Cadel evans do or die for tour de france this july

[gregrowlerson]

I would agree with that. He can't get close to the specialists anymore it seems but as for the GC riders, only Menchov, Contador would usually be close. Gesink also and possibly Sanchez. I was surprised Evans finished behind Brajkovic yesterday but the rain complicated things and some riders did not take as many risks but it was a nice ride by the R/Shack rider all the same. Evans can still use it to make up time but the not the big chunks of time he used to. Christophe Moreau made an interesting comment before he retired. He said that ageing had not effected his climbing too much but he really felt it in the time trial. Vino also has lost quite a bit in the time trial.

Kloden seems to be the forgotten man as far as good TT's go amongst GC riders (unless nobody considers him a GC guy now?). He is about on Cadel's level, perhaps even better. Would have beaten him in lengthy middle TT of '07 TDF if he hadn't crashed. Was at a similar level (maybe slightly better) to Evans in '09 TDF TT's. He even beat Wiggins I think, with only AC ahead of him amongst GC riders. Very poor in TDF TT last year, but has been very strong against the clock on many occasions this season.

Of course there was even the '06 TDF TT where a flying Klodi made up the time gap on Evans, though that was a little long ago now for a truly accurate comparison.

 

[movingtarget]

Yeah Kloden has done well in the shorter stage races this year and he has always been a good time triallist. I think now it's the mountains for him that are the problem. He has trouble being consistent over three weeks unlike four or five years ago. I would not be surprised if Kloden put in a good ride in the TDF this year. I think Horner and Kloden will probably finish ahead of Leipheimer who was disappointing last year but once again should do a good time trial and make up some time.

 

[movingtarget]

I wonder what excuses Evans will come up with this time if he gets dropped on every single MTF in this year's Tour. I'm not talking relative to the 2 best climbers in the race, but compared to the 2nd tier climbers.

This year he has failed to deliver on each and every semi serious MTF

- Pal (Andorra)
- Collet d'Allevard
- La Toussuire

I don't think he was horribly off form in the Dauphine, either. His TT was up to par and he was good in the hilly stage that Van Den Broeck won. I seriously doubt that he can do much better in the high mountains.

Thoughts?

I am expecting Evans to do better in the mountains this year and if he doesn't he can't complain unless it's another fall or illness etc........To me he looks focused and we will see if the change in preparation will make a difference or not. If not he should attack the classics next year and the Vuelta or just the one week long stage races like Dauphine or TOC.

Of course once again Evans has to contend with Contador and Schleck in the mountains and hope that Contador is not in his Giro form.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I am expecting Evans to do better in the mountains this year

Then what do you make of the examples I listed?

He's been very consistent this season. Performed at a high or very high level. Except... in the high mountains.

 

[Angliru]

Just to remind you that Cadel won Romandie this year like you said he wouldn't. I guess he fluked that win.

What does that make Quickstep, Astana and Euskatel if BMC aren't up to World Tour standards? Are you suggesting a smaller number of World Tour teams?

You just don't like Euskaltel Euskadi. You always enter them into the conversation when someone questions the validity of BMC's inclusion in the World Tour. Instead of arguing the virtues of BMC you feel the need to toss Euskaltel into the argument as if by comparison they make BMC look more appealing. It only makes you look petty and further your rep for having a bias against the Spaniards. You asked before who does Euskaltel have other than Samu and Anton without even doing any research into Nieve, Castroviejo, and Sicard to name a few.

 

[nvpacchi]

You just don't like Euskaltel Euskadi. You always enter them into the conversation when someone questions the validity of BMC's inclusion in the World Tour. Instead of arguing the virtues of BMC you feel the need to toss Euskaltel into the argument as if by comparison they make BMC look more appealing. It only makes you look petty and further your rep for having a bias against the Spaniards. You asked before who does Euskaltel have other than Samu and Anton without even doing any research into Nieve, Castroviejo, and Sicard to name a few.

THANK YOU, now maybe ACF will learn to spell Euskaltel correctly too

 

[Angliru]

THANK YOU, now maybe ACF will learn to spell Euskaltel correctly too

Nah, I should've bolded the entire word for emphasis. He'll be too busy whining that I'm picking on him with no justification to notice he's misspelled it and that I've attempted to subtly point that out to him.

 

[nvpacchi]

Nah, I should've bolded the entire word for emphasis. He'll be too busy whining that I'm picking on him with no justification to notice he's misspelled it and that I've attempted to subtly point that out to him.

or we're simply on ignore now

 

[auscyclefan94]

Hello haters!

Reminding you of what's to come in paris my fellow Cadel haters.

 

[Parrulo]

BMC pulling cadel across the mountains so he actually manages to finish the first mountain stage instead of DNFing?

sounds about right

also amazing how you feel free to hate on any1 you want but no1 can even dare to say that evans won't win the tour.

btw he won't win the tour. he won't podium the tour. he won't top 5 the tour. with some luck he might top 10. you better adjust you unrealistic goals before you get your little cadel beating heart crushed with disappointment.

p.s. problem?

 

[Bennyl]

gee I hope Cadel doesn't ever see this absolute garbage.

 

[Ferminal]

Then what do you make of the examples I listed?

He's been very consistent this season. Performed at a high or very high level. Except... in the high mountains.

If he can't lift he's performances above those efforts it would be stupid even contemplating a ride for GC. We can only assume that his peak is better. Even so, he's only in the top 8 or 9 best climbers at the Tour, but often there are small gaps between the next best climbers so that can still be good enough for a higher GC finish.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

If he can't lift he's performances above those efforts it would be stupid even contemplating a ride for GC. We can only assume that his peak is better. Even so, he's only in the top 8 or 9 best climbers at the Tour, but often there are small gaps between the next best climbers so that can still be good enough for a higher GC finish.

Cadel has never been the bext climber, however he is pretty good at grinding out results. If he does podium (I highly doubt is also) I am convinced it wont be because he woned in the mountains.

 

[auscyclefan94]

BMC pulling cadel across the mountains so he actually manages to finish the first mountain stage instead of DNFing?

sounds about right

also amazing how you feel free to hate on any1 you want but no1 can even dare to say that evans won't win the tour.

btw he won't win the tour. he won't podium the tour. he won't top 5 the tour. with some luck he might top 10. you better adjust you unrealistic goals before you get your little cadel beating heart crushed with disappointment.

p.s. problem?

I still disagree but if you must your sense of humour must learly impaired to think I hate anyone who dislikes Cadel though in saying that i think some people can be a little nasty for no reason.

 

[Parrulo]

I still disagree but if you must your sense of humour must learly impaired to think I hate anyone who dislikes Cadel though in saying that i think some people can be a little nasty for no reason.

i actually meant riders not posters. your hate for everything spanish related is very obvious.

and i was joking(as being too harsh) for most of my post anyway. something that the p.s. problem? at the end should have given away. . . .

tho my opinion that cadel won't top 5 still remains and is just my personal opinion

 

[auscyclefan94]

i actually meant riders not posters. your hate for everything spanish related is very obvious.

and i was joking(as being too harsh) for most of my post anyway. something that the p.s. problem? at the end should have given away. . . .

tho my opinion that cadel won't top 5 still remains and is just my personal opinion

I hate Valverde and dislike Contador. That is where my so called 'hate' stops. Igor Anton, yes a spanish rider is one of my favourite riders.

 

[dlwssonic]

The tdf wont be decided on only the mountains. There are many other places for cadel to gain time on some of the other gc contenders.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

The tdf wont be decided on only the mountains. There are many other places for cadel to gain time on some of the other gc contenders.

this was basically my point. If he is to grind out a podium (sorry he has no chance of winning imo) it will be from other areas and not climbing in particular.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

The tdf wont be decided on only the mountains. There are many other places for cadel to gain time on some of the other gc contenders.

Many other places? Where? He does not time trial well enough anymore to gain much time, and he could not even beat a second rate rider like Wiggins in the mountains of the Dauphine.

 

[just some guy]

Thats a funny one..............

Cadel goes all out to win the Dauphine gets canned in her for peaking too early riding in the red etc etc

Now he gets canned to finishing 2nd and not going into the red and saving himself.

Cadel can not win the tour unless something crazy happens, he can wear the Yellow and make time up in stages that suit Gilbert when Andy, Samu, Gesink, VDB2 and Contador are saving energy for the real mountains after 12 days of racing. he might be the GC guy highest up the list and takle over when Gilbert or whoever gets dropped in the 1st or 2nd MTN days.

Then if he can he might be able to hold well and ride defensive and if everything goes well and Gesink and VDB2 do something stupid like try and go with Andy and Contador and bonk him might podium.

But if expect Cadel to finish 3-7 which will be a good even great ride, but then he will get canned for that.

Cadel is riding smarter but he is not a high mtn man never really was, but he is one of the best defensive riders as a GC guy ( most call this wheel sucking), if Cadel follows the Mechov plan of last year but starts further up the list when they get to the MTN´s he will do well.

 

[dlwssonic]

Many other places? Where? He does not time trial well enough anymore to gain much time, and he could not even beat a second rate rider like Wiggins in the mountains of the Dauphine.

Oh so andy schleck couldnt keep up with 3rd tier, 4th tier riders in the tour de suisse. Oh no he is not going to top 10 in the tdf just because he couldnt keep up with those riders. If you know anything about cycling you will know that they will not exert so much energy in their preparation races so as to not screw up their form for the tdf. These prep races are only to build up their form. evans last race before the dauphine was romandie so you cant expect him to have good form already. His time trialing although not as super as it was, can still gain time over most tdf contenders. Those hill top finishes do suit evans IMO.

 

[dlwssonic]

this was basically my point. If he is to grind out a podium (sorry he has no chance of winning imo) it will be from other areas and not climbing in particular.

exactly he did exactly that in the dauphine, romandie and TA.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

exactly he did exactly that in the dauphine, romandie and TA.

To be fair to cadel he fully deserved his victory at TA.
Those little hills are perfect cadel territory tho.

Romandie I didn't really watch, so cannot comment. I think he won it in the itt?

He pretty much got his podium because of the ITT at the Dauphine, at the tour it wont be enough, he'll lose too much in the mountains, but he could gain some time in the gilbert stages.

 

[dlwssonic]

To be fair to cadel he fully deserved his victory at TA.
Those little hills are perfect cadel territory tho.

Romandie I didn't really watch, so cannot comment. I think he won it in the itt?

He pretty much got his podium because of the ITT at the Dauphine, at the tour it wont be enough, he'll lose too much in the mountains, but he could gain some time in the gilbert stages.

agreed cadel proved that in TA with his stage win. He was up there on those romandie hill top finishes but didnt get a win. However his TT was superb. IMO it was better than his dauphine TT. he did very well despite the terrible conditions which affected the later riders. Honestly he didnt look very strong in the dauphine. thats why he was happy with his second as actually there were much stronger people in the competition. There are a lot of hill top finishes in the tdf right? that would be good time for him to gain time on the other contenders. But im not sure if he will go for it or conserve energy.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Thats a funny one..............

Cadel goes all out to win the Dauphine gets canned in her for peaking too early riding in the red etc etc

Now he gets canned to finishing 2nd and not going into the red and saving himself.

Cadel can not win the tour unless something crazy happens, he can wear the Yellow and make time up in stages that suit Gilbert when Andy, Samu, Gesink, VDB2 and Contador are saving energy for the real mountains after 12 days of racing. he might be the GC guy highest up the list and takle over when Gilbert or whoever gets dropped in the 1st or 2nd MTN days.

Then if he can he might be able to hold well and ride defensive and if everything goes well and Gesink and VDB2 do something stupid like try and go with Andy and Contador and bonk him might podium.

But if expect Cadel to finish 3-7 which will be a good even great ride, but then he will get canned for that.

Cadel is riding smarter but he is not a high mtn man never really was, but he is one of the best defensive riders as a GC guy ( most call this wheel sucking), if Cadel follows the Mechov plan of last year but starts further up the list when they get to the MTN´s he will do well.

Yes, many people on this forum and in general baggers of cadel are quite hypocritical in his respect.

Even though I am the only one on the forum who thinks Cadel can win, people who I have talked to who have been in contact with Cadel are saying he is very confident about winning the Tour de France this year. As cadel said in an interview:

“I haven’t given up on winning the Tour,” Evans told L’Équipe. “I still believe in it, but perhaps the rest of the world doesn’t.”

Evans has twice finished second at the Tour, in 2007 and 2008, missing out by less than a minute on each occasion. In 2010, he lost the yellow jersey after suffering a fractured elbow.

“I just need a little bit of the luck that was missing in 2008 and last year,” Evans said.