Malliot Vert
Hushovd and Cavendish have a chat after the infamous 'incident' on stage 13 TdF 2009.
Cavendish was disqualified from the sprint and lost 13 points. Hushovd ended up winning the title by 10 points.
The battle for sprint supremacy does not always go to the best sprinter or fastest man in the peloton. Last year Thor Hushovd only won the one stage, the same as Oscar Freire the year prior. It goes to the most consistent sprinter, the one who is always consistently in the finish - but you have to be able to collect points on the harder stages and although Cavendish won 6 stages last year, he was beaten for the prize as Hushovd collected points on intermediate stages and at check points mid stage.
After the drama of last year we see the return of Aussie stalwart and three time green jersey winner (2002/04/06) Robbie McEwen. 2007 winner Tom Boonen is out though.
How The Points Work
In every stage, the first finishers are awarded points for the Overall Points Classification. The stages are divided into several types: individual time trials, flat stages, undulating stages and mountain stages. There are also intermediate sprints during each stage.
A rider has to complete the Tour in order to be ranked in the Final Points Classification.
FLAT STAGES
1st 35 points, then 30,26,24,22,20,19,18,17 etc all the way down to 1 point for 25th place
INTERMEDIATE STAGES
1st 25 points, then 22,20,18,16,15,14,13,12 etc all the way down to 1 point for 20th
MOUNTAIN STAGES
1st 20 points, then 17,15,13,12,10,9,8 down to 1 point for 15th
TIME TRIALS
1st 15 points then 12,10,8,6,5,4,3,2,1 down to 10th.
and the riders............
Mark CavendishColumbia - HTC
Major Wins
4 Stages 2008 Tour de France
6 Stages 2009 Tour de France
2 Stages 2008 Giro d'Italia
4 Stages 2009 Giro d'Italia
2009 Milan - San Remo
2005/08 Madison World Champion (track)
In 2009 Cavendish was beaten in a sprint finish just once. He won every single other sprint finish he contested, the final count was close to 30. He is a freak with a team and a lead out man (Renshaw) that delivers him to the right spot every time. The lead out train has been hurt by the loss of Hincapie, although they have been winning races with Greipel. Cavendish has said he only has 2 objectives in 2010: The Green Jersey and the World Champs. There is no faster man in a sprint, you can be sure that he will win more stages than anyone else. But he needs to be craftier and stronger on the non sprint stages if he wants the Green Jersey. But I think he has learned his lesson and will be better than ever. (more Cav here)
Prediction: 1st
Thor Hushovd
Cervelo Test Team
Major Wins
1998 U23 World TT Champion
2006 Gent-Wevelgem
1 Stage 2001 Tour de France
1 Stage 2002 Tour de France
1 Stage 2004 Tour de France
1 Stage 2005 Vuelta a España
2 Stages 2006 Tour de France
1 Stage 2006 Vuelta a España
1 Stage 2007 Giro d'Italia
1 Stage 2007 Tour de France
1 Stage 2008 Tour de France
1 Stage 2009 Tour de France
Points Classification 2005/09 Tour de France
Points Classification 2006 Vuelta a España
Thor - The God of thunder. The big Norwegian has picked up stages in all but two Tour de Frances since 2001 - amazingly he did not win a stage in 2005, the year he won the Green Jersey. He has been in good form this year with a second in the Paris-Roubaix. His best Team mate Heinrich Haussler is out after knee surgery but anohter Aussie in Brett Lancaster will provide him with great lead outs.
Prediction: 2nd
Oscar Freire
Rabobank
Major Wins
1999/01/04 World Road Race Champion
2004/07/10 Milan-Sanremo
2005 Tirreno-Adriatico
2008 Ghent-Wevelgem
2 Stages 2000 Vuelta a España
1 Stage 2002 Tour de France
1 Stage 2004 Tour de France
2 Stages 2006 Tour de France
3 Stages 2007 Vuelta a España
1 Stage 2008 Vuelta a España
1 Stage 2008 Tour de France
Points Classification 2008 Tour de France
One of only 4 men to have won 3 World Championships, he also has 3 Milan - San Remo wins to his credit. Throughout a career of injuries, Freire remains one of the most talented sprinters in the world. In 2008 he won just a single stage but was regularly top 3 and fought and scrapped for every point he could, he was there on the bunch sprints, the undulating days with uphill kicks and he does it pretty much on his own. He is not going to get much help from his team but that will not bother him. He is often overlooked, but Freire will pop up and win a stage somewhere, he picks them up regularly on the tours of France and Spain and you don't wins monuments like Milan - San Remo or world champs without being very strong all round. He will be in the finish of just aboout every stage because he is able to climb over some of the obstacles others can not. He will rely on his experience and road craft to try and beat Cavendish and pick up points at every opportunity, watch for him on the intermediate stages.
Prediction: 3rd /4th
Garmin - Slipstream
Major Wins
1Stages 2009 Vuelta a Espana
2 Stage 2010 Giro d'Italia
A fast sprinter and the only man to beat Cavendish last year (see right in stage3 of the Tirreno- Adriatico). Will be well supported by his team mates, he has Julian Deane and Robbie Hunter who are both very fast to lead him out - he is a pure sprinter tho will will keep Cav on his toes - But I doubt he will be beating him.
Prediction: 3rd / 4th
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