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Sam Bennett - no same day spoilers

Beasty

Signs for NetApp Endura

Delighted to see him get himself sorted after his storming finish to the season (as well as earlier in the season with his performances in the Ras)

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burger1979

:mad::eek::mad::eek::mad::eek::mad::eek::mad::eek::mad::eek::mad::eek:
cries his eyes out......

retalivity

At least the Cav talk will detract from the endless droning about 'G'...

Junior

Well, f*ck.

Mefistofelino

Carlton's going to be even more insufferable.

breezy1985

Dodge wrote: »

Yes to both. Sagan for Green now

2 big records close to being broken are Sean Kellys number of days in GT points jerseys and Merckx stage wins. I can't see Cavendish getting any stage wins but Sagan should take the points record

happytramp

That's terrible for him. He must be gutted.

From a personal point of view, the tour has lost about 90% of it's excitement for me now... The excitement from his battle for the green jersey last year was something else.

happytramp

God, just saw that Lefevere is saying that his knee is grand and that he's just got preformance anxiety.

Mefistofelino

I find it a little odd that someone who hasn't ridden a three week tour since 2018 (and hasn't finished one since 2015), wasn't supposed to be riding the TdF at all - and was told last week that he absolutely, positively wasn't riding it - is now fit enough to go to the Tour.

With all due respect to Sam, a Cav stage win at the Tour would generate far more coverage (and sell far more flooring products) than a Bennett win. I think Lefevre has been fcuking around on the margins with this plan for a while, especially after Sam announced his departure.

happytramp

happytramp wrote: »

God, just saw that Lefevere is saying that his knee is grand and that he's just got preformance anxiety.

"I'm starting to think it's more performance anxiety than just pain..... I cannot prove that he does not have knee pain, but I am starting to think more and more that it is more fear of failure than just pain. Yesterday he had to come to Belgium, but then there were problems with his plane again. Then you start to think strange things. He'll have to come anyway. I'm not going to let this pass."

What an utter p**ck.

godtabh

happytramp wrote: »

"I'm starting to think it's more performance anxiety than just pain..... I cannot prove that he does not have knee pain, but I am starting to think more and more that it is more fear of failure than just pain. Yesterday he had to come to Belgium, but then there were problems with his plane again. Then you start to think strange things. He'll have to come anyway. I'm not going to let this pass."

What an utter p**ck.

Is he saying Sam is faking it/missing planes on purpose so I put Cav in? I can see it in his mind now. If Cav goes good he's a hero. If Cav goes bad its all Sam's fault for faking it.

Mefistofelino

"If i can't have him, then nobody else can. I will break him"

godtabh

Mefistofelino wrote: »

"If i can't have him, then nobody else can. I will break him"

Thats another thing. That statement was to get into his head now and the future. Hopefully he proves him wrong.

Dr. Bre

He’s definitely not getting Rte sports person of the year

happytramp

To be honest, Sam's statement taken with Lefevere's interview makes it seems that even though he's been passed fit to race he has chosen not to go himself. Strange choice not to back himself to get up to speed but the pressure must be extreme and who can blame someone not wanting to put themselves through it.

griffin100

griffin100 wrote: »

Maybe Cav will be selected ahead of him. I wouldn’t put anything past Lefevere.

Told ya!!

I don’t think Cav has a chance of finishing a 3 week tour, but he doesn’t need to. As pointed out above one stage win will be enough.

Lefevere really is a pr1ck. It wasn’t good enough not to renew Sam’s contract, he’s now undermining him and questioning his commitment as he looks for a new team

Eamonnator

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-cast-doubts-on-the-severity-of-sam-bennetts-knee-issue/

"It's a shame that a 30 year old doesn't dare to tell the truth."
LeFevere speaking about Sam.
He is a despicable, obnoxious, devious f**ker.

breezy1985

Eamonnator wrote: »

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefevere-cast-doubts-on-the-severity-of-sam-bennetts-knee-issue/

"It's a shame that a 30 year old doesn't dare to tell the truth."
LeFevere speaking about Sam.
He is a despicable, obnoxious, devious f**ker.

He is a knob and I think he pulled the confidence thing before with another rider.
Having watched all the Ronde documentaries the DS Peeters comes across as a bit of a cretin too

CantGetNoSleep

Mefistofelino wrote: »

I find it a little odd that someone who hasn't ridden a three week tour since 2018 (and hasn't finished one since 2015), wasn't supposed to be riding the TdF at all - and was told last week that he absolutely, positively wasn't riding it - is now fit enough to go to the Tour.

With all due respect to Sam, a Cav stage win at the Tour would generate far more coverage (and sell far more flooring products) than a Bennett win. I think Lefevre has been fcuking around on the margins with this plan for a while, especially after Sam announced his departure.

Did Sam ever even announce his departure? I haven't heard him say anything about it, just Lefevre in his newspaper columns

happytramp

For some reason those seven flat sprint stages aren't quite as appealing as they were yesterday.

TheNah

Does anyone else think maybe the whole ‘Cav for the tour’ thing got inside Sam’s head? Maybe it spooked him a bit. Must have increased the pressure on him to perform.

CramCycle

TheNah wrote: »

Does anyone else think maybe the whole ‘Cav for the tour’ thing got inside Sam’s head? Maybe it spooked him a bit. Must have increased the pressure on him to perform.

Not at all, no one is expecting anything from Cav, I doubt even Cav is deep down. He will try but unless he gets lucky I don't see it.

wpd

apart from "performance anxiety" (which I dont believe) is there any other reason Sam would be chosing not to ride tour?? I can't think of any but wondering if i am missing something.

North of 32

Devastated for Bennett.

He should ring up Roy Keane and have him sort out Lefevere - ''accusing me of faking an injury?''

Lefevere has made it clear - loudly in public - that he feels nothing is owed to Bennett. Bennett is rightfully repaying the sentiment by not risking his health and future prospects for a team that won't pay what he's worth and are looking to offload him. You reap what you sow. Could Bennett struggle through the tour? Probably, but why risk it? Thibaut Pinot comes to mind. He banged his knee and hasn't been the same since.

Quigs Snr

Lefevre seems so angry that my first thought was that Sam must have rode his missus.

Sam for his part seems to be making a statement too.. I reckon he'd normally show up with a niggle and try ride himself into it. There's more to this. Its a big deal for a sprinter to walk away from a run at 7 potential tour sprint stages whilst in his prime and sitting at the top of the best lead out train.

this.lad

He has changed his picture on twitter to just wearing normal clothes.

That lefevre is a piece of work.

He talks about three different stories about the plane, one of them true, for sure, but calls his honesty into question on the basis that the other two issues may be untrue.

It's a dreadfully dirty way to carry on.

[Deleted User]

The guy is like a Mourinho/Trump hybrid. Any victory is obviously solely down to him but a defeat is always someone else's fault.

It's kinda sickening to see how the Belgian media treat him as some sort of god but I guess they know how the game works with regards access to riders etc.

I wouldn't mind seeing Cav win a stage, just not riding for Lefevere.

retalivity

CramCycle wrote: »

Not at all, no one is expecting anything from Cav, I doubt even Cav is deep down. He will try but unless he gets lucky I don't see it.

Cav should be leading out Morkov!

[Deleted User]

Silver lining I guess is that I can watch the tour stress free now. I'm still not the better of last year

happytramp

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Silver lining I guess is that I can watch the tour stress free now. I'm still not the better of last year

I'm feeling pretty deflated after today's announcement. I know I'll struggle to get excited about it now... What could have been and everything. Debating giving it a miss, watching Ewan mop upsix or seven stages will be too depressing.

Macy0161

Not a great look for Sam with Lefevre throwing in him going outside the team for physio though.

If Sam isn't race fit/ still has a niggle, he was really in a no win. Go the Tour not perform or say he's not fit and Lefevre be a untc about it. I really don't see any rider, particularly Sam who essentially moved to do the Tour, turning down the chance if fit and able.