Sam Bennett - no same day spoilers

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259626#Comment_119259626

I would argue that the socials are on fire for QS with or without him given that most of GCN are Cav fans so will push the he should be here line every day until it’s over.

at1withmyself

Cav deserves to be at the Tour in my opinion as he's shown form this year. Would be nice to see him defend the green and I think he'd win a stage.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259643#Comment_119259643

I dunno.

that's not quite the same thing as him actually being in the tour going for the record

dahat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259659#Comment_119259659

QS don't care much for the record it seems only Cav & his cheerleaders. While it would be great to see him break the record sentiment has no place at the top level of sport.

One case of Covid changes everything though so all is not lost for Cav just yet.

Dodge

Pretty embarrassing carry on from some of the British cycling media this week IMO. Using Cav beating a junior and a pro conti rider in a 3 up sprint as evidence for him to go to the Tour?

and not mentioning Senechel winning the French equivalent for his argument…

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260224#Comment_119260224

I don't even like Cavandish as a personality tbh but the interest is huge and cycling sponsorship is all about getting exposure

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260224#Comment_119260224

Maybe the Belgians are also quite happy to not have some sprinter take the record of Belgium's (Worlds) greatest cyclist. 😜

CramCycle

Cav knew he wasn't going if you listen to the post BC interview. He states it and then says it is unusual he didn't get a call and that he would still love to go. He has trained for it because he got lucky last year with Sam getting injured, followed by a relatively weaker sprint field. Britissh media making a mountain out of a molehill on this one. I dislike Pat immensely but Cav is no idiot, he knew on a good year, he was an understudy at best. It would be like me trainign for the Ras and then finding it surprising that no one from my team rang me to say I wasn't going, despite the fact that it was known to me and all around me that, barring something very unlikely, it really wasn't a prospect.

Even watching the BCs, the other two bought into the media and never seemed to open up the sprint against Cav, who barely looked able to open up either after what was an impressive day in the saddle from him.

retalivity

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260260#Comment_119260260

It has been a joke, I've spent most of yesterday trolling brits who dont seem to understand that Jakobsen was always going to the tour, and cav to the giro, regardless of what happened. QS and Lefevre have been saying it since the start of the year, but sure that doesn't seem to matter to most of the UK media...

Jakobsen has won 10 races this year, Cav has one stage in the giro and the race last weekend where the field was not great. And even if they caved and took him, whose place is he going to take? Is he going to work in the train for Jakobsen? Highly doubtful. They only way he was going to the tour was if Jakobsen got injured, and that is looking extremely unlikely at this stage. The 2 of them going would be a hindrance to the whole team, and the chances of them getting even one sprint stage would be lessened. At this stage i'd nearly prefer him to go and completely bomb, fighting with coquard to finish 6th.

bUt CaV iS iN gReAt FoRm AnD iS tHe BeSt SpRiNtEr AnD bAd Eu AnD bReXiT......

EDIT: Thought this was the general thread, not the one for Sam Bennett! But the comparison to bennett's omission is telling, he's been off form all year, the acceptance that the team cant carry passengers, and tbf, van poppel deserves a chance at being the sprinter based on his results this year. None of that on team cav though...

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260345#Comment_119260345

Also if your QS are you gonna pss of a top young sprinting talent for a fella that could be done any minute now.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260539#Comment_119260539

as said don't even like Cavendish and not saying that he should go on a merit basis but the situation of a guy with 34 TDF stage wins and needing 1 more for the outright stage record in by far the biggest cycling race in the world over Eddy feckin' Merckx to a guy with 2 TDF stages is not really comparable (never mind the fact that Cavendish has shown more than Bennett this year itself)

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260260#Comment_119260260

Embarrassing that they didn't point to his pretty good form in the giro.

In a few other teams he'd be there in merit. He'd be ahead of Sam if they were both in Bora purely on form and fitness.

The stuff last year, the injuries, a new team that has other priorities and being a new dad are all probably playing a part for Sam's indifferent form.

But also, Sam just seems like an outwardly nice guy. Cavendishs willingness to run over his own grandmother for a win is partly why he's so successful (beyond being a fantastic cyclist)

Dodge

I’m not arguing Sam deserves a spot. I haven’t seen anyone do that.

Cav is behind Jakobsen. It really is that simple

Anyway Declerq is out now so we’ll see if they bring him ahead of Senechel

Paddigol

Gotta say its a bit odd seeing people snigger at Cav getting left out, snigger at the wave of UK support for him and saying its the right call, and then expressing mild shock and outrage at Sam getting left at home. One fella on here got piled on last year for suggesting that Sam was far from the No. 1 sprinter the Irish media made him out to be. We're well capable of myopia here too.

Dodge

There isn’t an Irish cycling media though. A couple of journos but nothing like the UK (GCN led of course)

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260726#Comment_119260726

Pure nonsense. No one is sniggering just not shocked that they guy QS said all season isn't going to the Tour isnt going to the Tour.

Also Sam not going has been widely accepted in Ireland. If anything there is more disappointment that Dunbar, Mullen or Healy couldn't make it.

Sam was the no.1 sprinter back when we said he was the no.1 sprinter an no one is saying it now.

De Bhál

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260726#Comment_119260726

Mild shock maybe, but I haven't seen 'outrage' anywhere.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260726#Comment_119260726

Ah now. GCN had an entire YouTube video up discussing how he should be going to the tour, and pretty much all of British media was calling it an absolute outrage that he wasn’t picked.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260845#Comment_119260845

Pure nonsense?? How rude! I'm mortally offended 😂

mewso

I really hope this decision is with Sam's blessing. The last thing he needs is more bad blood in a team. I always assumed it would be in his contract to ride the Tour which is why I suspect he played a part in this but who knows. I feel very sorry for Mullen because while Sam has been below par this season Mullen has been excellent bossing any peleton he is in. I could see him as a road captain in the future.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119261008#Comment_119261008

Yeah, its a bit OTT. I'm just saying we're no different here any time we get a whiff of international glory. To be fair, even leaving aside the Mercx record angle, the Cav story of the past 18 months is pretty gripping. It's always going to generate headlines/ stories.

mewso

It has been gripping but also plenty of insight into the man:

https://youtube.com/shorts/NmqZwHuT9cU?feature=share

MrMojoRisin'

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260845#Comment_119260845

Still hope for Healy to make it, no??

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119261320#Comment_119261320

Slim chance, he rode the national champs last weekend here, think it’s been said for the last few weeks that he won’t be in the squad but who knows with the way Covid has gone for them

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119261279#Comment_119261279

Plenty of the biggest winners in cycling were not exactly nice people in their sporting days and were completely selfish, demanding and ruthless including the very greatest e.g.- Eddy Mercx (hated for the way he never gifted a stage, or how he would go for points for other competitions as well as taking the GC etc)

Likewise Hinault shafting Le Mond etc

100% sure that phone cameras would have picked up plenty more were they to exist in everyone's pockets back then.

It's not difficult to understand Cavendish's drive there after coming back from the complete cycling wilderness there on what might possibly remain his last TDF

As someone else said, it's very much part of the reason that they achieved so much in the first place.

c.p.w.g.w

I thought Sam and Ryan were down for the tour, I saw a lineup up last week and they were both included in the squad for the tour

CrowdedHouse

I'm sure they were pencilled in earlier, Sam is struggling to hold on to his lead out men never mind win.

Mullen is probably the real loser in this.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119261250#Comment_119261250

He's an employee of the team. His blessing shouldn't come into it. He hasn't had the form.

It would be a poor decision from Bora having just won their first Grand Tour to back an out of form sprinter who for various reasons is not at the level he was at 15 months ago.

G1032

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119259626#Comment_119259626

This for me. I'm shocked he wasn't selected. Can't believe it. But heard a theory somewhere else that is Jacobsen wins a couple of stages they'll get exposure and if he doesn't they'll still get it because it'll be non stop talk about Cav's omission. So win win.

G1032

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119260260#Comment_119260260

That's not very fair. He raced a super race in the nationals. I didn't see Hayter or Turner or Swift winning it.