Would you be considering leaving Sky for a team where you could be the team leader and have the squad working for you? I thought that yesterday’s stage was the straw that may have broken the camel’s back. yes it was hot, but it’s just as hot for everyone else on the tour, yes they are tired, but there was a rest day afterward. I thought that stage was a possibilty for Cav to win if Sky had upped the pace to get him to the line.

I’m sure he knew the score when he signed up!

Definitely, right now he’s doing nothing for the team, and they’re doing nothing for him.

Froome will probably move on, too.

I don’t think so – the Tour organisers were quite open about that fact that they devised the tour last year pretty much in mind with Cav being able to win green. To them it made sense that if he’s the best sprinter in the world then theres something wrong with the tour if he doesn’t win it. But it doesn’t seem like they’ve done that this year

Up til now I’ve not really seen that many stages that Cav would have been contesting, so apart from Paris I think he’s got his eye on other prizes this year.

Cav was interviewed on the ITV4 coverage and seemed entirely happy that this year was Brad’s year, and the entire team, including him, were working to that end. And I think he’s using the Tour as conditioning for the Olympics

It will be interesting next year though, as one would assume that Wiggo will want to defend the yellow jersey, Froome will want to win the jersey and Cav will want the green jersey back.

Cav’s saving himself for the Olympics.

He’ll have a go at a sprint if it doesn’t comnpromise his Olympic chances or the yellow jersey but he’s not going to give 100% now that the green jersey’s gone.

Sky did a good job for Cav at the Giro etc. Why would he go elsewhere?

Not at this stage. Just like many times before his team has gone all out to get him to the line so he can win the points jersey for the team, this year it’s about getting Wiggins to the line so he can win yellow for the team. You have to assume he knew that before he joined so if there was an inkling he wasn’t happy (which i haven’t seen so far) to me it’s like a footballer joining a club that is reknowned for rotating its squad and then moaning they don’t play every game.

I also suspect that Sky will be balls out in Paris to get him to the line on the Champs Elysees.

right now he’s doing nothing for the team

Harsh, him and BE did a fair bit in the last mountain stage, having watched how they went off yesterday there was no point in chasing.

I can see him being frustrated but I assume he will wait and see what the options are.

As for Froome he has benefited from being on a team with the Yellow.

right now he’s doing nothing for the team

Apart from fetching and carrying stuff from the team cars, leading the pull up the start of the climb the other day, being with the rest of the team/protecting Wiggo in the peloton…

[edit]in interviews, the word Cav uses most often is ‘team’.

Yes, a bit infra dig for the world champ!

If Sky had upped the pace to get him to the line it could have resulted in a knackered team going into the crucial day on Wednesday so I guess the decision was made not to endanger Bradley in yellow.

Cav works for Bradley in the tour, Bradley works for Cav on the Champs Elysees and the Olympics. They don’t come across as anything other than happy with the deal in the interviews.

I think Cav’s main interest in this TdF is winning on the Champs Elysees then going on to win gold in London.
He’s had the backing of what’s essentially Team Sky to win the World Championships so it’s payback time now.

He’ll have known full well what he was signing up for when he signed for Sky and I’m sure that he won’t get as much of a lucrative contract anywhere else!

Yes, a bit infra dig for the world champ!

I don’t think he sees himself as the individual world champion. He’s sees the jersey as a reward for a team effort, and is now repaying that team.

as one would assume that Wiggo will want to defend the yellow jersey

Not convinced. He seems like a team player, I reckon he’d be happy to help out Froome next year. There’s talk of it being super hilly to mark the 100th Tour.

But that may be PR. I was worried about Cav earlier this year, yes it’s a good idea to try and develop as an all-round rider as your sprint speed goes, but I wonder if he didn’t do this slightly too early and if the ORR hasn’t spoiled his season, oh and picking the ‘wrong’ team IMO…

right now he’s doing nothing for the team

Apart from carrying bidons, jackets, taking long turns on the front and not stabbing Brad in the back like that tosser Froome 😉

I’m dissapointed at his lack of stage wins but impressed with his humility, think he may get his reward in the Olympics…and next year’s green Jersey

He’ll have to tear the green jersey off Sagan!

I seem to remember him saying at the start “…we’re a GC team…”. (might not have been his exact words). I also think that there’s more to Froome’s interview in L’Équipe – ITV4 were insinuating that context may have been lost in the translation, but at the same time, it was bad timing to say what he said just before defending the team’s yellow in the Pyrenees. Cycling teams are funny though aren’t they? There must be fairly strange dynamics going on between all the riders.

I think Cav has been great so far. He’s worked hard and not whinged.

right now he’s doing nothing for the team

Apart from fetching and carrying stuff from the team cars, leading the pull up the start of the climb the other day, being with the rest of the team/protecting Wiggo in the peloton…

I didn’t mean he wasn’t a team player, or that he was complaining, but for the amount Sky must be paying him…

impressed with his humility

Me too, very. I used to think he was a bit of a whinging tosspot, but over the past couple of years he really seems to have matured.

I wonder if he’s saving himself for the Olympics…

Of course he won’t move on.

He knew the deal when he joined.
Sky have been clear about the GC being the target for this tour.
His focus this year is on the Olympics.
He’s been doing a team role where able.
He may be frustrated but he will know that the tour is really a part of his training for the Olympics.

He’s with one of the strongest, teams that is British and starting to dominate. next year will be different, with new goals etc

Where else would he go?

don simon – Member
I wonder if he’s saving himself for the Olympics…

Don’t come around here spouting all that rational thinking. I reckon he’s got his sights on joining Ducatti.

I’m not even sure he could live with Sagan anyway right now. When you look at how Sagan went up the hills a couple of days ago, bridging to the group in front of him then pushing them faster, you’d have to say he’s the right man in the right place. I think it was always going to be Cav does what he can in the first week, the 2nd week to get the yellow on Wiggins’ shoulders and then the rest of the tour to keep it there.

The peloton seem to view it as Sky’s responsibility to bring back the breaks for some reason. I’m surprised Green Edge, Lotto and Lampre haven’t done more to haul them back given their main reason for being there is sprint finishes.

.

I also think that there’s more to Froome’s interview in L’Équipe – ITV4 were insinuating that context may have been lost in the translation

Nah he’s a bit of a loose cannon advertising himself for a team leaders role for next season

He wasn’t a good support for Brad in the Vuelta last yr either, think DB kept him in the team to keep anyone else from having him!

He’s with one of the strongest, teams that is British and starting to dominate. next year will be different, with new goals etc

Where else would he go?

Any other team, I’d have thought. I’m not convinced the fact that Sky is a (semi) British team would make a lot of difference – it’s one thing racing for Britain at the WCs or Olympics, but professional road racing is another matter.

And I can’t see Sky’s goals being radically different if Wiggins is (hopefully!) defending a yellow jersey next year.

He wasn’t a good support for Brad in the Vuelta last yr either, think DB kept him in the team to keep anyone else from having him!

Still wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t been quite so loyal to Wiggins last year, could he have won?

got to love it when folks that watch 2 weeks of the tour cycling suddenly become experts on what teams should do based on one race.

Still wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t been quite so loyal to Wiggins last year, could he have won?

Sources close to Wiggo reckon if he’d been more loyal Brad would have won!

Sources close to Wiggo reckon if he’d been more loyal Brad would have won!

Maybe, but the feeling I got watching the race was that Wiggins was holding him back. Of course, Froome would get beaten in the time trial, but it’d be pretty close.

Cav is the world’s best sprinter (or at least would be if he was aiming to be that right now) and has consciously taken the decision along with the team to target the Olympic RR rather than another green jersey because they know full well that in the British public’s eye, that’s more important. Winning the RR will need him to be in form that is not so well suited to winning green at the tour – eg lighter to be able to stick with the bunch over box hill 9 times when every team without a top sprinter will be trying to kill the sprinters off over the climbs.

I see no conflict. He’s using the tour to get the form he’ll need for the RR with the aim of winning a stage or two (esp the Champs Elysees).

That’s not to say that he’s enjoying not winning at the tour but equally, every rider who’s been part of a team that’s won the TdF has said that it was a brilliant experience – something which, fingers crossed, Cav will get to experience that he almost certainly never would on a more normal team that’s built around his sprints.

I see no conflict. He’s using the tour to get the form he’ll need for the RR with the aim of winning a stage or two (esp the Champs Elysees).

eggs act lee

Any other team, I’d have thought. I’m not convinced the fact that Sky is a (semi) British team would make a lot of difference – it’s one thing racing for Britain at the WCs or Olympics, but professional road racing is another matter.

Really ?

He left HTC with the best lead out train to move to Sky. He couldn’t move to any other team unless they could match his wages I’d have thought – certainly not Garmin who last night said they couldn’t afford Froome. Any new team would have to have a lead out train to at least match Sky.

The British cycling setup changed track cycling and have stated that they are taking the same approach with the road.
The management are the same and they had a bad first year, were stronger last year and are dominating this year. It may well be different but their approach seems to be working.

But could Froome win the Tour in a different team? People are banging on about it, but he was quite some time down on Wiggins before the mountains and he has made a couple of small breaks that seemed to show he could leave him behind, but Wiggins doesn’t ride like that – he would have a different team around him to reel a breakaway in using his steady increase in pace.

Yes he might have been in with a shout this year but only because it would be mutiny, leaving Wiggins a man down to defend his lead.

but he was quite some time down on Wiggins before the mountains

Wasn’t there a crash or something accounting for that lost time?

Cav’s still pulling hard, don’t dismiss him too readily folks. If you were in his clips you’d be doing the same. Riding hard when needed, sprinting for wins when available and supporting your team when you can and taking opportunities if they present themselves. He was carrying water bottles the other day.. I like that.
I come form a Cav haterz angle when he was with HTC but now I think he’s matured and become one of the most thoughtful/thinking riders out there, in essance, he’s matured.

Cav for the win on CEle’, no doubt, no doubt what so ever.

I do think he’ll have a hard time in the Oly’s mind..

“Yes he might have been in with a shout this year but only because it would be mutiny, leaving Wiggins a man down to defend his lead. “

and a few things would happen – he would be unpopular in peloton – doesnt do wonders for your career really , doesnt do wonders for gettting a new team even if you were TDF winner

cav wont be worried anyway – its a payday for him if brad wins ! – ok not as much as green but it leaves him to find his form for olympics.

Wasn’t there a crash or something accounting for that lost time?

Not sure – I don’t recall but I have missed a couple of days.

“I do think he’ll have a hard time in the Oly’s mind.. “

well i must say that if i was a betting man i wouldnt bet my money on cav …..

TdF green beats olympic gold IMO. I think he’ll be marked out of the ORR, Sagan or Greipel to win.