Cadel Evans Discussion Thread

[movingtarget]

BMC have named the following in their long list to join Tejay and Cadel :Gilbert, Mathias Frank, Michael Schär, Steve Morabito, Thor Hushovd, Marcus Burghardt, Amael Moinard, Brent Bookwalter, Dominique Nerz and Manuel Quinziato. Three to miss out. Evans does not get Santaromita as he requested and unbelievably GVA is not even included in the list. Don't understand that at all. He has been their best domestique all year. Santa rode the Giro and may not be what they want for the Tour. I hope Hushovd and Gilbert miss out but the odds are at least one of them will go. Frank and Burghardt will be there. Nerz will probably miss out. Hope Quinziato gets a spot and Bookwalter. Morabito will be borderline.

 

[maxmartin]

BMC have named the following in their long list to join Tejay and Cadel :Gilbert, Mathias Frank, Michael Schär, Steve Morabito, Thor Hushovd, Marcus Burghardt, Amael Moinard, Brent Bookwalter, Dominique Nerz and Manuel Quinziato. Three to miss out. Evans does not get Santaromita as he requested and unbelievably GVA is not even included in the list. Don't understand that at all. He has been their best domestique all year. Santa rode the Giro and may not be what they want for the Tour. I hope Hushovd and Gilbert miss out but the odds are at least one of them will go. Frank and Burghardt will be there. Nerz will probably miss out. Hope Quinziato gets a spot and Bookwalter. Morabito will be borderline.

TJ and MF are sort of like CF and RP in SKY. They are very good friends. MF worked for TJ in TOC, looks like TJ will work for MF in TOS. And I am sure in the Tour MF will be the last man for TJ. Although BMC keeps claiming Evans is the sole leader, what does it say when leaders's request for supporting riders can't even be fulfilled. Also I can guarantee you Hushovd and Gilber will be there doing stage hunting.

 

[trevim]

It's a shame how BMC treats Van Avermaet. Regardless of how helpful he can be for Evans/ Van Garderen he should be on the team as a reward just out the fact that he saved the classics season from the failures of Hushovd and Gilbert.

 

[CycloAndy]

BMC have named the following in their long list to join Tejay and Cadel :Gilbert, Mathias Frank, Michael Schär, Steve Morabito, Thor Hushovd, Marcus Burghardt, Amael Moinard, Brent Bookwalter, Dominique Nerz and Manuel Quinziato. Three to miss out. Evans does not get Santaromita as he requested and unbelievably GVA is not even included in the list. Don't understand that at all. He has been their best domestique all year. Santa rode the Giro and may not be what they want for the Tour. I hope Hushovd and Gilbert miss out but the odds are at least one of them will go. Frank and Burghardt will be there. Nerz will probably miss out. Hope Quinziato gets a spot and Bookwalter. Morabito will be borderline.

My guess is that Evans, TJ, Frank, Burghardt, Schar and Gilbert are definites and Hushovd and Bookwalter are probables, which leaves a choice of Moinard, Nerz, Morabito and Quinzato for the last spot. Who would be the best climber from these 4?

 

[Pulpstar]

At what point did BMC (Or Tejay/MF themselves) decide TG was going to work for MF in the Tour suisse. I think the original plan must have been for TJ, but was TJ's move in stage 1 a dail attack or a pull for MF. I can't record Al Jazeera Sport +3 (Not on Sky+) so I haven't looked back to work it out, but was BMC's plan to work for MF after stage 1 or stage 2 ? (Bearing in mind he had a lead over TJ in stage 1).
Both should provide nice cover for TJ in the mountains at this rate anyway.

 

[movingtarget]

My guess is that Evans, TJ, Frank, Burghardt, Schar and Gilbert are definites and Hushovd and Bookwalter are probables, which leaves a choice of Moinard, Nerz, Morabito and Quinzato for the last spot. Who would be the best climber from these 4?

Moinard and Morabito would be the best climbers of those 4. They seem to be at about the same level maybe Moinard's form has been a little better. I think they may go the other way and pick Quinziato. Very experienced and strong.

 

[movingtarget]

At what point did BMC (Or Tejay/MF themselves) decide TG was going to work for MF in the Tour suisse. I think the original plan must have been for TJ, but was TJ's move in stage 1 a dail attack or a pull for MF. I can't record Al Jazeera Sport +3 (Not on Sky+) so I haven't looked back to work it out, but was BMC's plan to work for MF after stage 1 or stage 2 ? (Bearing in mind he had a lead over TJ in stage 1).
Both should provide nice cover for TJ in the mountains at this rate anyway.

Before the race TJVG said he was going for the win. I think they switched after Frank's better result on the first road stage. With a TT to come, last year's winner Rui Costa looks poised for the win unless he falters on one of the climbs.

 

[movingtarget]

It's a shame how BMC treats Van Avermaet. Regardless of how helpful he can be for Evans/ Van Garderen he should be on the team as a reward just out the fact that he saved the classics season from the failures of Hushovd and Gilbert.

Little wonder he is disappointed. Maybe they just don't think he will last for three weeks but how are they going to know unless they give him a chance. Poor decision. He is a another guy who could end up looking for another team where he will get more opportunities. Opportunities he has earned.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Little wonder he is disappointed. Maybe they just don't think he will last for three weeks but how are they going to know unless they give him a chance. Poor decision. He is a another guy who could end up looking for another team where he will get more opportunities. Opportunities he has earned.

The problem is that there are too many cooks. Van Avermaet should have intelligently focused on the Giro & Vuelta instead of the Tour as he knows that he is going to get overlooked for the Tour.

 

[karlboss]

The problem is that there are too many cooks. Van Avermaet should have intelligently focused on the Giro & Vuelta instead of the Tour as he knows that he is going to get overlooked for the Tour.

GvA should look at one day events and GTs be damned Seriously peak for the cobbles and try to carry form through the ardennes. Then break from racing until late July and August and build towards the worlds and end of year classics. Why bother with a GT at all, the best he could hope fo is a stage. I'm guessing a stage at the vuelta or giro don't mean too much to him.
Personally I'd take GvA, give him license to break away for a day or 2, and then he is faithful domestique the rest of the time.

I thought Phinney would make the long list as he is a chance for the ITT stage and worth a couple of seconds in the TTT.
Hushovd, surely this is a joke. His best recent showing is losing a sprint to EBH, Matthews and Meersman. GvA can do that no sweat.
Of the list I 'd take Evans, TJVG, Schar, Burghardt, Frank, Moinard, Quinziato, Gilbert, and Nerz.

Gilbert for the amount of television time he gets for doing nothing. Quinziato as I prioritise flat over hills given Evans, TJ, Frank and Moinard are more than enough. Nerz seems in better form than bookwalter, and morabito may be a little off following the giro.

 

[movingtarget]

GvA should look at one day events and GTs be damned Seriously peak for the cobbles and try to carry form through the ardennes. Then break from racing until late July and August and build towards the worlds and end of year classics. Why bother with a GT at all, the best he could hope fo is a stage. I'm guessing a stage at the vuelta or giro don't mean too much to him.
Personally I'd take GvA, give him license to break away for a day or 2, and then he is faithful domestique the rest of the time.

I thought Phinney would make the long list as he is a chance for the ITT stage and worth a couple of seconds in the TTT.
Hushovd, surely this is a joke. His best recent showing is losing a sprint to EBH, Matthews and Meersman. GvA can do that no sweat.
Of the list I 'd take Evans, TJVG, Schar, Burghardt, Frank, Moinard, Quinziato, Gilbert, and Nerz.

Gilbert for the amount of television time he gets for doing nothing. Quinziato as I prioritise flat over hills given Evans, TJ, Frank and Moinard are more than enough. Nerz seems in better form than bookwalter, and morabito may be a little off following the giro.

Yeah I think GVA would just be happy to participate. He knows with the GC priority, stage chances would be small. That's why Hushovd and Gilbert should not be going but like you said Gilbert will probably go. Phinney is a tough one. if he is recovered from his illness he would be good in the TTT and on the flat stages but maybe the team is thinking that the time gaps in the TTT won't be significant anyway but they could be significant for TJVG or Evans for a possible podium position which will be hard enough. No Wiggo, or Nibali, Andy out of sorts but it will be just as hard as last year to make the podium with the Colombians, Porte and others on the improve.

 

[auscyclefan94]

The team will be

Evans
Van Garderen
Burghardt
Quinziato
Schär
Frank
Gilbert
Bookwalter
Nerz

 

[auscyclefan94]

Why would GVA be given a spot on the Tour team? One good reason...

 

[karlboss]

He'd have to be strong enough to be at least as effective as burghardt, schar or quinziato as a domestique, and unlike those 3 there is every chance he could take a reduced bunch sprint.

 

[trevim]

Why would GVA be given a spot on the Tour team? One good reason...

He has done better than his team leaders Hushovd and Gilbert in the classics. The most consistent rider of team with the exception of Teejay and probably Evans.
Not that he is a GT rider but he can be as useful as other one they can pick.

 

[Panda Claws]

He has done better than his team leaders Hushovd and Gilbert in the classics. The most consistent rider of team with the exception of Teejay and probably Evans.
Not that he is a GT rider but he can be as useful as other one they can pick.

The thing with GVA is, however, that he never wins. At least with Gilbert, and to a lesser extent Hushovd, you have an actual chance that they'll win something.

 

[Ferminal]

Why would GVA be given a spot on the Tour team? One good reason...

Why would you choose Gilbert or Hushovd ahead of him? Neither have shown this season that they are better than him ability wise, and GVA is by far the greater team man. None of them are going to win a stage anyway (due to stage design/Sagan as much as their own form), so their contribution to the team is basically the only criterion on which they should be selected.

Yeh a Bookwalter or Quinziato would probably be better anyway, but GVA was always better than the other two.

 

[Ruudz0r]

It is already confirmed that GVA will NOT ride the TDF

 

[kanari]

Do we even know that GVA wanted to go to France? Maybe he opted for a Vuelta/WC combo. I'm asking because I have no idea.

 

[Ferminal]

Yes he's definitely not doing it and no I'm not sure he wanted to.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Do we even know that GVA wanted to go to France? Maybe he opted for a Vuelta/WC combo. I'm asking because I have no idea.

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/Tour/130608_van_avermaet_geen_tour

Yes he wanted to go.

 

[Flamin]

On one hand it would make sense to send him to Poland instead, but on the other, he really wants to do the Tour and he was their classics season's saviour as pointed out above, so he deserves some freedom. Or maybe he asked for a free role or something and that's why they didn't select him, who knows.

 

[auscyclefan94]

He has done better than his team leaders Hushovd and Gilbert in the classics. The most consistent rider of team with the exception of Teejay and probably Evans.
Not that he is a GT rider but he can be as useful as other one they can pick.

Yes, in the classics he has done better. We are now in July. I think if both have decent condition, they are more capable and versatile than Van Avermaet.

Why would you choose Gilbert or Hushovd ahead of him? Neither have shown this season that they are better than him ability wise, and GVA is by far the greater team man. None of them are going to win a stage anyway (due to stage design/Sagan as much as their own form), so their contribution to the team is basically the only criterion on which they should be selected.

Yeh a Bookwalter or Quinziato would probably be better anyway, but GVA was always better than the other two.

I would say both Hushovd and Gilbert are more versatile on the climbs. We will see if they are team players, but I don't see a real issue with that tbh.

 

[movingtarget]

Riders should be selected on form and for what they can bring to the team. GVA has shown himself to be a very good domestique on flat and medium routes, he has been a great support for Gilbert who has not been able to finish off his races. I don't think Nerz should go and GVA would provide better support to Evans and VG than Gilbert and Hushovd who are not domestiques anyway and are more used to riding for themselves. The fact that the guy provides good support to the team and still can finish well placed in classics sometimes ahead of the Gilbert shows he has the strength needed. I think it's a bad move from BMC.

 

[greenedge]

Why would you choose Gilbert or Hushovd ahead of him? Neither have shown this season that they are better than him ability wise, and GVA is by far the greater team man. None of them are going to win a stage anyway (due to stage design/Sagan as much as their own form), so their contribution to the team is basically the only criterion on which they should be selected.

I don't know LLS beat Sagan in that stage last year, from the break. Also Sagan can't get in every break, as Pinot, Fedrigo and Voeckler can attest to.

I like GVA too though.