Professional Cycling For the Fans - HTC Squad Selection (Cav and Greipel)

I have been thinking for quiet a while and havn't been able to reason why Greipel and Cavendish arn't selected in the same team for a grand tour like the tdf. I know Renshaw is the best lead out man in the world and has the smarts to position cav so well, but wouldn't it make senes to put Greipel in the lead out train, especially when HTC so heavily build their team for wins. Even putting greipel before renshaw in the lead out would be smart wouldn't it? Heck, say cav gets a mechanical or is having an really bad day, you still have one of the best sprinters in the world at the back of their train.

Just like how to sail into the wind, I can't work out an answer by myself but I am sure the answer is very obvious.

Cheers

Just like how to sail into the wind, I can't work out an answer by myself but I am sure the answer is very obvious.

Cheers

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-responds-to-greipels-criticism

Cavendish responds to Greipel's criticism

HTC-Columbia sprinter says German will never win a major Classic

Mark Cavendish has responded to criticism from his HTC-Columbia teammate André Greipel, saying that he will never ride in the same race as the German.

After Cavendish was selected to ride Milan-San Remo despite his lack of early-season form, Greipel suggested he himself could have done better at the Italian event. He won three stages at the Tour Down Under in Australia but was left out of the HTC-Columbia team for the first major Classic of the season.

Earlier this year, the HTC-Columbia management had indicated that Cavendish and Greipel could create a dominant sprint combination at this year's Tour de France, but Cavendish has ruled that out.

He told The Guardian newspaper that riding in the same team as Greipel "is not a problem for me, because I'm a better rider" but rebuked the idea that Greipel could ride with him at the Tour de France, saying "There's no chance whatsoever that he's coming to a bike race with me."

Cavendish added: "I was pretty pissed with Greipel's comments after San Remo. If he thought he could win, he'd say it before the race rather than when he's looking at the results sheet. It wasn't through lack of form that I didn't win San Remo - it was bad luck. Last year I won it picking my nose. This year it was possible I'd win again. There's no chance of Greipel winning a 'Monument'. Me on bad form is still better than him.”

Cavendish crashed mid-way through Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, damaging his bike. But he managed to finish the race. "That wrecked my race. My condition is coming back, definitely. I'm going better now than I imagined I would be back in January," he said.

Cavendish will not ride the Scheldeprijs on Wednesday, a race he won in both 2007 and 2008. Instead, Greipel has been named as HTC-Columbia's team captain for the Belgian race.

Team manager Bob Stapleton recently announced that Cavendish will ride the Tour of California in May, while Greipel will ride the Giro d'Italia. Cavendish stated last week that he would have preferred to ride at the Giro, but accepted that sponsors interests were more important.

Cavendish has struggled so far this season after a tooth infection wrecked his pre-season training. He has only won one race, a stage at the Tour of Catalunya, compared to a tally of eight wins at the same time last season. However, he is confident he can return to the form that saw him win six stages in last year’s Tour de France and insists success is more about the quality than quantity.

"If I wanted to just win races I wouldn't ride every ProTour race," Cavendish told The Guardian. "I understand that at the moment I'm racing to be in my best form for the Tour de France and the world championships. If I wanted to get **** small wins, I'd race **** small races."

here's hoping greipel has a better year than cavendish...hope he gets multiple wins in the giro while cav
gets stoned in the toc/tdf.

Guys, englishman and germans hate to each other, that might be part of the problem (pretty deep reason.) Besides sprinters have a very special mind so that could increase the tension maybe?

Guys, englishman and germans hate to each other, that might be part of the problem (pretty deep reason.) Besides sprinters have a very special mind so that could increase the tension maybe?

Or it could be that Cav is an immature, self-important, ass-hat who doesn't know when to shut his mouth.

Or it could be that Cav is an immature, self-important, ass-hat who doesn't know when to shut his mouth.

^this.

Greipel is just bitter, and Cav knows they won't be on the same squad indefinitely. He's already started the head games. When Greipel can take Cav, I'll tell Cav he should shut up, but facts are - Cav's a better sprinter, and Greipel is the chap who popped off first.

Guys, englishman and germans hate to each other, that might be part of the problem (pretty deep reason.) Besides sprinters have a very special mind so that could increase the tension maybe?

I don't think decades-long cultural grudges, real or imagined, really come into play here.

Also, Cav isn't English ;-)

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/greipel-wants-to-be-top-team-sprinter

Greipel wants his own team now. No real surprise. These are two competitive, confident guys. Greipel has dominated some of the smaller races he's done, so it's natural for him to wonder what he could do in the big races against Cav. I hope he beats Cav a few times. It would make for a fun rivalry.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/greipel-wants-to-be-top-team-sprinter

Greipel wants his own team now. No real surprise. These are two competitive, confident guys. Greipel has dominated some of the smaller races he's done, so it's natural for him to wonder what he could do in the big races against Cav. I hope he beats Cav a few times. It would make for a fun rivalry.

While Greipel was here for the Tour Down Under he spent 2 weeks training in Melbourne in and around the world champ course for this year which is said to be a sprinters course. I have a feeling he has this day marked out to prove what he can do against Cav, or show the cycling world what he can do on the big stage.

Greipel is just bitter, and Cav knows they won't be on the same squad indefinitely. He's already started the head games. When Greipel can take Cav, I'll tell Cav he should shut up, but facts are - Cav's a better sprinter, and Greipel is the chap who popped off first.How do you know that?

^this.


+1.

i think cavendish's victory salute today in the tour of romandie
exemplifies his level of class or lack thereof. great rider but he could
use a smack to the head-repeatedly-until he gets it.

wonder how long stapleton will let his nonsense go before reining him in.
would not be surprised if cavendish left/was not retained next time the
ol' contract is up for renewal. maybe they'll let greipel go instead but don't
think keeping both is good for team morale in the long term-even if
they continue to clean up podiums

How do you know that?

The whole thing started when Greipel publicly stated that he would have done better than Cav in Milan - San Remo.

The whole thing started when Greipel publicly stated that he would have done better than Cav in Milan - San Remo.
Well, Cavendish gave an interview (most likely in early March) in which he was quoted as saying "[Greipel] won't ride the Tour. Not because of his ability to sprint, but because of his ability as a lead-out man. If you're playing a game of cycling manager, where would you fit Greipel into my lead-out train? Watch his sprints. In Australia he should have won six stages, but he loses wheels." That appeared in the May Issue of Cycle Sport which was circulated in late March. I don't think it's clear which of them started talking ***** first.

Well, Cavendish gave an interview (most likely in early March) in which he was quoted as saying "[Greipel] won't ride the Tour. Not because of his ability to sprint, but because of his ability as a lead-out man. If you're playing a game of cycling manager, where would you fit Greipel into my lead-out train? Watch his sprints. In Australia he should have won six stages, but he loses wheels." That appeared in the May Issue of Cycle Sport which was circulated in late March. I don't think it's clear which of them started talking ***** first.
Hmmm. Exactly what happened today. At first I was in agreement that Greipel that he should have been given a chance to sprint while Cav was under the weather. No way he's a top field sprinter like Cav when everyone is on though.