Macy0161 wrote: » La Vuelta is normally the race where people moving are left out, even when relations are otherwise good!
1bryan wrote: » Btw, does anyone know who Sam's agent is? Is it one of the McQuaids?
wirelessdude01 wrote: » Also need to fill in the backstop about him supposedly leaving at the end of the season plus Paddy's outbursts about Sam's mental fortitude.
CrowdedHouse wrote: » Yes, Andrew - Trinity Sports Management
1bryan wrote: » I always got the impression that Trinity were inclined to deal specifically with a handful of teams, and a lot of their riders would jump between those teams. Thats anecdotal.
Raoul Duke wrote: » Also, that he's probably recovered from the injury but doesn't have the fitness for the Tour (according to Sam). And that's there's maybe a kernel of truth to what his team boss has been saying. If he was at 90% fitness, there's stages to win at this Tour.
1bryan wrote: » He's in safe hands then, and I'm sure Andrew is the one advising Sam not to react to Lefevere's baiting. I always got the impression that Trinity were inclined to deal specifically with a handful of teams, and a lot of their riders would jump between those teams. Thats anecdotal. I'd actually love to see the breakdown of Trinity riders, and the teams they've ridden for. My money is on Sam being with Ineos next year.
Dr. Bre wrote: » Why Ineos? They won’t really help Sam in the sprints if they are a dedicated GC team !
swarlb wrote: » Morkov and Co. are now HIS best buddies, and Bennett....well, I think they've forgotten about him.
swarlb wrote: » There's almost a script at work here. Bennett went to the Tour last possibly hoping to win a stage at the very least, possibly two. But he ends up in a Green jersey fight with Sagan, and with the help of his team, managed to pull himself over the mountains, take it down to the line, and win green in Paris. Morkov and Co. are his best buddies and all is well. Fast forward a year, and while he did have wins at the start, he lost out at Gent Wevelegem, which was unfortunate as he looked very strong, and would no doubt have won if it had come down to a sprint. Then you have 'the combacks'... Evenepoel, Jakobsen and of course 'Cav' Ye couldn't make this up, and while the first two are still on the road to recovery, there is no doubt that 'Cav' is on top form. So... which looks better for QuickStep... a defence of the Green jersey with an injured Bennett or a stab at massive publicity with a reborn 'Cav' and his quest to equal at the least Merckx's tally of 34 stage wins... and possibly take Green as well. And judging by the results so far, he is on course. Morkov and Co. are now HIS best buddies, and Bennett....well, I think they've forgotten about him. If Bennett had won at Gent and Scheldeprijs it might be a different story...He's not even going to the Olympics, which I would have thought would have been a personal goal for any athlete.
swarlb wrote: » He's not even going to the Olympics, which I would have thought would have been a personal goal for any athlete.
mr spuckler wrote: » The course is completely unsuited to him so he'd be a passenger at best, to the cost of the team.
swarlb wrote: » Well... we'll never know. Be interesting to see who wins it in the end.
breezy1985 wrote: » No we do know he would not have a chance. Its like saying he could win on Tourmalet
GetWithIt wrote: » You never know.
breezy1985 wrote: » Trinity work pretty closely with Ineos. Hopefully though he doesnt end up there
ratracer wrote: » With Sam and the latest contract debacle, it’s almost a case of history repeating itself…… didn’t he have a long drawn out end to his last contract with Bora also? Can’t believe he’s going back there, but like it would be for most people, money talks!
ratracer wrote: » With Sam and the latest contract debacle, it’s almost a case of history repeating itself…… didn’t he have a long drawn out end to his last contract with Bora also?
1bryan wrote: » yeah, it seems a lot of English speaking riders are with Trinity, and the predominantly English speaking teams have very close dealings with them. Its a bit of a myth about Ineos being a Grand Tour team. Certainly, when it comes to Grand Tours, they're all about the overall, but they have good success outside of that too, particularly in early season semi-classics (if not in actual classics themselves), and 7-day stage races. I remember going to the first week of the Tour in 2012 (I think it was), in Northern France and Belgium. Cavendish was with Sky and had no sprint train but still took 4 stages. Obviously a sprinter wants his sprint train, but no matter where Sam ends up, he'll make the most of it, and I predict he'll take his fair share of victories with or without it.
Macy0161 wrote: » There's no debacle. Lefevere has just been acting the bollox very early on in a contract year.
Inquitus wrote: » Was in the news today that Leferve is negotiating with Cavendish for next year, much as I hate the way PL has treated Sam, with Cav's current form it makes sense, he is getting a refound Cav for what will likely be a song, and with what he's shown this year he's better than almost everyone bar Caleb Ewan and our Sam, and Morkov makes up some of that gap along with the rest of the DQS train.
[Deleted User] wrote: » Viviani raced recently with the Italian team and took 2 stages in a 2.1 race. He's all in for the Olympics on the track. Actually I think he's carrying the flag for Italy at the games too. Ackermann won a 2.5km prologue in Romania yesterday against less than stellar opposition. I mentioned this in another thread but that race is well worth watching tomorrow on the races own facebook, the climb is unreal as far as views go!!!!!!!!!
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w8.vanillicon.com/v2/892f365931e5cb4ba5c9d4ce2c7da299.svg)
