General News Thread

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Jun 16, 2009
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Parrulo said:
does evans know he will turn 36 in a month? :eek:

who was the last 36 year old that actually contended for a GT?

Who was the last 34 year old to win the Tour de France before Evans? I agree that it will be very difficult to win this year, but he has silenced the critics many times in the past. 2011 was no exception.
 

martinvickers

BANNED
Oct 15, 2012
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The Hitch said:
Now that is a surprise.

I see Ireland and n.Ireland bid for it in October so it will Will probably go through both countries

Belfast to dublin through or past newry dundalk and drogheda the most likely i would have thought - the cave hill/ mournes/ring of gullion are some interesting cycling hills, but nothing too steep I suspect.
 
sacrifice&hardwork said:
Thanks Hitch for the reply!
I knew where movingtarget was going with her/his comment but I was curious on her/his view on it. Nevertheless I appreciate your reply and agree with it :)
So don't worry movingtarget you don't have to respond to it anymore, it's all in the past and not even relevant to road cycling :)

I have not visited either country and was just basing my comment which was not completely serious, on media reports from Mexico. I seem to hear more about violence in Mexico than Colombia. Of course most of it is drug related and of course some parts of the country are much worse than others. To be honest neither country would be be near the top of my "to visit" list. But then again I would not be going anywhere near the middle east either ! But violence is so random, it can happen anywhere anytime so it seems.
 
Parrulo said:
does evans know he will turn 36 in a month? :eek:

who was the last 36 year old that actually contended for a GT?

I don't think Van Garderen has a better chance than Evans if Evans is healthy. Evans had a late start to grand tours and has not had serious injuries or major illness unlike others. Before he joined Lotto he had a bad run of broken collarbones but that is nothing for bike riders. His virus knocked him out of contention for a better finish in the Tour but in a three week GT Evans is still more consistent than TJVG. But if Evans can't improve on his 2012 ride and TJVG improves I guess the writing is on the well for Cadel at least as far as grand tours are concerned. I don't think many would have selected Vino to win the Olympic Road Race either but in one day races, age does not seem to matter so much. I think Cadel would like the look of this year's World's course.
 
Last year's Tour course was pretty much ideal for Van Garderen, who is fairly limited in his climbing possibilities, to put it that way. I think Evans should still be their leader, which BTW is also better for Van Garderen himself. No pressure.
 
May 28, 2012
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movingtarget said:
Most people said the same in 2011.

Evans was 34 then too, just like Leipheimer's last good GT ride. Riders > 34 years normally aren't capable of recovering well enough to ride for a GT podium.
 
Mar 31, 2010
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that's so much bull**** there is not one shred of scientific evidence that after 34 all of a sudden your recuperation drops. or even before that. more the other way around. the problem usually is keeping your body fit but above all mentally fit. life changes all the time, we get older, stay healthier, so of course riders will stay competetibe longer. in 10 years we have 40 year + gt winners no doubt. keep in mind until 10 years ago a rider of 32 was basically done.
 
Jun 16, 2009
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Pentacycle said:
Evans was 34 then too, just like Leipheimer's last good GT ride. Riders > 34 years normally aren't capable of recovering well enough to ride for a GT podium.

You are missing the point. People said then he was too old and still won. You can't create a 'rule of thumb' based on two riders. You must also remember that Evans would be regarded as a late 'blossomer' in the GT racing.
 
May 28, 2012
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auscyclefan94 said:
You are missing the point. People said then he was too old and still won. You can't create a 'rule of thumb' based on two riders. You must also remember that Evans would be regarded as a late 'blossomer' in the GT racing.

Leipheimer was a late blossomer too. :rolleyes: Both became pro around 2000, and in 2002 Evans could've won his first GT(as a 25 year old) if he hadn't cracked so hard, Leipheimer podiumed his first GT at 27.
Didn't Evans suffer from injuries most of the time until he joined Lotto? From then on he improved from his 2002 showings, and now he's declining. Riders come and go, it's as simple as that. CQ ranking graphs often show this decline, although you can't always rule out a few exceptions.
 
Jun 16, 2009
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Pentacycle said:
Leipheimer was a late blossomer too. :rolleyes: Both became pro around 2000, and in 2002 Evans could've won his first GT(as a 25 year old) if he hadn't cracked so hard, Leipheimer podiumed his first GT at 27.
Didn't Evans suffer from injuries most of the time until he joined Lotto? From then on he improved from his 2002 showings, and now he's declining. Riders come and go, it's as simple as that. CQ ranking graphs often show this decline, although you can't always rule out a few exceptions.

Leipheimer's first main year on the road he podiumed in a GT. Not the case for Evans
 
May 28, 2012
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auscyclefan94 said:
Leipheimer's first main year on the road he podiumed in a GT. Not the case for Evans

Please, Evans rode in the pink jersey in the 3rd week of the 2002 Giro, he could've won it if he had the mental strength he has today. He was already physically matured, his other results of that season in Down Under, Paris-Nice, Pais Vasco and Romandie, showed he already had good climbing and TT at 25 years of age. Only his weak mental strength has kept from him winning a GT earlier in his career than 2011.
 
Parrulo said:
does evans know he will turn 36 in a month? :eek:

who was the last 36 year old that actually contended for a GT?

Ryo is wrong. It's actually more recent than he thinks (Leipheimer was 35 at the 2009 Giro).

Alexander Vinokourov, 2010 Giro d'Italia.

Before that, Lance Armstrong, 2009 Tour de France, of course. Which is still more recent than Leipheimer, unless Ryo is counting California.
 
Pentacycle said:
Please, Evans rode in the pink jersey in the 3rd week of the 2002 Giro, he could've won it if he had the mental strength he has today. He was already physically matured, his other results of that season in Down Under, Paris-Nice, Pais Vasco and Romandie, showed he already had good climbing and TT at 25 years of age. Only his weak mental strength has kept from him winning a GT earlier in his career than 2011.

Evans bonked in the Giro. It had nothing to do with mental strength. He did not eat enough. I'm not saying Evans will win the Tour, I am saying that if he is healthy he will finish ahead of TJVG. He will be competitive plus he has extra motivation after the 2012 disappointment and route is not a bad one for him. If Evans is fit and well, BMC should have him as team leader. TJVG has finished ahead of him in one race when Evans had problems. Hardly enough to write Evans off completely.