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news
André Greipel gets his third stage win of the 2009 Vuelta © UnipublicGreipel leaves HTC-Columbia to set up Cavendish showdown in 2011
André Greipel claimed earlier this year that he was faster than Mark Cavendish ahead of this year’s Tour de France, and in next year’s edition of the race he’ll have a chance to prove it following the announcement that he is moving to Omega Pharma-Lotto at the end of the season.
Earlier this year, Cavendish, who struggled to overcome illness in the early part of the year, responded to Greipel’s suggestion that both of them be selected for the HTC-Columbia squad for the Tour de France by saying, “there's no chance he's coming to a bike race that I'm in. Me on bad form is still better than him."
The deterioration in the relationship between the two riders had led to suggestion that Cavendish might move to Team Sky, although the Manxman has consistently pointed out that he believes HTC-Columbia is the perfect team for him, and Greipel’s departure should help put an end to that speculation.
Greipel, aged 28, won four stages of the Vuelta last year as well as the points classification, but misfired in this May’s Giro d’Italia, where he picked up just one stage win. He has 14 other stage wins to his name during 2010, as well as clinching the overall and points jerseys in the Tour Down Under, and the points classifications in the Tours of Turkey and Austria and the Volta ao Algarve.
Joining Greipel at Omega Pharma-Lotto will be the 33-year-old Belgian Jurgen Van de Walle, who arrives from Quick Step, while Bernhard Eisel and Bert Grabsch will continue to support Cavendish at HTC-Columbia having both signed two-year extensions to their existing contracts.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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7 comments
ALL Sprinters have "EGO's" some more fragile than others ! Robbie Mc Ewen & Eric Zabel are still the bench mark that the others need to emulate before they can claim they are the best !
Take the time to google "parrabuddy & skippydetour" and see if you can enjoy participating or helping others next July!
Brit Cavendish lashed out at his German team-mate in an interview with The Guardian earlier this week. "There's no chance of Greipel winning a Monument," he said. "There's no chance whatsoever that he's coming to a bike race that I'm in."
Sounds like dissing to me...
Since when has winning a stage of the Giro been a "misfire."
Not belittling the Giro, for many pro cyclists a single Grand Tour stage win is the pinnacle of their career.
If, however, you say before the race begins that you're going to pick up several stage wins to prove why you should be picked for the Tour de France and end up with a solitary victory on Stage 18 after your team mates have got you into a decent position to contest sprints during the preceding three weeks, I think it's justified to say he "misfired."
Not childish at all really, as he didnt 'diss' Greipel, he just said he was faster than him. Lets have a bit more fire in the peleton, the Winker & Schleck love-in this year was sickening.
It'll be interesting to see what happens next year between the two of them. I think it was a bit childish of Cav to diss his own teammate before the Tour ... well, no, not a bit, it was childish.
I think cavendish is safe but i suspect that greipel - despite his giro performance - is the second fastest man in the pelton. farrar and others need to watch out.