Cadel Evans appreciation thread.

[fatandfast]

took a 40k pull uphill. Guy is great..always positive, attacks and pulls thru,doesn't sit in ever.

 

[No_Balls]

Sign me up for the bandwagon. Loved the guy today.

 

[Jeanne]

Really enjoyed to see him fight today! Great ride!

 

[JA.Tri]

awesome ride Cadel.

Andy, Tommy, Cadel...chapeau!

Suspect Cadel will be faced with a similar situation tomorrow (just reverse Andy and Frank).

Still looks close for top spot... but Andy Frank Cadel seems an increasingly likely outcome.

 

[goggalor]

great ride by evans today. he should have realized that contador wasn't at his best earlier. it was obvious.

Yup, great ride, again. But in hindsight he should've maybe followed Andy's move. I'm convinced he could've dropped Contador and Samu already on Izoard, they both looked shot all day, and maybe that would've been enough to get Andy/Frank/Basso to ride with him to the bottom of the Galibier.

But that's hindsight for ya. As soon as Andy had 30 seconds he didn't really have a choice but to wait for the Galibier.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Respect for his riding, not only today but the entire Tour. He took his responsibility plenty of times.

Today he was the only one who still had something left in the final. He has a really weird climbing style though. It seems like it isn't going fast but in the end he dropped nearly everyone in that 40-man group that was left at the base.

 

[sartoris]

Why did he let Andy go that far before pushing up?? He may have lost his last chance ever to win the Tour. What was he expecting? That Contador did the job for him?

Anyway, good show, and I hope he mashes the Sclecklets to a pulp in the crono.

 

[goggalor]

Respect for his riding, not only today but the entire Tour. He took his responsibility plenty of times.

Today he was the only one who still had something left in the final. He has a really weird climbing style though. It seems like it isn't going fast but in the end he dropped nearly everyone in that 40-man group that was left at the base.

I think Basso and obviously Fränk still looked OK. Basso should've taken some turns on the front. Especially after Contador dropped.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Basso dropped at the end (losing 2 seconds), so obviously Basso was completely at his limit.

 

[SirLes]

Ballsy riding. Chapeau.

I thought today was real old school. No hiding behind domestiques until right at the end but just the best riders giving it everything.

 

[luckyboy]

Great ride by Cadel today. This Tour he has won me over. Partly because it's been him vs the Schlecks too though.

 

[kurtinsc]

Why did he let Andy go that far before pushing up?? He may have lost his last chance ever to win the Tour. What was he expecting? That Contador did the job for him?

Anyway, good show, and I hope he mashes the Sclecklets to a pulp in the crono.

Frankly, I'm shocked Evans was able to go at the pace he did for that long. If he had started 5km sooner, I think he would have cracked and not gained as much time. If he had more in the tank, he would have been able to go with Frank.

Given his situation with the teammates he had with him and the amount the other teams were willing to contribute, he road that stage about as well as he possibly could.

 

[jens_attacks]

impressive cadel.

 

[Rooboy]

Why did he let Andy go that far before pushing up?? He may have lost his last chance ever to win the Tour. What was he expecting? That Contador did the job for him?

Anyway, good show, and I hope he mashes the Sclecklets to a pulp in the crono.

I think he was genuinely surprised that no one else would work with him at the bottom of the last climb. He appeared to make an offer to TV but was turned down. The other GC contenders seemed to have resigned themelves to a podium place only. Also he probably wasn't entirely sure how Contador was and was likely expecting an attack from him or Samu which would have driven the pace up.

It would have been great if Voeckler (and Rolland) had taken some turns too but to be fair TV probably rode it perfectly for his own needs.

Whatever the case I can't see what cadel could have done differently after the initial attack. After the fnal descent he had no teammates around him for a while (one up front) and then seemed to wait with other GC guys for some domestiques to join them. History (logic?) says that they would all ride together to pull in Andy. This didn't happen and it was only 1 tired BMC boy pulling at the front for far too long until some Saxo and EE boys made a token effort.

Anyway Cadel rode physically brilliantly but he was tactically beaten by a stronger team. As big a fan I am of is I have to be honest and say the tour was taken from him today but I don't think he caused it's loss. You could say BMC tired out their team in earlier stages but at the same time would Cadel be in the postion he is (was) if he wasn't always being protected at the front? (oh - and that awesome TTT).

One of the biggest victories today is that the ignorant wheel sucker tag assigned to him by many is truly gone. It truly was a marvelous ride.

 

[Ryberg]

A lot of focus put on the fact that Cadel put in his effort too late and stuff... Why?
I think he timed everything fairly well after realizing nobody else was able to keep the pace he was able to!! Remember that he actually gained a lot of time on AS going up the final climb.
Tomorrow he will know from the beginning, that he is the strongest, and the only one that can haul back the Schlecks if they jump from the bunch.
Makes everything pretty easy tactics-wise: Keep up on Alpe - TT the hell out of the Bros - Wear Yellow in Paris!!!

 

[Carols]

I have always respected Cadel and today he did an awesome ride. I hope he wins this tour!

 

[El Oso]

Europcar and Voeckler owe Evans big time!!! WTF though no organised chase; just left to one man? Nice ****** manoeveur by F. Schleck there just at the end. Brothers Schleck know they don't have a hope come TT time. A. Schleck's ride almost reminiscent of another epic getaway a few years ago (FL!) and no I am not suggesting anything else!

As much as I want Cadel to beat up on the Scheckettes and I would be ****ed if that happened to me, that's just racing. Frank knows he needs a lot of time before the TT.

I'm just hoping tomorrow isn't like Alpe d'Huez 2008.

 

[El Oso]

Superb ride by Cadel. Just about towed everyone up the hill and defended Voeckler's jersey for him.

Reckon he might have a few choice words about Voeckler this evening though

“I had to put it on the line, but it was my Tour to win and mine to lose,” said Evans. “It’s also a bit bizarre when Voeckler’s team stops riding and he has the yellow jersey. They’ve ridden a lot all week, but he still had a teammate in the end and just sort of looked at me to do the work, but I’m alone too.”

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011...estions-tour-de-france-rivals’-tactics_185405

I don't think Voeckler had it in him to help, but I would have expected something more from Rolland earlier in the climb. I think I would have more choice words for the other favourites (except for Frank who had a reason to sit in), who more or less conceded the race to Evans vs. Scheckettes.

 

[No_Balls]

One of the biggest victories today is that the ignorant wheel sucker tag assigned to him by many is truly gone. It truly was a marvelous ride.

You can be proud with your boy. In one "simple" effort, in the moment he needed it, he just did it all by himself. Riding away from the wheel-sucker tag forever. After a long, and successful career, after some very unfortunate accidents and mishaps in earlier GT´s this day defined him. You may disagree but it is the way i see it.

He surely won me over today.

 

[cineteq]

I don't think Voeckler had it in him to help, but I would have expected something more from Rolland earlier in the climb. I think I would have more choice words for the other favourites (except for Frank who had a reason to sit in), who more or less conceded the race to Evans vs. Scheckettes.

Cadel was unlucky that Alberto, who was the key guy, had a bad day. He obviously was counting on him, or even on Sammy to get pulls. Otherwise Andy's gap would have been insignificant.

 

[El Oso]

Cadel was unlucky that Alberto, who was the key guy, had a bad day. He obviously was counting on him, or even on Sammy to get pulls. Otherwise Andy's gap would have been insignificant.

Agreed, they were good allies in Stage 16. They could be good allies tomorrow. I'm sure Contador would want to at least take a stage and Sammy is only 2 points down in the KOM. Thus they could help keep the Schleckettes in check

 

[cineteq]

Agreed, they were good allies in Stage 16. They could be good allies tomorrow. I'm sure Contador would want to at least take a stage and Sammy is only 2 points down in the KOM. Thus they could help keep the Schleckettes in check

Voilà same thing we're talking about: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-surprised-with-tour-de-france-rivals-tactics

"Behind, Evans found himself without much firepower to help defend as the climb began, especially after both defending champion Alberto Contador and Euskaltel-Euskadi's Samuel Sanchez began struggling and pulled their men off the front."

"It's my Tour to win and mine to lose, but when Voeckler and his team quit riding and he has the yellow, it was a bit bizarre. They've ridden a lot all week, but then he still had a teammate in the end. It was a bit strange in the end, they looked at me to do the work, but I was alone."

 

[Kender]

He sure did take his sweet time though.

huh? he out climbed andy by nearly 2 minutes on the final ascent

 

[El Pistolero]

This is the first time Cuddles earns my respect.

 

[jsem94]

This is where he may have saved his tour, and in style. Class rider for sure.