The Green Jersey

[Will1985]

Garmin tried hard. I don't think Hushovd was bothered - about 4th coming out of the last corner and sat up once he saw that not enough people were near him to threaten placings.

Good to see the Lanterne Rouge Hutarovich got 5th - just a shame that van Hummel couldn't make it all the way to Paris too.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Surely there's already a jersey for the most complete rider - a lovely yellow one!

IIRC there used to be a combined jersey in TdF, certainly remember an amazing part Yellow, part Green, part Polka Dot concoction in the 80's.

 

[Chuffy]

IIRC there used to be a combined jersey in TdF, certainly remember an amazing part Yellow, part Green, part Polka Dot concoction in the 80's.

That could be any team jersey from the late 80s to late 90s! Enough to make a chameleon vomit.

 

[GilesM]

IIRC there used to be a combined jersey in TdF, certainly remember an amazing part Yellow, part Green, part Polka Dot concoction in the 80's.

There certainly used to be, aswell as a red jersey for the in stage sprints, the combined jersey looked really good, I remember Hinualt wearing it one year, about 85 ish.

Have a look here: http://www.solarnavigator.net/sport/tour_de_france.htm

 

[Dayvo]

The myth that is Eddie Merckx; his first tour vicotory in 1969, he also won the polka dot and green jerseys. Had the white jersey been around then, he would have won that, too.

And in following TdeFs when he won two of the three available jerseys, he also came second twice and third once.

Never won the the red one, though!

 

[GilesM]

Mark Renshaw, who leads out Cav, used to be Thor's lead-out man. But, even then, Thor wasn't as fast as Cav. Renshaw would perhaps be the world's third of fourth fastest sprinter in another team. But he's probably figured that being part of the world's fastest team is better than being a nearly man.

I agree, and on the one sprint when Renshaw was not there, Cav still won, even going from a very long way out, and with Thor on his wheel, Thor still couldn't get by, just shows who the best sprinter is.

Thor is a pretty good sprinter and he fits the role as green jersey winner very well, a bit like Kelly used to be, not the greatist sprinter, but tough enough to get some points during the mountain stages, however I cannot imagine that Kelly would have thought that there was anything wrong with Cav's sprint when Cav was disqualified, to me Thor's attidtude to that was totally unacceptable, sprinting should have a bit of spice.

 

[SheilaH]

Of course, if Cav really wanted to piss Thor off, he'd have said in an interview that he wanted Thor as his lead-out man.

 

[GilesM]

Of course, if Cav really wanted to piss Thor off, he'd have said in an interview that he wanted Thor as his lead-out man.

He'd be crap, he's not fast enough and doesn't have the bottle for small gaps

 

[Chuffy]

He'd be crap, he's not fast enough and doesn't have the bottle for small gaps

He's too wide for small gaps, whereas Cav could fit through the gap in Thor's teeth.

 

[GilesM]

He's too wide for small gaps, whereas Cav could fit through the gap in Thor's teeth.

But big men should be able to turn small gaps into wide gaps, especially if it's not big men all around.

 

[Chuffy]

But big men should be able to turn small gaps into wide gaps, especially if it's not big men all around.

I think that's called 'pushing'.
Not sure if it's allowed....

 

[GilesM]

I think that's called 'pushing'.
Not sure if it's allowed....

It all depends on how much the gap is opened by, how aggressively it was opened, did someone else close the gap just before it was re-opened, who the commissaire is, did the commissaire see anything, can the commisaire actually see, and of course, is anyone actually that much of a wet fart to complain about a bit of spirited sprinting just because they didn't win