What is it exactly that Cav is best in the world at though?

He's not a world champion - road or track - he was a failure at the last Olympics (unlike some very notable other Brits) and without the leadout train it is very unlikely he would ever win a single stage.

I love the cycling and I love watching him but the nagging doubt which is difficult to shift is that his talent is only ever realised thanks to the brilliant and strict supervision of the team around him.

Posted By: norway on July 18th 2011 at 12:19:01

Message Thread

has set me thinking, that Cav thing (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 11:52:57
- Sue Rodgers (Other Sports) - CB41, Jul 18, 13:03:59
  - she's no sue lewis (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 13:08:30
- Rebecca Adlington? (n/m) (Other Sports) - CB41, Jul 18, 12:47:54
  - went downhill after fame (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:49:01
    - Nope sorry, aint got a scooby (n/m) (Other Sports) - CB41, Jul 18, 12:50:58
      - she did an ivanovic (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:52:32
        
        Yeah, I meant the film reference. She wasn't in any film, was she? (n/m) (Other Sports) - CB41, Jul 18, 13:02:14
        
        agreed (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 13:03:11
        
        Good (n/m) (Other Sports) - CB41, Jul 18, 13:05:28
- Graham Swann (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tony Martin, Jul 18, 12:45:43
  - link (Other Sports) - Tony Martin, Jul 18, 12:48:04
    - ODI... (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:49:33
      - best ODI bowler in the world then? (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tony Martin, Jul 18, 12:52:34
        
        yep just one area of cricket (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:53:32
        
        No2 in Test, behind Steyn so makes him best Spinner. (n/m) (Other Sports) - megson, Jul 18, 13:04:01
        
        problem with cricket is only a few countries play properly (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 13:05:12
        
        Good. We can look decent at it then. If it became like football we'd be shit. (n/m) (Other Sports) - megson, Jul 18, 13:11:57
      - So best ODI bowler in the world then? (n/m) (Other Sports) - conker, Jul 18, 12:50:18
        
        lol (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tony Martin, Jul 18, 12:53:20
- Wayne Rooney (n/m) (Other Sports) - lurd, Jul 18, 12:32:10
- So far then (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:15:12
  - is Nicole Cooke still going? and loads of snookerists (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:32:15
    - Emma Pooley? world Time Trial champ..... (Other Sports) - HairyBobbingManAss, Jul 18, 12:40:00
  - What about that fisherman bloke, Bob Nudds or something? (Other Sports) - tudders, Jul 18, 12:27:41
    - good point. Nudds makes it 5. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:29:33
      - It's the same pike! (n/m) (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:30:00
  - What is it exactly that Cav is best in the world at though? (Other Sports) - norway, Jul 18, 12:19:01
    - did he have his leadout train for his Milan-San Remo win? (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:34:43
    - Er yeah. He is the best finisher in the world. His team gets him there he finishes. (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:22:34
      - No I get that - and I'm really just playing devil's advocate (Other Sports) - norway, Jul 18, 12:25:56
        
        why wouldn't he win a track sprint? (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:27:54
        
        He can and has, but it's quite a different discipline. (n/m) (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:29:56
      - agree with what he's best at but there's no world title for it (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:25:45
        
        No, but the TdF is the pinnacle for his type of bike racer. (n/m) (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:27:37
        
        you'd think given how highly sprinters are regarded (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:30:08
        
        That's the pinnacle. There are all sorts of other races on the calendar. (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:33:57
        
        oh yeah that was that aussie race i think (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:35:13
        
        Exactly. Some years the course will suit him though. (n/m) (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:37:03
        
        like it probably did when Tom Boonen won it in 05 (n/m) (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:38:42
      - exactly (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:25:14
        
        Except that Phil Ligget said quite openly yesterday (Other Sports) - norway, Jul 18, 12:27:11
        
        And Cav admits that after every win. The team put him thgere, he finishes it off. (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:32:12
        
        Cavendish is numbered ending in 1, the team leader. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:34:41
        
        Fazackerly. (n/m) (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:37:25
        
        yeah. I remember Cav stopped winning stages instantly when Renshaw was kicked off the Tour (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:32:08
        
        Oh calm down for fucks sake (Other Sports) - norway, Jul 18, 12:37:50
        
        he sounds like me defending andy murray LOL (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:38:40
        
        is he the guy that leads him up? (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:31:19
        
        Slipstreaming during the stage to keep him fresh energy-wise. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:38:56
        
        The cyclist folloing is in the airpocket created by them so expends less effort, (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:36:00
        
        wow didn't know that (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:37:58
        
        Geese. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Arizona Bay, Jul 18, 12:40:39
        
        HONK! (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jul 18, 13:56:24
  - no way is luke donald (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:17:19
    - World rankings say he is (n/m) (Other Sports) - conker, Jul 18, 12:18:28
      - westwood was no 1 too and still not won one (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:21:39
        
        Does that matter? To be measured as the best right now, not the best ever (Other Sports) - conker, Jul 18, 12:36:41
        
        we are talking about the best right now (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:43:59
        
        Being the best right now is not measured on how many titles you have won this year is it? (n/m) (Other Sports) - conker, Jul 18, 12:49:08
        
        it's measured mainly on consistency (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:51:55
- Someone emailed talkshite this morning saying it's sad we'd rather a fat, pisshead win (Other Sports) - lurd, Jul 18, 12:10:18
  - Give me Clarke over Tiger fuckin Woods anyday! (n/m) (Other Sports) - Kirrie, Jul 18, 12:30:26
  - That's appalling (Other Sports) - norway, Jul 18, 12:15:29
    - And he played fewer shots than anyone else over four days. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:18:01
- Isn't Graham Swann currently the best spin bowler in the wrold (n/m) (Other Sports) - DiscoDaleGordon, Jul 18, 12:06:21
  - only cos murali and warne have retired (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:11:43
    - Yeah, and Jim Laker, Bishan Bedi, Bill O'Reilly & Lance Gibbs. (n/m) (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:21:10
      - Bishen Bedi was never the world's best. He was the slowest left armer ever, though. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:24:01
        
        I was making a point regarding retirees to numbnuts. (n/m) (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:25:35
        
        I know. I was getting over-excited at the mention of Bishen Bedi. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:27:56
      - but they're not be better than swann at this moment in time (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:23:26
        
        Would he? What were his stats alongside Swanns when they were both playing at the same (Other Sports) - jafski, Jul 18, 12:26:33
        
        i'm not keen on rankings (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:33:59
  - or world even? (Other Sports) - DiscoDaleGordon, Jul 18, 12:06:47
    - fair point, re Swann (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:07:48
      - Can'r believe I typed Broad and not Swann down there. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:19:17
        
        And now can'r. Going to get that coffee now. (n/m) (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:20:53
        
        haha, only just noticed that (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:19:48
- Andy Murray is world class, as strange as that may seem. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Jul 18, 12:02:21
  - doesn't seem strange at all. But he's not the world's best at what he does, unlike Cav (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:03:39
- Ignored in the UK generally.... (Other Sports) - HairyBobbingManAss, Jul 18, 12:01:54
  - she's well known abroad, is she? (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:04:45
    - In as much as Triathlon has a much bigger following abroad than it does in Blighty (n/m) (Other Sports) - HairyBobbingManAss, Jul 18, 12:09:54
- but he won't win the race will he? (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 11:57:02
  - The winner of the race depends quite heavily on the kind of race. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:05:15
    - I really like Gilbert, by the way (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:09:06
    - won't he compete on the track like wiggins did? (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:06:44
      - He did last time. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:11:20
        
        it was the Madison weren't it? (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:43:43
        
        Yes. Wiggo had done his bit and was knacked. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:47:19
        
        yes, i think Cav was rather honest in his unhappiness (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:50:46
        
        surely there's an individual event for a specialist sprinter like him tho (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:14:02
        
        Maybe. I'd have to look it up and I want a coffee. (n/m) (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:16:16
    - don't bother. He's trolling, as usual. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:06:12
      - No he isn't! (Other Sports) - norway, Jul 18, 12:21:02
        
        Yes he is! (Other Sports) - Arizona Bay, Jul 18, 12:39:04
        
        haha (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:48:32
      - but he can't beat the likes of contador in the overall race (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:09:37
- I'm not sure darts is really a world sport. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 11:56:49
  - cricket is not a world sport (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:29:38
    - Yep. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:32:51
      - good. That puts snooker in, thanks to China. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Jul 18, 12:35:28
  - yeah, golf. Luke Donald or Westwood I guess (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jul 18, 12:05:37
    - No. But that's what rankings are for. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:08:38
      - and safina and jankovic (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:10:55
        
        Tournaments are also misleading. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:15:25
        
        and players can be rewarded for playing more events (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:19:38
        
        I don't think we'll ever get the perfect answer, Mikey. Potato / potato. (n/m) (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:22:18
        
        they should just ask me to rank everyone (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:24:08
        
        The universal judge of all sport. (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:25:30
        
        well i'm prepared to take it on (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Jul 18, 12:32:00
        
        You can make those ones up. (n/m) (Other Sports) - APB, Jul 18, 12:35:34

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