Professional Cycling For the Fans - What is up with the Cervelo Test Team?

Here are the team standings after 7 stages of the Tour of California. Cervelo Test Team is a lowly eighth. Pundits here like to deride Trek. However the Astana team on Trek Madones leads in the team standings by a substantial margin. Rock Racing on Kestrels leads the Cervelo Test Team. If Cervelos were such great bikes wouldn't the Cervelo Test Team do better? I believe that this is a legitimate question.

1 Astana 83.00.53
2 Garmin-Slipstream 1.49
3 Team Saxo Bank 2.20
4 Team Columbia-High Road 2.46
5 Rabobank 4.45
6 Quick Step 7.18
7 Rock Racing 7.54
8 Cervelo Test Team 18.53
9 AG2R La Mondiale 20.20
10 Bissell Pro Cycling 21.57
11 BMC Racing Team 24.20
12 Ouch Presented By Maxxis 25.19
13 Liquigas 29.26
14 Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 1.09.04
15 Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.09.56
16 Team Type 1 1.11.57

A data point does not indicate a trend.

Here are the team standings after 7 stages of the Tour of California. Cervelo Test Team is a lowly eighth. Pundits here like to deride Trek. However the Astana team on Trek Madones leads in the team standings by a substantial margin. Rock Racing on Kestrels leads the Cervelo Test Team. If Cervelos were such great bikes wouldn't the Cervelo Test Team do better? I believe that this is a legitimate question.

1 Astana 83.00.53
2 Garmin-Slipstream 1.49
3 Team Saxo Bank 2.20
4 Team Columbia-High Road 2.46
5 Rabobank 4.45
6 Quick Step 7.18
7 Rock Racing 7.54
8 Cervelo Test Team 18.53
9 AG2R La Mondiale 20.20
10 Bissell Pro Cycling 21.57
11 BMC Racing Team 24.20
12 Ouch Presented By Maxxis 25.19
13 Liquigas 29.26
14 Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 1.09.04
15 Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.09.56
16 Team Type 1 1.11.57

It must be because between 2008 when Cervelos won the Tour de France and early 2009, Cervelo bicycles have been superceded by every other major brand of racing bike.

You are such an epic Fred.

By your logic, don't by a Cannondale, they suck even worse.

The bike is about 2% responsible for where you finish...the other 98% is on the team/rider...

The bike is about .5% responsible for where you finish...the other 99.5% is on the team/rider...

Fixed.

It's just that now that a Cervelo with poor cable routing is appearing regularly here at BFs every other Cervelo has lost 1-2% of their performance potential out of sympathy. :)


:beer:

Remind us again phardy, how DID you ever get so fabulously wealthy?

You are such an epic Fred.
As usual when someone posts a legitimate question about Cervelo, Pcad resorts to name calling and personal insults. That is certainly one way to defend a mediocre performance by Cervelo. Lowly Rock Racing riding lowly Kestrels is doing better than the Cervelo Test Team riding Cervelos. That speaks volumes about Cervelo. As guardian of the Cervelo myth on this web site Pcad takes his job way too seriously.

Yea, those bikes suck!

http://cyclingnews.com/photos/2009/feb09/california09/california093/JD_09TOCstg3_hushovd.jpg

As usual when someone posts a legitimate question about Cervelo


I'm honestly confused as to how that's a legitimate question. Please clarify.

how is this a legitimate question though...You've taken one sample of data and called it fact that it is because the bike is to blame. That seems a bit off. I do not recall seeing Astana pull out one stage win except for Levi's TT victory while Cervelo took Stage 3 with Thor Hushovd. Thor was able to out sprint the competition due to a well executed lead out and sprint. Just because Cervelo is not at the top of the GC, does not mean that the bikes are to blame. It just means that they really don't have a GC rider that was up to snuff this early in the game (Carlos Sastre reportedly sick for race).

Pharding you're deplorable. This question isn't legitimate because it rests on the (false) presumption that the bike has anything to do with a team's performance.

As I said to timmyquest, please think before you post.

/ignore

That's it - I demand a recall on Cervelo Test Team!

Pharding you're a moron. This question isn't legitimate because it rests on the (false) presumption that the bike has anything to do with a team's performance.

Again. You're a moron.

/ignore

+1

This is Cervelo Test Team's first race as a team. Given the epic leadout clinic they put on, which ultimately led to a stage win for Thor and the team, I'd say they're doing extremely well.

As usual when someone posts a legitimate question about Cervelo, Pcad resorts to name calling and personal insults. That is certainly one way to defend a mediocre performance by Cervelo. Lowly Rock Racing riding lowly Kestrels is doing better than the Cervelo Test Team riding Cervelos. That speaks volumes about Cervelo. As guardian of the Cervelo myth on this web site Pcad takes his job way too seriously.

Embrace your Fredosity phardy. It is not a pergorative, it is a way of life. Your way of life.

Calling you a moron would be insulting, but I for one would never stoop to such depths. It is hardly necessary, since your posts do speak so eloquently for themselves. I will let BF be the judge.

You can't make this stuff up, but it is hard to imagine that bike weenies really believe this some of the hooey they post here.

Epic I say.

I can't help but recall Rock Racing's joke of a show during the Solvang time trial. No support for Rodriguez when he flatted, and a mechanic who seemed completely indifferent to Tyler's mechanical. Tyler fixed his own bike (which, btw, had an improperly adjusted set screw) before the mechanic even got the spare down from the roof rack.

Rock Racing is a joke.

If Astana were on Cervelos, they would still be on top of the team rankings. If Team Type 1 were on Trek Madones, they would still be last (not to rip on TT1, they are an awesome team)

Pharding you're a moron. This question isn't legitimate because it rests on the (false) presumption that the bike has anything to do with a team's performance.

Again. You're a moron.

/ignore
If one can't come up with an intelligent response, the ever popular personal insult works for some people.

Cervelo has always stated that the bike's design and engineering impacts performance. That is the whole point of Cervelo's aero design and technology.

If one can't come up with an intelligent response

That would require an intelligent question.

It's a problem.

I can't help but recall Rock Racing's joke of a show during the Solvang time trial. No support for Rodriguez when he flatted, and a mechanic who seemed completely indifferent to Tyler's mechanical. Tyler fixed his own bike (which, btw, had an improperly adjusted set screw) before the mechanic even got the spare down from the roof rack.

Rock Racing is a joke.
And for all their ineptness Rock Racing still leads Cervelo Test Team by 11 minutes, which is a lot.

If one can't come up with an intelligent response, the ever popular personal insult works for some people.

Cervelo has always stated that the bike's design and engineering impacts performance. That is the whole point of Cervelo's aero design and technology.

The aerodynamic performance of a frame is not the only variable in a team's overall performance. It's February. The only teams approaching the Tour of California with an intent to win are domestic-based teams. Quickstep, Cervelo, AG2r, they're all here to train. An aerodynamic frame is not going to make un-motivated riders into winners.

And for all their ineptness Rock Racing still leads Cervelo Test Team.

Because they're a domestic US team and this is the biggest US race all year. They're actually putting effort into this race - hence Mancebo's epic break on the first day and Hamilton's presence in the breaks later on.

Pharding, your absolute inexperience with racing has been shown time and time again. Instead of making preposterous statements based on erroneous assumptions, why don't you ask questions? What's that cliche, "tis better to be silent and thought a fool, than to speak and be proven one"?

And for all their ineptness Rock Racing still leads Cervelo Test Team.

You just want one of those Rock Racing skull and crossbones kits to wear at your next Fred Parade.

Now look phardy, don't think anyone's taking you seriously, but the BF Entertainment Quotient of a thread this stupid cannot be overstated. You are a valuable contributor to this place.

Why didn't you just PM PCad a pubescent insult instead of assaulting
a large percentage of BF with this imbecilely criminal abuse of bytage ?

Pharding's on my ignore list. I have no patience for irrationality.

Pharding's on my ignore list. I have no patience for stupid.

We have ignore lists here?

I have no patience for stupid.

With all the time you spend on BF, this can't possibly by true.

We have ignore lists here?

Yes. Click on a user's name, then select "View Public Profile".

On the profile page, under the username, click "User Lists" then "Add to Ignore List".

You won't have to deal with the dribble anymore.

Pharding's on my ignore list. I have no patience for stupid.

and yet, HERE (www.bikeforums.net) you are....

Here's the thing with the Ignore feature. Members that piss you off and drive you crazy are like bloody car wrecks on the highway. The instant you put them on Ignore you wonder what they're saying about you. You don't want to look, but you can't look away.

It's a problem.

and yet, HERE (www.bikeforums.net) you are....

you and pcad should get a room and have a mind meld.

http://baltimore.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/12/large/star_trek_vulcan_mind_meld.jpg

It's a problem.

Only if you lack self control. Like the pinheads who populate the list.

I can't help but recall Rock Racing's joke of a show during the Solvang time trial. No support for Rodriguez when he flatted, and a mechanic who seemed completely indifferent to Tyler's mechanical. Tyler fixed his own bike (which, btw, had an improperly adjusted set screw) before the mechanic even got the spare down from the roof rack.

Rock Racing is a joke.

Hamilton was not trying to win. He said it in an interview. He was going to take it easy and rest up for the following two climbing days. Maybe that's why there was no rush. Probably the same for Rodriguez.

Pharding's on my ignore list. I have no patience for stupid.
More name calling and personal insults. Come on Mr. Cheung, try to post something intelligent. Just email a friend and ask them to help you post something intelligent. Surely with some help you can do that.

Also, Sastre is pretty sick.

Pharding sees the universe in a single data point.

Hamilton was not trying to win. He said it in an interview. He was going to take it easy and rest up for the following two climbing days. Maybe that's why there was no rush. Probably the same for Rodriguez.

Hamilton I can understand, but there wasn't even a team car following Rodriguez.

Pharding sees the universe in a single data point.

That pretty much sums it up.

Only if you lack self control.

If I had self control I wouldn't be addicted to things like cycling and The Mets.

try to post something intelligent

You first.

You first.

I also see what Pharding posts (whether desired or not) via other uses quoting him/her. The "ignore" list doesn't filter quoted material.

Intelligence is over rated, and somewhat out of place on BF.

Phardy, you do fit right in here.

If Cervelos were such great bikes wouldn't the Cervelo Test Team do better? I believe that this is a legitimate question.


according to your logic the following also suck:
shimano
zipp
fizik
3T
speedplay
elite
castelli

since this is their setup.

does the OP actually ride a bike?

Now look phardo, it should become apparent to you that every time you post one of your silly diatribes (which do seem to have a disturbing anti-Cervelo slant) you get flamed, slammed and roasted by all of BF. At some point you might reconsider your world view and understand that:

A) Cervelo makes some of the best world class racing bikes on the planet.

B) 99% of everyone that owns one absolutely loves the bike.

C) Ditto for the bicycle press that reviews the bikes.

D) A good bicycle is fun to ride and can give you a slight edge, but it's the rider that wins the race.

E) Once you get over three grand, none of this stuff really sucks.

The most amusing aspect of all this is that you really seem to harbor the Fred Illusion that this new bike you're threatening to buy with a tiny portion of your boundless wealth will make faster (if it does it will make slightly faster for short stretches, but that advantage really diminishes below amateur bike racing speeds, so it may do little for you).

I'm not a Cervelo shill. I bought my new bike from the LBS at retail after looking at offerings from Scott, Cervelo, Cannondale, Giant. I've been riding these high end bikes for over two decades. This new bike is the best racing bike I've ever ridden. Oh, there's a shock, it's a state of the art UCI pro racing rig. There are a dozen others that would fit the same bill.

Sweet Dura Achee will you just STFU and buy a new bike already.

It's because the CTT jerseys are ugly as hell, close thread

Sweet Dura Achee will you just STFU and buy a new bike already.

Bear in mind that should this unlikely even ever occur, we will forgive you all your pinhead posts, embrace your OCP Moment, and share your Bike Schwag Epiphany and Joy.

But you do sound far too neurotic to embrace your Inner Fred and buy a cool new bike.

It's because the CTT jerseys are ugly as hell, close thread

My Inner Fred wants one sheddle. Oh yes.

As usual when someone posts a legitimate question about Cervelo, Pcad resorts to name calling and personal insults. That is certainly one way to defend a mediocre performance by Cervelo. Lowly Rock Racing riding lowly Kestrels is doing better than the Cervelo Test Team riding Cervelos. That speaks volumes about Cervelo. As guardian of the Cervelo myth on this web site Pcad takes his job way too seriously.

This isn't a legit question. If you really think that the bike they are on has any real impact on a team's standing, then well..... :roflmao2: I don't like calling anyone an idiot. But, you have a lot to learn about racing. Maybe it's a question about how the team is performing.... but trying to make it about the bike is freaking joke.

Also, who is saying Cerveo Test team is doing bad? They got a stage win didn't they? How many other teams can say that? Also, honestly, a lot of the team(s) really don't give a crap about this race. It's so early in the year that no one (except Levi) was really gunning for it. It's too early to try and be on top form this time of year.