Bacciagalupe

Looks like Cav is not getting the support he wanted, and is looking to amicably move somewhere else. I guess Sky's other ambitions do not allow them to build an entire team around a sprinter.

So, any thoughts on what team is willing or likely to become HTC Mark II?

ultraman6970

Thats not like a surprise, the rumor has been around for a while now but the issue the other teams have is that he is under a 2 years contract and if a team wants him right now, they need to buy the contract and pretty much is not a thing of just go and write a check of 1 million pounds you know. So pretty much only a few teams could afford the guy.

I was Cav i would just stay were I'm, quiet, good team and win races old style with no support or anything. That would increase my value and after all, is clear that he can win w/o any support. Cav only wants to win and since he is not the star no more he wants to leave, i don't blame him but is a little bit (or a lot) of selfishness involved in his person. After all is impossible to win everything.

Kind of Blued

This is good news for us, people who like watching bike races, in my opinion. Like him or not, it's fun watching him have a go as often as possible.

Bacciagalupe

Yeah, I was being a tad sarcastic.


True, though supposedly Cav is pushing for them to cut or waive that fee. I'd assume they could figure out a way to trade a rider or two as part of that.


His value is already about as high as it's going to get. He can't keep up this level of fitness forever.

I'm not a fan of his personality, but I can say I've seen him support the team & act like a domestique on a lot of climbing stages. I don't think he's being selfish, rather he's being ambitious, and doesn't want to compete for resources against top GC riders.

Gallo

I would agree. Like him or not he is a great sprinter. His willingness to be a team guy in stages he will not compete should garner a bit of respect for him. Sky should do right by him as I am sure he did not sign on to be an unsupported sprinter and a domestique. He should go to a team that will support his efforts for the green jersey. It is good for British Cycling if he can win.

He is not my favorite guy as far as personality but allot of top performers are similar in that they are not made for TV. I sure like seeing his burst which is quite amazing.

It is tough to win green unsupported and he deserves that chance

sci_femme

Not to highjack the thread with talk of Froome, but I think Sky overdid it this year with him. Olympics, three Grand Tours, last one with expectation to win (to podium at the minimum). If Tour of Britain were not to start on the day of Vuelta finish, I would not put it past Sky to toss Froome on the bike again and order him to ride.

Cav did a lot of growing up this season. Sometimes listening him talk and watching him fetching bottles I wanted to ask myself - "Who the heck are you and were did you bury real Cav?" Sky should do right by him, he brings imaginative independent human side to the sled team.

benlees

And will Bernie go with him?

MinnMan

+1. They expected too much from him. I hope he gets a more reasonable schedule and a chance to shine next year.

brian669

supposedly they're just going waive his last year and let him go. i'm curious as to where he could go, or where he is needed, so to speak. he'd make things interesting with rabobank and they have deep pockets. mark renshaw and theo bos leading cav out would be lethal.

Kind of Blued

Huh? Froome didn't ride the Giro, and Cav didn't ride the Vuelta. I don't think anybody from Sky rode all three...

Giacomo 1 

Yeah, I have to wonder where he could go also.

I don't believe that any of the top teams, which are the only one's that can afford him, will fully support him as he wants to be. Those teams are more inclined toward top GC finishes with their support going to the all-arounders, whereas the green jersey is more of a sideshow to them.

Cav might be a victim of his own sprinting greatness...

Kind of Blued

Mark Renshaw spent an entire season being supported by a lead-out train and has, one win? I think the Mark & Mark show should go back on Tour.

If Argos-Shimano could afford Cav, having Degenkolb as a lead-out would be insane, and Degenkolb could probably still take the tougher, uphill sprints for himself. They're the only team I can think of with basically zero GC ambitions.

I don't think Garmin-Sharp could afford him either, maybe so, but Farrar would make a better lead out man than he does a sprinter I think.

Racer Ex 

Degenkolb is the real deal. Assigning him lead out duties for Cav is about as smart a use of talent as having Cav carry water.

This will come down to money.

YMCA

Orica is a dedicated sprint and single day team.
Goss may be miffed, but if there is a team out there that could dedicate it's entire squad to Cav, Green Edge would be it.

curiouskid55

Farrar couldnt find the front of a sprint with a map. Bernie, renshaw and cav at rabo sounds good to me

YMCA

The wait is over...

OPQ for 3 years

Bacciagalupe

I guess that makes sense. Cav's calendar doesn't overlap too much with Boonen's, yes?

YMCA

And when it does, Boonen says he'll be glad to help Cav on a pure sprint day.

BTW - dumping Levi free'd up the cash needed rather quickly. Wonder what it cost to buy out Sky's contract?

gsteinb

what did they pay Garmin for Wiggins?

Cat4Lifer

Tygart cries "omerta", but seems to me it just as likely Levi's sacking was a "salary-dump" to get Cav.
But since the climate currently allows for easy conclusions, it's no surprise Tygart would cry it was "the classic omerta move."

fly:yes/land:no

?

it is the easy conclusion because it is essentially put forth in the press release from opqs.

Cat4Lifer

No it isn't.

fly:yes/land:no

if your take from the press release is that levi was released to dump salary for cav, then you are insane and/or confused. it literally says he was released for admitting to doping in his past. this isn't that hard to grasp.

you can speculate all you want on ulterior motives of the team, but criticizing tygart for justifiably assuming that the press release was honest is a desperate move on your part.

oh yeah, tygart being right on anything completely disrupts your preconceived tygart-is-the-bad-guy-who-busted-lance universe.

Bacciagalupe

My understanding is that Sky waived the fee.

gsteinb

It isn't uncommon for a pro sports team to say one thing and mean another, or both even. That they'd want to make salary room and/or toss Levi as over the hill/under performing/requiring a different team structure than Cav is also not difficult to envision.

That they can do so while just claiming morals makes it easier to do.