Cadel/BMC for TdF

[movingtarget]

Evans BMC TDF

Evans will retire before he goes for stage wins. That is not the way he competes. If the first week of the Tour goes pear shaped and he loses a lot of time, he won't have a choice but he never usually loses huge chunks of time and the other GC riders are not willing to let him get far up the road. I think last year was an anomaly for him and BMC will have a much more experienced team at the Tour and I am sure that Kroon will be in the team as he had his operation quite a while ago. Evans has always had more racing days than other GC contenders which means he probably trains less than them. The Giro has been incredibly hard but I still think he can be in the mix in July. Top five a possibility.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It's a bit of a misconception, that one cannot compete for the overall, but will win stage wins at will. If he doesn't have the form to compete (which I think, he will be way too tired too) he wont have the form to beat them on a single stage. And evans probably wont just give up, and lose tons of time early on, therefore probably wont be allowed to go on a big break, the only way he will win a stage imo.

But I'm just making a assumption on his form. Who knows maybe he will be better then we think... probably not though.

 

[bicing]

Evans will still be a strong contender for the TDF. Sure, he won't win it, but he'll be a strong contender.

The move to BMC and the new race program he realised that he felt pretty good and performed pretty well in his 2nd GT for the year. This has always been the Vuelta. Now its the TDF.

Furthermore, the CN article said this year's Giro is not as hard as the TDF, so after his big rest through June he won't be too tired to do the TDF, since he did harder TDFs and then backed up well for the Vueltas.

 

[Christian]

Furthermore, the CN article said this year's Giro is not as hard as the TDF, so after his big rest through June he won't be too tired to do the TDF, since he did harder TDFs and then backed up well for the Vueltas.

Hm this is hard to judge! Evans said the tempo was slightly higher at the TdF, but even if the Giro was "easier" than the TdF this year (which I don't think), there is absolutely no significant difference between the two - the riders will be absolutely exhausted either way I'd say.

Plus, if he does nothing (or not much) in June, which will probably be the case, he'll show up at the Tour well-rested, but nowhere near top form! Same with Andy Schleck for example - did nothing since the ardennes classics and was nowhere near the front in California.

 

[issoisso]

Evans will still be a strong contender for the TDF. Sure, he won't win it, but he'll be a strong contender.

Don't bet money on that. You'll lose it all.

The move to BMC and the new race program he realised that he felt pretty good and performed pretty well in his 2nd GT for the year. This has always been the Vuelta. Now its the TDF.

Top Form for April + Rest + Top Form for July, then reasonable-ish form for September (face it, he's never been better than reasonable-ish in September when he was good in July) is completely different to Top Form for April + Top Form for May + Top Form for July with no rest.

Not to mention the latter is also impossible.

Furthermore, the CN article said this year's Giro is not as hard as the TDF, so after his big rest through June he won't be too tired to do the TDF, since he did harder TDFs and then backed up well for the Vueltas.

Two things wrong with that. Rest in June and you'll have no form in July. The main reason you can't have top form in both May and July is that if you try to hold it from one to the other, your body will break down trying to hold it that lond, while if you rest, then rebuild form, there's not anywhere near enough time in between to do it.

If he was decent at the Giro, he could be in top form at the Tour. But he was in top form at the Giro, and at the classics, so there is no chance at all he'll be top for the Tour.

He can go for stages in breaks, but that's all.

 

[flicker]

There aren't any out riders in the pro peloton, are there? I guess you wouldn't really expect a sport that is largely rooted in Catholic countries (Spain and Italy) to be exactly leading the charge against homophobia in sport, but it's still a shame.

Levi + perhaps Cadel. You can tell by their sensitive side and high pitched voices.

 

[The Sheep]

Levi + perhaps Cadel. You can tell by their sensitive side and high pitched voices.

You should know with a name like that.

 

[tgsgirl]

Polka-dots and rainbows? Eurgh.

That sounds brilliantly horrific. I'm still disappointed he didn't go for rainbows over pink. The more *** the colour-combo the better!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

That sounds brilliantly horrific. I'm still disappointed he didn't go for rainbows over pink. The more *** the colour-combo the better!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

 

[Libertine Seguros]

 

[Libertine Seguros]

and finally, the coup de gras:

 

[tgsgirl]

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

 

[BroDeal]

Wow. That is just very unfortunate.

It looks like he fell into a muddy puddle.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It looks like he fell into a muddy puddle.

Especially considering this is the (awesome) kit it replaced:

 

[ridley]

So back to the real topic at hand - Cadel/BMC at the tour !!!

A couple of views/perceptions ...

IF Cuddles WIN the Giro - he will be more inclined to be content and take it easy ... (my personal view)
IF he comes in second, Basso wins and head over to TdF, he will be there in a flash to compete

 

[Nick777]

Contrary to what most people think, a month is plenty of time to rest & rebuild for the tour.
I would be surprised if Cadel finishes outside the top 5 at the TDF. He won't win it, simply because he can't beat Contador.

 

[afpm90]

Contrary to what most people think, a month is plenty of time to rest & rebuild for the tour.
I would be surprised if Cadel finishes outside the top 5 at the TDF. He won't win it, simply because he can't beat Contador.

Tell that to Sastre.

 

[issoisso]

Contrary to what most people think, a month is plenty of time to rest & rebuild for the tour.

Really? Then name one contender who's managed to be in top form for both in the last ten years

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Really? Then name one contender who's managed to be in top form for both in the last ten years

Menchov did well in 2008, fourth (third) in the Tour and fifth in the Giro, but he certainly didn't do it well last year. Could have something to do with how he was following the wheels of a living pharmacy though.

 

[issoisso]

Menchov did well in 2008, fourth (third) in the Tour and fifth in the Giro, but he certainly didn't do it well last year. Could have something to do with how he was following the wheels of a living pharmacy though.

He did well, but he wasn't in top form for the Giro, which was his plan. And even then, he faded badly by the end of the Tour.

 

[Glockers]

This could help Cuddles.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ballan-back-to-racing

 

[kjetilraknerud]

He did well, but he wasn't in top form for the Giro, which was his plan. And even then, he faded badly by the end of the Tour.

And in the last ten years, he's the pick of the bunch - which of course doesn't speak in Evans' favour.

Pantani did well in 98 though

 

[Nick777]

Really? Then name one contender who's managed to be in top form for both in the last ten years

Doesn't mean it isnt possible. Maybe more people should try it.

 

[issoisso]

And in the last ten years, he's the pick of the bunch - which of course doesn't speak in Evans' favour.

Pantani did well in 98 though

Things were different in Pantani's days. And even then, he only won the Giro because Festina screwed up Zülle's doping program and only won the Tour because Ullrich had one amazingly awful day.

In normal circumstances, he wouldn't have won either

Doesn't mean it isnt possible. Maybe more people should try it.

A lot of people do try it. No one manages it.