Cuddles Great Ocean Road Race

[Armchair Cyclist]

what's the deal with Evans' blue bike?

Look out for the BMC Cadel Ocean special in a bike shop near you.

Typical ride for him, never gives up.

I'll think you'll find he just has


Good race, poor TV direction at key points.
Good to see Moser looking like the rider we thought we had 2 years ago.
Great contributions from Wyss and Kennaugh, making telling contributions at multiple points of the race.
What is the point of Caruso? He gets in the selection, but neither sprints nor attacks on the slopes, nor contributes to attrition.
Further evidence of Phil's decline: why did he suddenly decide that Haas had fallen out of the group and that Howes had bridged invisibly?

 

[Yingge]

Stellar career for Evans....stalwart for Australian cycling!

ACF, this may have been asked already, but what does the future hold for you then? Surely you are not retiring as a 'fanboy', or are you looking for a new protege?

And...thanks for taking all the flak that has been directed in your direction over the years - it takes a brave man to 'patronise' one rider through the downs and ups as you have over the years.

As to Cadel, well he has had a long and rewarding career on both MTB and Road, came oh so close sometimes, but it all changed that day at Mendrisio, in his own 'backyard' no less. He was a different cyclist after that and, helped by a BMC team that supported him, resulted in him finally achieving his TdF goal in 2011. Now he can stay in bed on cold wet mornings, watch his adopted boy grow up, and count the pile of money that he no doubt has earned.

 

[movingtarget]

favourite Cadel moments...

riding past Contador at 2010 Fleche-Wallonne
winning in the mud at Montalcino of 2010 Giro

Yeah those were two of the best although his Worlds win in 2009 had to be up there as well. As for late career highlights I liked his win in the 2014 TDU on Corkscrew and also his stage win in the 2012 Dauphine when he got away on the final descent with two other riders and won the sprint. His two wins in last year's Tour of Utah were also fun to watch. Yes there were many highlights. Biggest disappointments were the two seconds in the Tour in 2007 and 2008.

 

[jaylew]

Stellar career for Evans....stalwart for Australian cycling!

This. He'll be missed. A smart rider, and always a fighter. Always attentive and almost never caught out by a split. My favorite performances were his Worlds and FW wins.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Typical ride for him, never gives up.

In stark contrast...

DNF Matthew Goss (Aus) MTN Qhubeka

Since March 2013, Goss has failed to finish 21 of the 27 races he's started.

 

[The Hegelian]

then some of us would miss the tactical side of a well drilled team

True. It comes down to whether road races should veer closer to anarchy or fascism.

My sense is that so many modern sports are increasingly about order, control, risk management etc - cycling being no exception with SRMs, the Skybots etc.

There's enough order, control, risk management in the world: I want my sport to be an escape from that; a place of drama, the unexpected and sometimes chaos. Road racing at its best always has that potential.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

In stark contrast...


Since March 2013, Goss has failed to finish 21 of the 27 races he's started.

Guy has fallen so far since leaving HTC it's almost Cobo-level or Andy Schleck by this point.

 

[movingtarget]

In stark contrast...


Since March 2013, Goss has failed to finish 21 of the 27 races he's started.

Well he has been given an unexpected lifeline with his new contract but I am sure especially in today's environment re success and nothing but, that the team will dump him if he does not perform and by perform I mean get on the podium. I still can't believe he won MSR and was placed at the Worlds. I have not read anything about serious health problems so it's a mystery. It's almost like Cobo post 2012 Vuelta win.

 

[auscyclefan94]

ACF, this may have been asked already, but what does the future hold for you then? Surely you are not retiring as a 'fanboy', or are you looking for a new protege?

And...thanks for taking all the flak that has been directed in your direction over the years - it takes a brave man to 'patronise' one rider through the downs and ups as you have over the years.

As to Cadel, well he has had a long and rewarding career on both MTB and Road, came oh so close sometimes, but it all changed that day at Mendrisio, in his own 'backyard' no less. He was a different cyclist after that and, helped by a BMC team that supported him, resulted in him finally achieving his TdF goal in 2011. Now he can stay in bed on cold wet mornings, watch his adopted boy grow up, and count the pile of money that he no doubt has earned.

I'm sticking around, although I am looking for a new protege. It is also a harder to stay up on those late nights without having a particular rider to support strongly but I am still a fan of cycling so I'll be watching races nonetheless.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well he has been given an unexpected lifeline with his new contract but I am sure especially in today's environment re success and nothing but, that the team will dump him if he does not perform and by perform I mean get on the podium. I still can't believe he won MSR and was placed at the Worlds. I have not read anything about serious health problems so it's a mystery. It's almost like Cobo post 2012 Vuelta win.

Cobo at least has a history of depression and a previous abject failure at the same team as his post-Vuelta-win doldrums where he didn't fit in and they by all accounts didn't know how to handle him and essentially gave up by the autumn. The difference between the Vuelta-winning Cobo and the subsequent Cobo is too large even for doping alone to be the answer. There's more to it. Schleck seems a more apt comparison simply because the explanation for Cobo is easy because we know his history.

There must be something, because the guy was a real prospect, and at 23-24 was an absolutely top notch rider, but at 27-28, which should be peak years, he's nowhere. Maybe an explanation will come later.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm sticking around, although I am looking for a new protege. It is also a harder to stay up on those late nights without having a particular rider to support strongly but I am still a fan of cycling so I'll be watching races nonetheless.

ACF suspected there may have been some vote-tampering in the election of his new prot?g? after seeing the runaway winner:

 

[roundabout]

Cobo at least has a history of depression and a previous abject failure at the same team as his post-Vuelta-win doldrums where he didn't fit in and they by all accounts didn't know how to handle him and essentially gave up by the autumn. The difference between the Vuelta-winning Cobo and the subsequent Cobo is too large even for doping alone to be the answer. There's more to it. Schleck seems a more apt comparison simply because the explanation for Cobo is easy because we know his history.

There must be something, because the guy was a real prospect, and at 23-24 was an absolutely top notch rider, but at 27-28, which should be peak years, he's nowhere. Maybe an explanation will come later.

Did Goss break his pelvis

 

[nhowson]

I'm sticking around, although I am looking for a new protege. It is also a harder to stay up on those late nights without having a particular rider to support strongly but I am still a fan of cycling so I'll be watching races nonetheless.

Join the Rob Power club?

 

[Lupi33]

betting is a good incentive to stay up late at night and support a rider

 

[Trev_S]

It was a great race, quite unpredictable and loads of racing rather than a clinical stage of steady ride until final few km's. The Cannondale-Garmin cross winds attack 70km out, from there on anything could have happened.

then some of us would miss the tactical side of a well drilled team

With radio's they appear well drilled because the DS is in their ear telling them "what, when, how".
I would think a true well drilled team would be able to do it themselves under their road captain.

The 6 man teams and no radio's seems to be a good formula to help make an unpredictable race.

 

[Yingge]

ACF suspected there may have been some vote-tampering in the election of his new prot?g? after seeing the runaway winner:

Yes, based on some posts that I have seen, I think that ACF would have a list of those that have no chance of being bestowed with his supporting them, Valverde would definately be one, along with Gerrans and Porte.

 

[Lupi33]

It was a great race, quite unpredictable and loads of racing rather than a clinical stage of steady ride until final few km's. The Cannondale-Garmin cross winds attack 70km out, from there on anything could have happened.


With radio's they appear well drilled because the DS is in their ear telling them "what, when, how".
I would think a true well drilled team would be able to do it themselves under their road captain.

The 6 man teams and no radio's seems to be a good formula to help make an unpredictable race.

I dont think the race radios affect the predictably of Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders.

thats just the nature of a well designed classic

the mix of weakened WT teams and pro-contis probably helped the unpredictability of the Cuddles Classic too as it obviously didnt have cobbles, mud and carry the bike up hillocks.

 

[Sasquatch]

betting is a good incentive to stay up late at night and support a rider

Fade Goss in any head to heads.

 

[Lupi33]

Purito was a great rider to support when he had that good year

bet on a top 3 though for GTs

even if he didnt win, he always kept you interested

 

[Sasquatch]

Where is the poll people are talking about for ACF and his next protege?

 

[movingtarget]

I'm sticking around, although I am looking for a new protege. It is also a harder to stay up on those late nights without having a particular rider to support strongly but I am still a fan of cycling so I'll be watching races nonetheless.

There seems to be a few possibles although too early to tell. Flakemore, Power and I think Dennis will improve but by how much is the question. Meyer and Bobridge had huge wraps put on them without much success but that's not unusual, it happens to many riders.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

So should this race be WT?

 

[Lupi33]

dont even ask

 

[movingtarget]

So should this race be WT?

Not yet. It's too short and not hard enough even though it was entertaining to watch. See what happens in the future. It could develop into a race similar to the Canadian one day races at end of season and they are usually good races.

 

[42x16ss]

It's good enough at .1 for now. Some WT teams will hang around after the TDU, some Pro Contis will have a go and the Aus and Asian Conti squads can still race too. If it gets classified any higher then it will have to sacrifice most of the regional squads.