EVANS! Time to abandon those so called team mates!

[karlboss]

I would like to see Simon Gerrans join SL as he is likely pretty upset with Cervelo at the moment. I have been really impressed with Van Den Broeck so far as well.

If the TTT is here to stay again, they really need to bolster their TT abilities. Not sure who though....

Wouldn't help his overall chances at all, but once again if you are looking at guys who missed out, horner, lovkist?

 

[Franklin]

There are no stupid threads, only stupid people.
Evans has always lacked support, horner was close and had he been retained, who knows. This year I think SL are doing as well as other years by him, apart from the TTT. I like thinking of transfers, who would you bring to SL or where should he go? Any answers, opinions?

Actually, if you check out Silence's team compostion, it's stacked with "TT specialists" and "climbers". However, they are young and inexperienced and god knows how many of those youngsters will pan out to be valuable the next few years.

In a way, Silence took the Rabo way and take in a lot of young TT talents. It's just not enough capable veterans to keep the boat floating untill the youngsters have arrived. The loss of Kohl+Dekker made a huge gap in the lineup.

But saying Silence doesn't try to change into a GC team is simply wrong... they cut out their sprint and Flandrien section. This year it's built around GC (Cadel, Dekker, Vandenbroeck)+Ardennes (Gilbert)

 

[yourwelcome]

Dear OP: when trolling for reactions from Belgians or Dutchies, try doing it on some Benelux riding forum for best results.

 

[mherm79]

They So far this Tour, I would argue he's a stronger rider than Armstrong, except for the TTT and Lance's lucky break with the split in the field on that windy day--yet Evans is 3 mins back.

just goes to show that tour is not only about the strongest. Evans is strong, no doubt, but he isn't riding smart.

His attack was good to watch, but a waste of energy.
It was half hearted. The guys in the break ahead where never going to work with him, so he really needed to go it alone - all the way. then he either makes it, or makes the peleton (Astana) chase and waste some energy themselves.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

You cant trust the Dutch you know. They were very unreliable during the war. You never knew if they would turn up or whose side they were on. Nothings changed.

.......maybe it's a quote from Rasmussen!

 

[yourwelcome]

Hey MicKKK, there's a 'Village Idiot' competition going on in the "Difference between American and European fans" thread.

Maybe you could get a late entry, you've got great form.

 

[Trev_S]

I have tried so hard to figure out how Cadel has been blessed with the brand of major contender. He has basically benefited from the removal and exclusion of major contenders the last 3 years. Coming from 11 minutes down in 2005 to being 4 minutes down in 2006 it seems the contenders have gone down to Cadels level not the other way around.

Have a think about why those riders where removed.
You could say the same about Sastre, he wasn't a GT winner a few years ago.
But he is certainly a major contendor now, the same as Evans. Pretty simple really, these guys are the best of the 2006+ era.

 

[msjett]

His peers have picked him potential tour winner, like him or not, he is considered by his peers a threat to their own ambitions of winning the TDF.

Would it be different if , Rasmussen, Vino and others were there in the race, I really don't know, maybe, it would give him more of a chance to win...There are so many what if's you could spend the rest of your life wondering...

 

[mickkk]

Hey MicKKK, there's a 'Village Idiot' competition going on in the "Difference between American and European fans" thread.

Maybe you could get a late entry, you've got great form.

Dutch, Belgian, all the same.

1600 other idiots have read this thread.

 

[The Falcon]

first dig.......

Dear OP: when trolling for reactions from Belgians or Dutchies, try doing it on some Benelux riding forum for best results.

and the body hasnt stirred.....so its time to lay in the slipper :

Hey MicKKK, there's a 'Village Idiot' competition going on in the "Difference between American and European fans" thread.

Maybe you could get a late entry, you've got great form.

he really doesnt like you Mickkk

 

[dadoorsron]

Have a think about why those riders where removed.
You could say the same about Sastre, he wasn't a GT winner a few years ago.
But he is certainly a major contendor now, the same as Evans. Pretty simple really, these guys are the best of the 2006+ era.

Sastre is much better in the mountians then Cadel evans can ever hope to be. That's what gives Sastre a bump in actually getting the "Contender" stamp. That was a monster effort at alp D'huez last year sastre put in. Evans just watched him ride off to the tour win that day.

Now those riders removed was for the right reason and It was good for them to be removed from the sport. That doesn't take away from the fact that the guys that were never considered a Contender are now considered. It's not that they got better the good riders (or Chemically enhanced) are not there. The Race came to the so called contenders not them raising there game.

Sastre has always been a concern in the mountians. specially the second trip into the mountians.

 

[Franklin]

Sastre is much better in the mountians then Cadel evans can ever hope to be. That's what gives Sastre a bump in actually getting the "Contender" stamp. That was a monster effort at alp D'huez last year sastre put in. Evans just watched him ride off to the tour win that day.

Now those riders removed was for the right reason and It was good for them to be removed from the sport. That doesn't take away from the fact that the guys that were never considered a Contender are now considered. It's not that they got better the good riders (or Chemically enhanced) are not there. The Race came to the so called contenders not them raising there game.

Sastre has always been a concern in the mountians. specially the second trip into the mountians.

Climbing skills aren't more important than TT skills. There are (many many) more decent climbing TT specialists who won the TdF than climbers who were decent at TT's.

Allrounders have been the king of the heap the last 40 years.

 

[elapid]

Sastre is much better in the mountians then Cadel evans can ever hope to be. That's what gives Sastre a bump in actually getting the "Contender" stamp. That was a monster effort at alp D'huez last year sastre put in. Evans just watched him ride off to the tour win that day.

Sastre won the TdF on the Alpe on the back of a monster effort by his team. Kudos to Sastre, he raced smartly and conserved his energy for the rest of the Tour. Cadel did not have that luxury having a weaker team, having to do most of the work himself, and having to deal with the effects of a crash. As per usual, you seem to watching a different race to most of us. Evans did not just watch Sastre go up the mountain. Who else was in that group? Menchov, Kohl, Valverde, Vandevelde, and the Schleck brothers. Did they all "watch" as well? Most of these riders, including Evans, tried to bridge the gap, only to be shut down by the Schleck brothers. Credit should go to the Schlecks for changing the pace and breaking up the chasing group.

Cadel also deserves further kudos for developing into a better climber this year in response to his attacking deficiencies in the mountains of previous years. He was always a good climber, and now he is a better climber (and contender).

And +1 with Franklin. Tour winners are rarely one dimensional. Cadel is a much more well-rounded contender because he can both climb and TT well. Sastre is not so good in the TT and this is where he fails in comparison to Cadel (and Contador and Armstrong).

 

[mickkk]

Climbing skills aren't more important than TT skills. There are (many many) more decent climbing TT specialists who won the TdF than climbers who were decent at TT's.

Allrounders have been the king of the heap the last 40 years.

Gimme the last ten TT specialists who could also climb!

 

[karlboss]

Gimme the last ten TT specialists who could also climb!

Armstrong, ullrich, landis, evans, menchov, kloden, leipheimer, vinokourov, indurain, rominger, zulle

pretty much any GC contender who wasn't a pure climber...

 

[elapid]

I would also include Contador, despite his climbing skills: second to Cancellera in stage 1 and ITT champion of Spain.

 

[Cobber]

Gimme the last ten TT specialists who could also climb!

Not sure I can get 10 off the top of my head, but here is 7 for a start...... Armstrong, Ullrich, Indurain, LeMond, Riis, Delgado, Hinault

 

[karlboss]

I figure contador was known as a climber first, just like armstrong was probably the strongest climber in most of his tour wins...just known as a TT specialist first.

 

[Angliru]

I would like to see Simon Gerrans join SL as he is likely pretty upset with Cervelo at the moment. I have been really impressed with Van Den Broeck so far as well.

I know this is quite early yet but I can't remember the last time a Belgian rider has been able to attack the group of contenders on the ultimate climb of a Tour summit finish stage. It has been a long while since there was a Belgian contender for the Tour. This would be an idea for its own thread.
Could Van Den Broeck be the Tour hope that has been absent from Belgium for so long?

 

[mickkk]

SEE! Those Belgies are weak as P15s.

He did well last night, finishing about 6 minutes ahead of his Dutch/Belgian parasitic team mates. Sit on the yellow, sit on Astana, make a move here and there, thats all he has to do, its all he should do and its all he can do.

 

[Anonymous]

i feel kinda sorry for evans, in my opinion he is the second best rider in this tour after contador. i think he would be even more dangerous if he raced in a team with another GC-contender. that way he wouldnt need to be so defensive as he could use the teammate to attack the rest of the GC-riders and eventually counter-attack.

really.. i still dont think so.. hes a podium contender but i dont think hes the second best rider in grand tours, and the record backs that up, hes been second to just about everyone.. I dont think his team is bad, and in the end he is the one who asked them to sign wegalius, and then wegalius didnt make th tour squad, and then last mnute he was brouight it he was "the man to help cadel through the mountains".. they should make there mlinds up..

but i still dont think hes that great.. and i think the silence team manager is crap..

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

SEE! Those Belgies are weak as P15s.

He did well last night, finishing about 6 minutes ahead of his Dutch/Belgian parasitic team mates. Sit on the yellow, sit on Astana, make a move here and there, thats all he has to do, its all he should do and its all he can do.

Oh god, he has no dutch teammates for the last time. Are you really that dumb? Can't believe people like you excist

 

[Amsterhammer]

Oh god, he has no dutch teammates for the last time. Are you really that dumb? Can't believe people like you excist

Sadly, he really appears to be.

 

[Mellow Velo]

sadly, he really appears to be.

kkk............

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

*Bangs head repeatedly into the wall*