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C[s]h[/s]av throws dolly out of pram!
[url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jul/21/mark-cavendish-tour-de-france ]http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/jul/21/mark-cavendish-tour-de-france[/url]
"I spoke to him yesterday and said to him: 'You've won the green jersey now but that's always going to have a stain on it.'"
Not entirely unreasonable, he clearly rode in a straight line, it's Husovd's fault for not reading the race handbook and knowing the barriers narrowed slightly.
Maybe reverse the positions, but to outright disqualify Cav is excessive. The chief commisaire being interviewed on the TV was a tosser too.
ITV: 'Can Columbia appeal'
Commisaire: 'Yes, they can appeal, but it's my decision, and I won't overturn it'
ITV: 'So there's no point?'
Commisaire: 'No'
Sounds like most of the BC Commisaires too!
American team, Anglo-Saxon rider in French race.
Cav's on a loser from the start.
OK, so I may be being a bit naive / stupid here but if the following is true:
[i]Not entirely unreasonable, he clearly rode in a straight line, it's Husovd's fault for not reading the race handbook and knowing the barriers narrowed slightly.[/i]
Why was Cavendish penalised?
The things I've always particularly admired about Cavendish are his dignity, maturity and grace.
BigDummy - MemberThe things I've always particularly admired about Cavendish are his dignity, maturity and grace.
True, he can be a right cock sometimes and this is clearly a toys->pram comment, but i think he's got a point on this one.
IMO cavendish clearly blocked him by using the narrow bit of road - and he knew what he was doing. I ain't even convinced about holding his line - he went in towards the barriers anyway.
Harsh penalty perhaps but not totally wrong.
Big Dummy - don't forget his humility as well. Never seen such a humble man
Cav did ride a straight line but he's also admitted that he was trying to hold up the race (to try and allow George to get yellow) so I think we was quite happy for Hushovd to get blocked in and as such, I do think he deserved a penalty but since it wasn't dangerous (it was clear for Hushovd what was happening) it should have just been a reversal of the positions or similar, not complete relegation.
i don't think he's throwing his toys out at all - he's just trying to put his point of view across, which it seems quite a few other people agree with...!
It was a pretty accurate comment by Cavendish to be fair.
He may be very highly strung but he is an honest rider with it. The decision and his subsequent punishment were just the sort of thing you'd expect from the TdF what with Cav being an Anglo. All it needs now is Lance to be disqualified for something as outrageous as riding is a straight line and the French would have done their work.
and he knew what he was doing
TJ your level of knowledge always astounds me.
it's Husovd's fault for not reading the race handbook and knowing the barriers narrowed slightly
Is this level of detail in the handbook? Seemed harsh to me & a stupid layout.
Cav does come across as a bit of a spoilt child...
Not convinced he rode in [i]that[/i] straight a line myself...
It occurred to me the other day that Hushovd got cut the other year during a sprint by someone at the barrier and lost a lot of blood. I wonder whether he has less enthusiasm for barriers perhaps than some of those guys do.
Personally I agree that the decision was harsh, but something pretty gamey was going on in that finish and I'm not unsympathetic to the commissaire.
Cavendish will presumably be back next year and will be very well placed to win it. He will also win on the Champs Elysee. He can do all that without anyone liking him, but if he took a leaf out of the Wiggins and Millar Book of Self-Deprecatory Pleasantness he could win it and have people liking him at the same time. 🙂
Sprinters aren't there to be liked!
Did anyone ever really like Cipollini? Apart from his tailor, of course.
I'd settle for him not whining, personally. 🙂
You can just imagine that conversation with Hushovd. Like a bad piece of dialogue out of Hollyoaks.
I'm in the 'he knew what he was doing, deserved a sanction but was harshly done by to lose all points' camp.
IMO, he closed the door on Hushovd (who I have no great love for) but it was in no sense dangerous.
Al [i]IMO[/i] remember - and from what I saw on the telly he looked over his shoulder straight at him a few moments before the incident - so he knew where Hushovd was and knew he was closing the door on him.
So what I posted was
in my opinion he knew what he was doing
I watched it live and my initial thoughts were that it was a clear block
If it was the other way around, I think we'd all be convinced Thor was blocking on purpose.
Are you seriously suggesting that some people on here are biased in favour of a British rider? For shame! 😀
You can just imagine that conversation with Hushovd. Like a bad piece of dialogue out of Hollyoaks.
LOL 😆
I have to say I agree with TJ, he knew exactly what he was doing and closed the door, he also lent on Hushvod pretty hard (hooked his elbow into Hushvod's and pushed back) in the last big sprint that got Cav back into the green jersey, I would think the umpires would be taking that into account too.
That said, the result is harsh given it is always going to be a bit of a rough and tumble side to the race.
Watched this incident a number of times last night.
The head-on camera appears to show that Cav narrowed the gap and blocked Hushovd.
BUT the helicopter footage clearly showed that it was the barriers that were at fault. Cav's line was parallel to that of other riders. If he had taken a line parallel to the barriers there would have been a almighty pile up.
Anyway Hushovd has now apologized and stated that Cav rode a straight line. Too late - a great contest has been ruined.
As for the Commissionaire - what a buffoon. Pity nobody has asked what he thought of the over head shots and got him to show what line Cav should have taken.
Cav has every right to be very annoyed.
Anyway Hushovd has now apologized and stated that Cav rode a straight line
got a link please?
Robbie McEwen said at the time it was the right descision- more to do with Cav looking about/ trying to stall the sprint than moving on Thor
It's nothing to do with riding in a straight line. Cav was judged to have deliberately blocked Hushovd, whether he needed to move across or not to do that is irrelevant.
He admitted himself that he was trying to slow the sprint for Hincapie, so it's his own fault imo.
The funny thing about this is that if Columbia had done the sprint properly Cav would have cleaned up and now be odds on for the Green. However, instead they wanted to have their cake and eat it, and try to get Hincapie into Yellow too. Hence the go-slow in the sprint and Cav's relegation. And they end up getting neither Yellow (for a day!) or Green (overall, assuming Cav wins in Paris).
Columbia management then have a go at the other teams - Astana, Garmin, ag2r - for chasing the Hincapie break. Rather than admit that they stuffed it up themselves!
All quite amusing for anyone who has got slightly tired of Columbia lording it over the other teams. Not that I don't like seeing Cav win obviously!
IMO cavendish clearly blocked him by using the narrow bit of road
He did but he also rode in a straight line and doesnt have to give people room. Theres no rules against riding slower.
theres rules about blocking other riders- thats what Cav & co were doing. Robh sums it up nicely
Like seeing Cav win but he needs to learn soon that friends in the rest of the peleton are a requirement for longevity of success. To win the green jersey overall cannot be done if there are not enough sprint finish days to claim maximum points. Intermiediate sprints need to be won or neutralised (sometimes by other teams), then there's the getting over the mountains to gain a high place for points as Hushovd manages. Bad mouthing everyone but himself and team when it does not go right has not done Columbia any favors. Pity about Hincapie, lost chance of yellow by 5 seconds. If he had wasted himself in the same way as the Russian chap who won the stage, the jersey would have been his. To much messing about on the last few k from the break. Can't blaim anyone else really, supose his own team could have not got involved in the sprint at the end but then Cav is the man and Hincapie only there to support him. Tough but thats what makes it fun for us.
Every sprint where Thor has been able to give it a clear shot - like the couple of times he has jumped off Cav's wheel - he has ended up with Cav pulling away from him all the way to the line!
Whether Cav was at fault or not it wouldn’t have changed the result IMO. So surely Thor must have felt really threatened for his safety more than he thought he could have won? Having rolled off the finish line in one piece he should have take 5 to cool down and then go check the footage before complaining - again IMO.
End of the day though the way Highroad closed that stage was always going to get some backs up so its not a surprise the commissaries attitude was perhaps a bit over the top and overly harsh on Cav? But its done now eh? So thats that!
Oh, I did like the previous comment as to what we would all be saying/thinking if the tables were turned and it was Cav in Thors shoes... ;¬)
My Ladbrokes bet is for Thor to take the green anyway so... he he! Not that I aren't rooting for Cav of course!!
Just seen that finish for the first time from over-head & slow-mo
Cavendish IMO deserved to be penalised - maybe it was a tough penalty, but hey!