Evans out of Fleche and Amstel

[Michielveedeebee]

Can you shed some light on this?

check ACF's twitter account you'll know

 

[no_slipstream]

yeh it is piti he can't compete

 

[Havetts]

No worries ACF, Gesink will win AGR for you!

 

[movingtarget]

That news opens things up a bit. What a pity. There will be a few riders happy that he is not riding as he would have been hard to beat in these upcoming classics. BMC did not need that news. Hope Greg VA and Ballan can do something. BMC need some results.

 

[dlwssonic]

I will now have to step up my support for van Avermaet!

Yes all of BMC hopes of saving their classics season lies on the great pretender. I will be with you as we see van avermaets inevitable attack which may be a winning one.

 

[dlwssonic]

thanks cadel you have just intensified my support for van avermaet.

 

[Sasquatch]

Van Avermaet? LOL LOL LOL

If Van Avermaet comes top 5 I will put up a Cadel avatar for 3 years

 

[theyoungest]

Van Avermaet? LOL LOL LOL

If Van Avermaet comes top 5 I will put up a Cadel avatar for life.

Top-5 in Amstel is certainly possible for Van Avermaet IMO.

 

[dlwssonic]

Van Avermaet? LOL LOL LOL

If Van Avermaet comes top 5 I will put up a Cadel avatar for 3 years

I dont think you have been following the past monument races, this is not the van avermaet of lotto he is much better and attacking. Plus he is less of a sprinter more of a hilly classics man

 

[no_slipstream]

yeh is is a piti he can't compete

 

[Archibald]

check ACF's twitter account you'll know

ACF has time to twit while posting over 10,000 time here??!!


Really disappointed about Evans not being there. Would like to have seen him add AGR or Liege to his palmares - or at least liven up both

 

[Mellow Velo]

Top-5 in Amstel is certainly possible for Van Avermaet IMO.

Possible sure, but not probable.
Whereas Cadel would probably have top fived in both his races and possibly won one.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Wow, a thread because of a none-attandence.

Thats real manlove.

 

[Boeing]

rumor has it he had chin reduction surgery and will unveil his new aero face at Le Tour.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That's hilarious

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Van Avermaet? LOL LOL LOL

If Van Avermaet comes top 5 I will put up a Cadel avatar for 3 years

I'll hold you to that one

 

[Libertine Seguros]

yeh is is a piti he can't compete

No need to be cryptic. ACF tends to collapse in fits of apoplectic rage when The Don is mentioned.

It's a pity neither of them can compete, but (and ACF may actually be surprised at this) I have much more sympathy for Evans' non-attendance.

For the record, I don't think he would have won Liège, but he would certainly have made at least the penultimate selection (the final decent-sized group for sure, but the final group would be, eg Vino and Kolobnev last year, and those are harder to predict).

 

[hfer07]

What a pity - Speedy recovery Cadel will be missed in the Ardeness for sure
I'd like to say that is better off for him to sort this situation right now than heading up to the tour with a more serious injury.

 

[Ryaguas]

Van Avermaet? LOL LOL LOL

If Van Avermaet comes top 5 I will put up a Cadel avatar for 3 years

Hahaahah... prepare to sux it...
Looks like someone hasn't seen Van Avermaet this season... If He doesn't win He will at least made podium...

Now back to Cadel... ufff I dont know how to interpretate this... could be good and bad... good cuz He's having the bad luck now and not in Le Tour... and bad cuz now when Contador takes FW a lot will say "maaaah... He won cuz Cadel wasn't there"... also I wanted to see the powerful diesel tempo against the super explosive kick...

 

[greenedge]

How has Avermaet changed from a sprinter to classics rider. like he has but how???????????

 

[greenedge]

Hahaahah... prepare to sux it...
Looks like someone hasn't seen Van Avermaet this season... If He doesn't win He will at least made podium...

Now back to Cadel... ufff I dont know how to interpretate this... could be good and bad... good cuz He's having the bad luck now and not in Le Tour... and bad cuz now when Contador takes FW a lot will say "maaaah... He won cuz Cadel wasn't there"... also I wanted to see the powerful diesel tempo against the super explosive kick...

Think Van Avermaet will only win if it comes down to a group of 15. Think Bmc will have a few finishing with the main group and will dominate the race. Hope it's not a case of again finishing with 5 and not winning. If Avermaet can not hold on to Gilbert's wheel he is doomed. The race would be too hard for him otherwise.

Gilbert is favourite on the Bosberg he went 4 seconds quicker than Cancellara's SUPERHUMAN ride from last yr on the same climb.

Yes at least it's not in the tour. However Contador i think might have won even with Cadel there this yr too. He had gained experience on how to tackle the climb. I think however he will lose his abillity to attack again and again in 2 yrs time.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He's always had the potential to be a classics rider.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

How has Avermaet changed from a sprinter to classics rider. like he has but how???????????

1) Van Avermaet was never a sprinter to begin with. His victories came from sprints from smaller groups after a hard race
2) Van Avermaet was also never really a cobble specialist if you ask me. His strongest performances came in the Vuelta, where he excelled in the hilly stages and won a hilly stage by beating Rebellin in a small group
3) The reason Van Avermaet never focussed on these races before is his own misjudgement of his ability, which is pretty much steered by Flemish culture. Ronde van Vlaanderen, cobbles, sprints... he has tried to be good at something he isn't top at...

So there you are. I was already shouting 3 years ago Van Avermaet is a guy for the hilly classics. Now we'll see if I was right about that

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Think Van Avermaet will only win if it comes down to a group of 15. Think Bmc will have a few finishing with the main group and will dominate the race. Hope it's not a case of again finishing with 5 and not winning. If Avermaet can not hold on to Gilbert's wheel he is doomed. The race would be too hard for him otherwise.

Gilbert is favourite on the Bosberg he went 4 seconds quicker than Cancellara's SUPERHUMAN ride from last yr on the same climb.

Yes at least it's not in the tour. However Contador i think might have won even with Cadel there this yr too. He had gained experience on how to tackle the climb. I think however he will lose his abillity to attack again and again in 2 yrs time.

That wasn't the Bosberg, but the Muur van Geraardsbergen.
Also, the Muur (a cobbled climb) has no relevance whatsoever to the hills in the Ardennes.
A) the climbs are asphalted, not cobbled
B) the field is a gazillion times stronger. Not 5 top riders, but about 30

 

[auscyclefan94]

I dont think you have been following the past monument races, this is not the van avermaet of lotto he is much better and attacking. Plus he is less of a sprinter more of a hilly classics man

+1

How has Avermaet changed from a sprinter to classics rider. like he has but how???????????

He was always a good climber but he has been specifically working on it even more. He also said he had been targeting the ardennes classics specifically amstel Gold Race. The course suits him very well.