Cipo third!

[MJ_1993]

Interesting, maybe Cavendish went to early?
Ciolek is a bit of a way down as is Freire, maybe they werent really trying.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Because Cippo is a legend

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Who cares - he is the main man

I'll get me coat

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty????

[-Adam-]

Oh Paul, that went out the window at least 10 years ago in cycling!

But remember Malcom Elliot is 47 and he still beats the kids. I think It can be done. Im not saying Cipo is clean or not but who knows. Didn't he get dropped into the second bunch on the day before?

Havn't seen the sprint myself but I think Ciolek was working for Cav yesterday so that explains his low place. And Its quite conceiveavble that Cav was overcome mentally sprinting against Cipo and Boonen. Although of course he'd never admit it! lol

[Andrew G]

The man is a legend if only for his outfits and general playboy behaviour.

Regarding beating Cavendish it is perfectly plausible that someone with Cipo's racing experience and bunch craft could beat Cav who still has a lot to learn without drugs - this is an early season couple of bunch gallops after all. Cav's really quick but can be fantastically naive in his placement and handling of himself in the final stages of a race. I'd imagine Cipo can still put in a fair kick himself he was the quickest in the World for a hell of a long time - yes Marco he may have been on drugs then but by your call then so was everyone else in the same sprints .

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]But remember Malcom Elliot is 47 and he still beats the kids

[-Adam-]

[quote="Andrew G"]Cav's really quick but can be fantastically naive in his placement and handling of himself in the final stages of a race.

[Andrew G]

Simply that he is still young and inexperienced on the road at that level. He has a background on the track and has only been riding on the road with the top sprinters for a year, and not in all his races.

As an easy example look at the Tour last year, when the big names were there and really going for it, the teams trying to set the bunch up etc, he had problem after problem and never really got anywhere near having a sniff. He complained at one point of the team not getting him where he wanted for the final launch, if he hadn't been so far down the pack in the first place they wouldn't have had to try and drag him up through the field to get near the front. I think one of the times he went down was on a bend when someone was trying to get him up towards the front a bit last minute.

It doesn't make him bad, just that he still has a lot to learn which can only come with more races against the big riders. A lot of his successes last year came in smaller races which weren't quite so hectic in the closing stages, this year I think his programme is geared at putting him in more bigger races so develop the experience of thrashing it out in those sprints, where to be, whose wheel and so on.

He seems a pretty quick learner so I'm sure he'll pick up some good wins this year, and fingers crossed he can get a few stages in the Giro. That will be a good test with McEwan etc there and Petacchi's (if he's cleared) train trying to set him up.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]Sprint # 1 failed to hold my line that would have forced Grahame into oncoming traffic and moving over slightly let him through.

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"][quote="Sean"]Sprint # 1 failed to hold my line that would have forced Grahame into oncoming traffic and moving over slightly let him through.

[-Adam-]

[quote="Seanieh_PengeDaddy©"]Oh no, but then again there was only ever one in the club...wasn't there.....Adam