Cadel Evans, I told you it was his year.

[Anonymous]

this changes nothing before peopel are like "what he can't climb??"

This as I even mentioned in many posts was going to be the MTF that suited him the most, and moreover considering some of the other riders who finished not that far behind (Tommy V etc) I refuse to drop my opinion.

Andy rode like a loser, only concerned with ac.
If he really goes for it at de bellie I am certain he beat cadel my 2min +

True that.

 

[luckyboy]

Hoping he will somehow cling on to the Schlecks through the rest of the mountains. Not going to happen though.

 

[Ferminal]

this changes nothing before peopel are like "what he can't climb??"

This as I even mentioned in many posts was going to be the MTF that suited him the most, and moreover considering some of the other riders who finished not that far behind (Tommy V etc) I refuse to drop my opinion.

Andy rode like a loser, only concerned with ac.
If he really goes for it at de bellie I am certain he beat cadel my 2min +

You're more resolute than me Timmy. I'm revising my 5-10 minute estimate to 2-4

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You're more resolute than me Timmy. I'm revising my 5-10 minute estimate to 2-4

I think he'll trail andy 3-5 mins.
point is he'll loser

 

[Dr. Maserati]

he did do well, I will give him that.
I am very confident however that cuddles will crack.

If cuddles wins this tour tlr will take a cuddles avatar permanently

Cadel did very well today and looked one of the strongest at the end.

Yet I still don't consider him a threat for the win - top 5 would be very good and a podium would be excellent.

 

[Dermie]

he did do well, I will give him that.
I am very confident however that cuddles will crack.

If cuddles wins this tour tlr will take a cuddles avatar permanently

Can I make up the Cuddles for u, do u prefer puddles or chiuwawaas??

 

[Anonymous]

after stage 12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thvPQlH2_L4&feature=share

 

[El Pistolero]

Well, I gotta say, he looked better than I thought he would. But Andy Schleck really only cared about Contador today.

More fool him then. I'm going to laugh me *** off if he loses to Cuddles or Frank

This guy seriously has no balls to put in an attack.

 

[dadoorsron]

I do have to admit Cadel looks good so far. Probably the best he has looked at the tour. It's a 5 horse race for the podium. Frank and Andy Schleck, Ivan Basso (Todays results for him are impressive) Cadel Evans, and Alberto Contador. Even though it's just the start of the mountains Contador has a long way to go. I have a feeling that Basso will be on the podium with the Schleck brothers.

 

[The Falcon]

this changes nothing before peopel are like "what he can't climb??"

This as I even mentioned in many posts was going to be the MTF that suited him the most, and moreover considering some of the other riders who finished not that far behind (Tommy V etc) I refuse to drop my opinion.

Andy rode like a loser, only concerned with ac.
If he really goes for it at de bellie I am certain he beat cadel my 2min +

But yet you needed to get a preemptive post in at 1:46am
so it's fair to say things didn't go as you hoped. I'm still dubious but he is riding well for now, he's in good form.

 

[Dermie]

Another day like this from Cadel & i.ll be buying a ticket to see Australian cycling history being made in Paris

 

[Dermie]

"His BMC team was very prominent in controlling the peloton during the opening half of the Tour, but as anticipated, Evans was isolated on the final climb on Thursday. Nonetheless, along with Basso, he appeared to be the strongest of the elite group that formed in pursuit of Fränk Schleck in the closing kilometres, and he was enthusiastic about his chances in the remainder of the Tour.

"If the team keeps going every day the way they've done so far then we'll really put ourselves in a great position," Evans said. "We'll stay calm for now and see what happens in the coming days." "

Well said cycling news

 

[Spider1964]

Funny month July...

evans 2nd on a hilly finish, wow what a shocker. he will lose minutes in the real mountains

1 Down?

<Snipped>
i can't wait for when he cracks when on one of the first 2 MTF and all this aussies and their hyping leave the forum so we can have some peace again.

1 Down... 1 (of the 1st 2) to go for this prediction to be right?

You'll find the TDF in the mountains Evans team will look less great, I guarantee that. Anyone a guy like Shleck is more or less unscratched also, and should be way too good for cadel in the mountains, where nervous behaivour is not such an issue.

No one doubts Cadel is a great all round rider, but he really doesn't cut in the mountains imo.

Not looking that bad. Still a few to go and Saturdays stage to Plateau de Beille is the one that could unhinge him... but he cut it in Stage 12?

(Referring to Gesink) if this injury has no effect, I still think it.

I am certain he will beat him at the very least

Ahhh... No.

Lots of long term posters make predictions and point to post counts as evidence of their superior knowledge... before condescendingly pointing out that "July is a funny month" to anyone who dare posts something in opposition to their views.

Cadel may still implode and the above posters may become prescient... but they're not always right.

Never believed he could win it, but IMO a podium spot is looking more and more likely. Top step? Now wouldn't that be funny.

 

[gregrowlerson]

Brilliant climbing Cadel. I really believe that you can win this race now.

No rider seems to be superhuman in the mountains this year. We have a wonderful, wide open TDF it seems.

How about Tommy Voeckler?!

 

[Oldman]

"His BMC team was very prominent in controlling the peloton during the opening half of the Tour, but as anticipated, Evans was isolated on the final climb on Thursday. Nonetheless, along with Basso, he appeared to be the strongest of the elite group that formed in pursuit of Fränk Schleck in the closing kilometres, and he was enthusiastic about his chances in the remainder of the Tour.

"If the team keeps going every day the way they've done so far then we'll really put ourselves in a great position," Evans said. "We'll stay calm for now and see what happens in the coming days." "

Well said cycling news

The climbing today absolutely suited him as the attacks weren't vicious (everyone's taking Flintstone instead of Ferrari vitamins) and there was a nice pause between them. If Voeckler was still in touch it's an indication of some realistic form by all contenders.
Where there will be problems will be continued steeps where his isolation from teammates will force him to chose what attacks to cover. With the parity that we saw today you only have to guess wrong once on a pivotal stage to lose the whole race. Those odds are against Evans, unfortunately.

 

[Bennyl]

i agree regarding Cadel there, but Basso is in the same boat, maybe the Sassi pupils can form their own alliance. it worked well for them last night..

 

[Oldman]

i agree regarding Cadel there, but Basso is in the same boat, maybe the Sassi pupils can form their own alliance. it worked well for them last night..

It would work to mutual benefit, particularly if Basso can be assured some cover on the flatter stages giving his skinny guys some rest for the hilly finishes. If they can do that until the contenders are thinned out then each of them has a chance but Basso would want to be allowed some freedom to gain time for that alliance to work. He's a long way from the podium.

 

[mightymac12]

The climbing today absolutely suited him as the attacks weren't vicious (everyone's taking Flintstone instead of Ferrari vitamins) and there was a nice pause between them. If Voeckler was still in touch it's an indication of some realistic form by all contenders.
Where there will be problems will be continued steeps where his isolation from teammates will force him to chose what attacks to cover. With the parity that we saw today you only have to guess wrong once on a pivotal stage to lose the whole race. Those odds are against Evans, unfortunately.

Well said my friend. I do love the fact that he is still in the conversation though.

 

[Maxiton]

The climbing today absolutely suited him as the attacks weren't vicious (everyone's taking Flintstone instead of Ferrari vitamins)

Pause for lols.

and there was a nice pause between them. If Voeckler was still in touch it's an indication of some realistic form by all contenders.
Where there will be problems will be continued steeps where his isolation from teammates will force him to chose what attacks to cover. With the parity that we saw today you only have to guess wrong once on a pivotal stage to lose the whole race. Those odds are against Evans, unfortunately.

The steeps not only continue, they get worse. Much worse. Seems to me they favor a rider like Basso more than Cadel. Also, Basso has more support and arguably reads a race better. Now if Basso and Cadel could form a temporary alliance, that might go a long way toward success for both of them.

 

[Midnightfright]

Pause for lols.



The steeps not only continue, they get worse. Much worse. Seems to me they favor a rider like Basso more than Cadel. Also, Basso has more support and arguably reads a race better. Now if Basso and Cadel could form a temporary alliance, that might go a long way toward success for both of them.

I'm not sure that would want that at all. He needs to gain good time on Cadel as much as the other GC guys. No the only allegiance between the top top climbers I can see would be the Schlecks (obviously), Bertie and samu and Ofcourse Levi and Tony Martin

 

[movingtarget]

I did not think Andy Schleck looked too good yesterday. Basso looked better. This race is far from over and another day ticks over while the wise are waiting for Evans to implode. If Saxo are that dominant Frank would have wanted to put more than 17 seconds into Basso and Evans.

 

[Dermie]

I did not think Andy Schleck looked too good yesterday. Basso looked better. This race is far from over and another day ticks over while the wise are waiting for Evans to implode. If Saxo are that dominant Frank would have wanted to put more than 17 seconds into Basso and Evans.

The wise are waiting for Cadel to implode??? or the hopefull?? because if he dosen't then things are going to get tough to be around him.
Because he has not ridden to his potential before because of, broken bones, no teams, having to ride Giro's prior. Remember when he was with Lotto & they were focused on Robbie's sprinting??
Well now he has a team dedicated to him & all the other things are going his way, & he is performing you expect him to "implode", maybe you are hoping he will.
I reckon he has all the (well not all, he could do with a climbing teamate) the right things going for him & he will fight like the best of them. Not "like" but "better".

 

[Parrulo]

evans is such an unlucky poor guy

near the end of his career and never won anything even tho he was always the strongest. really unlucky guy. if he had a strong team and no falls, broken bones etc he would have at least 37 GT wins and 87 monuments by now

 

[fatsprintking]

evans is such an unlucky poor guy

near the end of his career and never won anything even tho he was always the strongest. really unlucky guy. if he had a strong team and no falls, broken bones etc he would have at least 37 GT wins and 87 monuments by now

Ha Ha - you are a funny guy. 1995 was a pretty good year for Cadel - third in both the under 19 mountain bike XC and the road time trial on a borrowed bike after a couple of years of competitive riding - I am not sure there are too many riders who have shown this level of raw talent before, but anyway...

I reckon after two mountain bike world cups, road world chamionship, leadership of all major tours, etc etc that Cadel will maybe feel ok about what his achieved, but a tour win would be nice.

 

[Ramira]

I reckon after two mountain bike world cups, road world chamionship, leadership of all major tours, etc etc that Cadel will maybe feel ok about what his achieved, but a tour win would be nice.

I don't know, something tells me he will always look bad at 2007 and especially 2008 with regret unless he manages to win the tour once in his career.