Will Cav leave Sky?

[Flying_Monkey]

Lots of speculation has erupted since the end of the Tour (and yes, I know that was only a few hours ago) that Mark Cavendish is rather unhappy with how the Tour was for him, and given that this will not change in the coming years, he will probably not be with Sky next season.

What do people reckon? And, if he did leave, where would he (and Eisel, naturally) go?

I can see a team like Orica GreenEdge hiring him because Goss really hasn't worked out as a reliable sprinter, or perhaps a new team or an old team that is looking to rebuild in a new way...

 

[raindog]

no

 

[Flying_Monkey]

No, he won't leave? Or no, he wouldn't go to Orica?

 

[Buddfox]

I found it surprising that this was almost the first thing Brailsford spoke about after the dust had started to settle on today's successes. It might have been a tactic to divert attention away from Froome? And he wasn't saying that Mark will leave, just that he'd understand it if he did. If Sky's ambitions are to win GC year in year out, then they don't need Cav. Maybe they cut Cav and use the salary saving to pay Froome? If you had both Froome and Wiggo, and a strong supporting cast, that allows you to decide each year, based on Tour profile, who to favour for GC. For all the reasons people were surprised Cav joiend Sky in the first place, it makes sense - and now he doesn't need the money so much either.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

has cav actually stated that he unhappy?
I thought the goal for cav was the olympics this year. On eurosport they stated that he only had one sprint targeted for the tour (the final sprint) and he did better than that. Sure cav want's to win but I would have thought he would be aware of Skys goals before signing.

 

[Buddfox]

Brailsford quoted directly, I believe, in an article on the BBC, so it feels a bit more than press speculation, but I may be wrong. The fact of the matter is, it makes sense. He wants 34 stage wins, it's a lot harder to do that at Sky than it would be elsewhere, for as long as they have Wiggo and Froome. If Froome leaves, I think it's more likely he stays because Wiggo won't be a GC contended year in year out, I don't think.

 

[Chuffy]

He's just won three stages, including the Champs. Is that really so terrible? If you're relying on what Brian Holm said....pfffft, he wants Cav for his team, he's not going to say nice things about the Sky/Cav setup.

Sky threw everything at a Wiggy win in this Tour. I reckon that with hindsight they could probably give Cav some more support and still sustain a GC attempt.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I thought the goal for cav was the olympics this year.

Absolutely. I merely report what the speculation is.

 

[Buddfox]

He's just won three stages, including the Champs. Is that really so terrible? If you're relying on what Brian Holm said....pfffft, he wants Cav for his team, he's not going to say nice things about the Sky/Cav setup.

Sky threw everything at a Wiggy win in this Tour. I reckon that with hindsight they could probably give Cav some more support and still sustain a GC attempt.

When you've averaged 5 a year for the previous 3 years, and you've been described as the greatest sprinter the Tour has ever seen, and you're deeply ambitious, maybe it is (so terrible)?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Im more curious if wiggo will sacrifice his own goals in the time trial to help cav win the road race, i think this will decide the relationship as much as anything

 

[Noodley]

I wonder what Lorraine Kelly's show will make of it all...

 

[Chuffy]

Im more curious if wiggo will sacrifice his own goals in the time trial to help cav win the road race, i think this will decide the relationship as much as anything

I think he will. Team GB seem to have a very single-minded focus on long term goals. They've got the TdF won, now everything shifts to Cav for the road race. The individual TT has barely been mentioned.

 

[Chuffy]

This is all getting a bit football, isn't it?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I thought Cav had said right at the outset that he wasn't going to go for the Green Jersey again this year because he had a new baby and all?

For someone who wasn't going to do much, he hasn't done too badly.

 

[lukesdad]

Im more curious if wiggo will sacrifice his own goals in the time trial to help cav win the road race, i think this will decide the relationship as much as anything

This . You. Could also say the same for Froome. They won't and he'll leave . Green edge would seem to be the obvious choice.