# Mark Cavendish - Olympic Gold



## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

Just finished watching the last stage and it looks like he is peaking right now...
I'm guessing he will be favored to win the Gold.

Any thoughts?


----------



## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

cpark said:


> Just finished watching the last stage and it looks like he is peaking right now...
> I'm guessing he will be favored to win the Gold.
> 
> Any thought?


I think he wants that as much if not more than any stage wins this year. Of the 13 GB track riders who went to Beijing he was the unlucky 13th, the only one without a medal.


----------



## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Probably...OTOH, we'll never see it as they'll only broadcast the "women's" gymnastics, the pool events, and a few of the track races.


----------



## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

Just looked at the GB Olympic team roster, and with exception of Robert Millar, the whole team is from the riders from team Sky.

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gb...elected-to-Team-GB-for-London-2012-Olympics-0

I guess they got to rehearse the finishing sprint today.

My guess is that the team Italy, Spain and Belgium will do their best to create the breakaways...


----------



## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

You mean David Millar!

Last year's Olympic Test Race and the World's were dry runs for the Olympics. Team GB will likely follow their plan, high pace to prevent breaks and deliver Cav to within sprinting distance.


----------



## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

Marc said:


> Probably...OTOH, we'll never see it as they'll only broadcast the "women's" gymnastics, the pool events, and a few of the track races.


Per nbcolympics.com looks like the Mens RR is on Saturday from 5-11 am on NBC. Women's RR is 7-11 am on Sunday. TT is Wednesday 4:30 and 9 am (womens and mens respectively). 

If you want to talk about crappy... women's MTB gets (it appears from the current TV listings) 3 separate 15 min spots the final Saturday. Men's MTB gets 2.5 hours.

I hope it's live streamed or something cause women's MTB is the event I most want to see!


----------



## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

cpark said:


> Just looked at the GB Olympic team roster, and with exception of Robert Millar, the whole team is from the riders from team Sky.
> 
> Men's road cyclists selected to Team GB for London 2012 Olympics
> 
> ...


It's funny, even as I Brit I always thought Australia would be favourites for this. A sprinters team with one of the greatest leadout men and Goss, the only guy Cav has said can beat him. After this tour I'm not sure now.


----------



## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

cpark said:


> Just looked at the GB Olympic team roster, and with exception of Robert Millar, the whole team is from the riders from team Sky.


Not only that, each of the GB riders who went to the TdF won at least one stage. They won 7 stages between the 4 of them.


----------



## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

Marc said:


> Probably...OTOH, we'll never see it as they'll only broadcast the "women's" gymnastics, the pool events, and a few of the track races.


Not sure what country you're in. But in the US, you'll be able to see basically every event. NBC has 7 channels that will be showing a bunch of the Olympics. Plus, you'll be able see every event (even preliminary fencing, or what have you), live on-line.


----------



## enzo24 (Jul 8, 2012)

It looks like they set the course up specially for Cav too. That hill is a joke by pro road racing standards and the last ascent is 40k from the finish.


----------



## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

enzo24 said:


> It looks like they set the course up specially for Cav too. That hill is a joke by pro road racing standards and the last ascent is 40k from the finish.


Which hill would you prefer they used?


----------



## gusmahler (Apr 7, 2012)

enzo24 said:


> It looks like they set the course up specially for Cav too. That hill is a joke by pro road racing standards and the last ascent is 40k from the finish.


I saw a profile of it, and I thought it looked massive. Then I looked at the scale of the graph. Turns out that it's a Cat 4 climb that they do 9 times.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

gusmahler said:


> I saw a profile of it, and I thought it looked massive. Then I looked at the scale of the graph. Turns out that it's a Cat 4 climb that they do 9 times.


Some sprinters will stil get dropped, I bet.

Cav is in excellent form and is a clear favorite for the win. His team UK is one of the best for leadout, and I think Wiggins will be on top form and super motivated to repay Cav. Today we saw how Orca-Edge was struggling trying to get to the front when Wiggo was drilling it for Cav.

Greipel, Goss and others (Sagan, Hushovd, Boonen, Farrar) will try to spoil the party, and of course there will be massive attacks and breakaways but I suspect team UK with some help from Australia and Germany will reel them in. Martin, Wiggins, Rogers, Froome, Evans, Kloden - if those TT powerhouses manage to work together with Cav, Greipel and Goss in mind for bunch sprint, almost any breakaway is doomed.

Should be a good race.


----------



## enzo24 (Jul 8, 2012)

I know there it's probably the biggest hill around, but they could at least have put it closer to the finish.


----------



## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> You mean David Millar!
> 
> Last year's Olympic Test Race and the World's were dry runs for the Olympics. Team GB will likely follow their plan, high pace to prevent breaks and deliver Cav to within sprinting distance.


:blush2:

Yep, I meant David Millar.
My cycling thought process took a time machine back to late 70's and 80's......


----------



## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

roddjbrown said:


> It's funny, even as I Brit I always thought Australia would be favourites for this. A sprinters team with one of the greatest leadout men and Goss, the only guy Cav has said can beat him. After this tour I'm not sure now.


You are absolutely right.
I overlooked the Australian team, and I think they can do some damage with Cadel Evans, Michael Rogers, Simon Gerrans, O'Grady and Goss.


----------



## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

enzo24 said:


> I know there it's probably the biggest hill around, but they could at least have put it closer to the finish.


Lol I read that as they should move a hill.

London is very flat. That hill on the north downs is about as big/close as they get. I'm no pro cyclist but that hill could split the peloton in half. No breakaway will stay away off it but some big sprinters, especially Greipel could find themselves struggling to get back to the main peloton that'll be chasing a smaller breakaway


----------



## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

cpark said:


> You are absolutely right.
> I overlooked the Australian team, and I think they can do some damage with Cadel Evans, Michael Rogers, Simon Gerrans, O'Grady and Goss.


I had no idea they aren't bringing Renshaw!


----------



## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Gotta believe Cav and Team Sky...er GB...will take this Gold Medal to the bank.
After the season they have had thus far, betting against them would be a foolish move.

Perhaps if Sagan can latch on to the GB Train, I'd give him an outside chance at an upset, otherwise Cav will add gold to his rainbow.

In any event, it'll be a good watch.


----------



## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

enzo24 said:


> I know there it's probably the biggest hill around, but they could at least have put it closer to the finish.


I believe the hill in question is Box Hill. It may not be high but it's got a reputation as a stiff climb.


----------



## smartyiak (Sep 28, 2005)

Given that Cav will in a sprint...
won't every single classics specialist be launching massive attacks. OR...

What about the way Cadel won his WC?

A Luis Leon Sanchez attack in the last 10KM?


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

roddjbrown said:


> Lol I read that as they should move a hill.
> 
> London is very flat. That hill on the north downs is about as big/close as they get. I'm no pro cyclist but that hill could split the peloton in half. No breakaway will stay away off it but some big sprinters, especially Greipel could find themselves struggling to get back to the main peloton that'll be chasing a smaller breakaway


Greipel did very well getting over the hills, especially for a large guy. Often better than Cav, Goss or Farrar.


----------



## roddjbrown (Jan 19, 2012)

55x11 said:


> Greipel did very well getting over the hills, especially for a large guy. Often better than Cav, Goss or Farrar.


Thats very true but I don't think Cav ever pushed it on this tour and only had Eisel for company. We'll see but I have a feeling there'll be a bit of panic on box hill


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

roddjbrown said:


> Thats very true but I don't think Cav ever pushed it on this tour and only had Eisel for company. We'll see but I have a feeling there'll be a bit of panic on box hill


that's true. That and the fact that Cav is skinnier now, but still has the sprint in his legs, obviously, even with minimal leadout.


----------



## enzo24 (Jul 8, 2012)

qatarbhoy said:


> I believe the hill in question is Box Hill. It may not be high but it's got a reputation as a stiff climb.


400' of gain at 5% avg. qualifies as a stiff hill? One site I saw claimed a max grade of 14%, but looking at the profile it looks like the max sustained over any kind of distance is about 10% and that only over the first 300m or so. 

Don't get me wrong, I would probably be quite tired if I climbed hard it nine times in a row. In fact it's very similar to a hill I used to climb a lot. But the pros will probably be climbing it in under six minutes, and at speeds that will still permit a good bit of drafting. It's way too small and way too far from the finish to create a selection in a pro race.


----------



## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

enzo24 said:


> 400' of gain at 5% avg. qualifies as a stiff hill? One site I saw claimed a max grade of 14%, but looking at the profile it looks like the max sustained over any kind of distance is about 10% and that only over the first 300m or so.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I would probably be quite tired if I climbed hard it nine times in a row. In fact it's very similar to a hill I used to climb a lot. But the pros will probably be climbing it in under six minutes, and at speeds that will still permit a good bit of drafting. It's way too small and way too far from the finish to create a selection in a pro race.


I've never ridden it myself. People I know who have thought it was a stiff climb and it's well-known as such to British riders. 

Of course, what rates as a challenge to amateurs and what troubles the pros are two different things, and if you want climbs that are long and high as well as steep, you won't find them near London.


----------



## The Tedinator (Mar 12, 2004)

Let me put on my fire retardant suit.....zip it up. OK

I have as much of a chance of winning Olympic gold as Tyler Farrar. He seems a nice guy, but he just ain't got it.


----------

