a sky rider if cav goes.
 

172traindriver

Legendary Member
Tiernan-Locke is probably moving to Sky. I can understand this from the point of view of his salary, but I don't think he'll get (m)any opportunities compared to being with a Pro-Conti team, unless he turns out to be the new Froome. It also totally messes up Endura's prospects for advancement, which is a shame because I've liked Endura this last couple of seasons.

He will probably end up in a similar situation that Russ Downing found himself in with Team Sky
 

172traindriver

Legendary Member
A likely scenario - and to suggest he is currently better than G or Ian S...which planet is that from?

I like what I have seen of JTL, but has he got it to go up to the equivalent of the Premier League?
He was gutsy in the Tour of Britain last year and started this season in cracking form.
Everyone deserves a chance, and it would probably be a massive pay rise, so fair play to the lad if he gets the chance.
But I totally agree with you comments regarding G or Ian S
 

Flying_Monkey

Recyclist
Location
Odawa
I like what I have seen of JTL, but has he got it to go up to the equivalent of the Premier League?
He was gutsy in the Tour of Britain last year and started this season in cracking form.

And you have to remember, he has basically been starting again from almost nothing over the last two seasons after thinking that his cycling career was over. There's every reason to suppose that he can get better, and Brailsford tends to work on this kind of logic (if you've seen his graphs) rather than vague hopes. Russ Downing was a different case: he was signed for a season as a late-career domestique for his experience, work-rate and ability to pick up the odd win.
 

172traindriver

Legendary Member
And you have to remember, he has basically been starting again from almost nothing over the last two seasons after thinking that his cycling career was over. There's every reason to suppose that he can get better, and Brailsford tends to work on this kind of logic (if you've seen his graphs) rather than vague hopes. Russ Downing was a different case: he was signed for a season as a late-career domestique for his experience, work-rate and ability to pick up the odd win.

Indeed regarding JTL don't get me wrong, would love to see him succeed. Also another Brit in the elite ranks, after having virtually no presence for years there are Brits everywhere......................Brilliant!!!!!!
 

thom

____
Location
The Borough
Cavendish confirmed to be leaving SKY
according to some unnamed Norwegian website...:
The website said that “a source close to Team Sky” confirmed to them that Cavendish was indeed leaving after only one season.
 
I really don't. He can still be associated with British Cycling and benefit from all of that, but I really don't think it is healthy for British cycling (in the general sense) to have all the top British riders in one pro-team when there are so many now coming through. Cavendish in particular doesn't really seem to fit into the overall plan of Sky, and he would be much better off in a team that was tactically dedicated to supporting his ambitions. He doesn't need much in the way of developing, although as he gets older, he will have to change the way he races gradually.

Spot on. Look at Steve Cummings, another British rider, Millar who won a stage at the TDF. Neither of these men are at Sky and a good thing too. Too many cooks spoil the broth. (Interesting that Valverde, Berty and Rodriguez represent three separate teams which represents a much more realistic, and potentially successful future for riders of any nation being as they are each in those separate teams).

It's undoubtedly been said since but Froome needs to leave too, unless a team like that in the TDF can be fathomed to support him instead of Bradley, which is highly unlikely given the fact that Wiggins should really be given the chance to defend the TDF; something which I think will be the plan.

Funny situation methinks, when the reason one man wins is largely down to the brilliance of one super domestique, but that man himself may find it hard to win himself because he doesn't have the brilliance of his own support to support him! Clone Chris Froome I say.
 

oldroadman

Veteran
Location
Ubique
About a million to buy out Cav's contract, as Sky had to do to get Wiggins(though who knows what that cost?). It's a big hole in a team budget, unless the man himself decides to pay out, which would not seem very clever. The teams with a lot of funds on top of annual budget would be the likely suspects. Step forward, Katusha, bankrolled by Itera and Gazprom, who are not short of the odd billion, never mind million.
 

thom

____
Location
The Borough
About a million to buy out Cav's contract, as Sky had to do to get Wiggins(though who knows what that cost?). It's a big hole in a team budget, unless the man himself decides to pay out, which would not seem very clever. The teams with a lot of funds on top of annual budget would be the likely suspects. Step forward, Katusha, bankrolled by Itera and Gazprom, who are not short of the odd billion, never mind million.
Katusha said he's not joining them but who knows ?
 

raindog

er.....
Location
France
Spot on. Look at Steve Cummings, another British rider, Millar who won a stage at the TDF. Neither of these men are at Sky and a good thing too. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Which is why I'm not too keen to see Tiernan-Locke there.
Who, by the way, is in the World's squad.
 
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