Tour of Switzerland *SPOILERS*

[raindog]

oooh, you lucky basket

 

[lukesdad]

Don t think Andy can race without his brother. Cost him the TDF last year when he had Bertie on the rack, then sat up and looked for his brother.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

dear lord, when will Cavendish ever learn to keep his gob shut

Totally off topic, does anyone else feel that Cav's temperament is suspect - I don't mean from and ego point of view (I think sportsmen need ego) but from more of a mental health viewpoint.
While watching that sprint (& I know it's days ago but I've been away) it reminded me of how he crossed Thor Hushovd in the tour last year - probably losing the green jersey as a result - and I was staggered he was doing it again. Then that crash happened.

It's almost as thoiugh he deliberately courted disaster.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

for clarity - I find his recent interviews "weird", particularly his comments about greipel. I'm concerned about the package, not about the racing lines per se.

 

[Chuffy]

Totally off topic, does anyone else feel that Cav's temperament is suspect - I don't mean from and ego point of view (I think sportsmen need ego) but from more of a mental health viewpoint.
While watching that sprint (& I know it's days ago but I've been away) it reminded me of how he crossed Thor Hushovd in the tour last year - probably losing the green jersey as a result - and I was staggered he was doing it again. Then that crash happened.

It's almost as thoiugh he deliberately courted disaster.

According to Cycling News he quit the race because he couldn't race and get back in time for his grandmother's funeral. Not the sort of thing that would put a chap in the best frame of mind, although it doesn't excuse him.

But I agree, he does seem to be more mentally fragile than the chippy gobshite persona would suggest.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Funnily I enough I was just starting to think the same thing.

 

[raindog]

He certainly seems to have a very fragile personality. Let's hope he has a decent Tour.

 

[rich p]

I posted a link some time ago to an odd interview where he talked frankly about his strange upbringing, strained family relationships and his brother being jailed for drug dealing recently. Certainly a bit of a deeper character than a gobshite.

 

[yello]

I know he has hinted (stated?) that cycling kept him from an otherwise unsavoury lifestyle... (who said cycling was 'savoury'!!)

But, and forgive my breathtaking cynicism here, could this not just be convenient back story? A lot of people come with baggage of one type or another, we just don't always hear about it because they deal with it or channel it. I don't mean to be unsympathetic but couldn't Cavendish's problems by more simplistic?

I know it might sound flippant, but can he actually sprint in a straight line! Seriously, maybe there's a problem with technique or approach at the moment. Maybe he's having problems, getting frustrated with them and boiling over? What I do know, and sympathise with, is that it's not been a good year for him so far, that's for real.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I know it might sound flippant, but can he actually sprint in a straight line!

Yeah, and he's very good at it. My rather lingering doubt is whether on this occasion he didn't go for Haussler quite deliberately... in any case, I think he's got something going on his head right now that he needs to sort out.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

He certainly seems to have a very fragile personality. Let's hope he has a decent Tour.

To be honest I hope that he has some decent support with someone looking after him a bit.

I remeber reading something about cyclists' retirement and how very few of them have a happy one. IIRC alot have issues with depression and struggle to fit into "normal" society after having been pushed from pillar to post and been beasted while on a team

 

[aJohnson]

Frank Schleck had a good TT today to make him the winner of Tour Of Switzerland 2010 which was surprising.

 

[Chuffy]

That did rather come from nowhere, I have to admit!

 

[Will1985]

Frank Schleck had a good TT today to make him the winner of Tour Of Switzerland 2010 which was surprising.

Surprising = Suspicious??

The uphill section probably played into his hands - on a flatter course the top 5 would have looked different.

 

[Chuffy]

He's always had a good engine that Schleck lad.

Ahem.