Rediscovering an admiration for C. Evans

[delbified]

go cuddles! he's openly anti-doping, unlike some other high profile riders who "don't like to talk about it". he's unlikeable in an embarrasingly honest way that's in itself, likeable.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I believe you'll find Mrs Murphy is quite knowlegable and likes to stir the evans crowd.

+1
I can confirm.

At the end of the day, it's another GT over and for all the hype, Evans has ended up in more or less the same spot as last year's Vuelta.

Looking super for 85% of a 3 week race, will never bring the top award.

 

[icefire]

Evans honours every GT he races. Just compare his Giro performance to that of Wiggins. Or take last year's Vuelta and compare it with what the Schlecks did. Yes, if you don't remember they were in the start list. And I know Schlecklet did second in the Tour and had nothing to prove in the Vuelta, but so did Evans in 2007 and finished 4th in the Vuelta. He doesn't consider races in general and GT's in particular as paid training camps.

He may not be the most exciting rider to watch most of the time, but then...

Are you suggesting it would've been better for him to race the Giro like Sastre?

Just drop off and sit in no mans land on every climb? At least that way he can't wheelsuck.

Would finishing 8th on Zoncolan be more impressive in your mind than trying to follow the strongest man in the race for half the climb and finishing 2nd?

Exactly! I can't understand how overrated Sastre is in comparison to Evans if we live aside the fanboys. Interestingly, Spanish fans like Sastre as much as non-Australian ones like Evans

 

[beroepsrenner]

I believe you'll find Mrs Murphy is quite knowlegable and likes to stir the evans crowd.

Maybe I'm too serious!! I wouldnt consider myself an Evans fan but I do give credit where credit is due.

 

[The Sheep]

Exactly! I can't understand how overrated Sastre is in comparison to Evans if we live aside the fanboys. Interestingly, Spanish fans like Sastre as much as non-Australian ones like Evans

Sastre has a lot nicer personality, he's hardly ever negative and is willing to admit his mistakes. As a rider hes a not a great TT so he has to take time in the mountains and has to be more aggressive there than Evans and that's what people like to see.

 

[tgsgirl]

Evans honours every GT he races. Just compare his Giro performance to that of Wiggins

Short memory you have there. Just compare Wiggo's 2009 TdF to Evans'. And I don't even like Wiggo.


Anyway. I don't like Evans' personality. I'll never cheer for someone who leave their team in the dark after years of support* (that includes Beppu, Swift and, whatdoyouknow, Wiggo). But post-rainbows Cuddles is definitely better than pre-rainbows Cuddles, and he's shown a good fighting spirit. Whatever excuse he (thinks he) has this time, I hope he keeps it to himself. I'd do him good to just say "someone else was better", without addendums and what ifs.

*even if you're one of those who feel Lotto did nothing for him, he became a contender with them.

 

[Roninho]

Exactly! I can't understand how overrated Sastre is in comparison to Evans if we live aside the fanboys. Interestingly, Spanish fans like Sastre as much as non-Australian ones like Evans

Overrated how?

 

[Roninho]

go cuddles! he's openly anti-doping, unlike some other high profile riders who "don't like to talk about it". he's unlikeable in an embarrasingly honest way that's in itself, likeable.

He is? I havn't heard him say anything about his teammates from t-mobile that got busted. Especially if he is and has been a clean rider you'd expect him to be very vocal about this. If he has been clean all his career he ishas essentially been robbed of a lot of wins with all these winners getting caught doping.

 

[goggalor]

Short memory you have there. Just compare Wiggo's 2009 TdF to Evans'. And I don't even like Wiggo.

Evans did race that Tour. He was the first of the favorites to attack up to Arcalis. And when he lost minutes in the team time trial and on stage 15 to Verbier, he attacked on the first mountain the next day. Of course it didn't work out, but still, I'd say he raced harder last year than most of the favorites.

I do think Wiggins respects the Giro, tho.

 

[Stuart]

I will never respect Cadel Evans. I don't care who wins, as long as Cadel Evans loses.

I love these haters - won't respect Cadel because it seems that other riders don't like him? A rider who's come 2nd twice in TdF, 3rd in the our of Spain and now 5th in the Giro. You mate, are 100% wan*er.

 

[movingtarget]

Short memory you have there. Just compare Wiggo's 2009 TdF to Evans'. And I don't even like Wiggo.


Anyway. I don't like Evans' personality. I'll never cheer for someone who leave their team in the dark after years of support* (that includes Beppu, Swift and, whatdoyouknow, Wiggo). But post-rainbows Cuddles is definitely better than pre-rainbows Cuddles, and he's shown a good fighting spirit. Whatever excuse he (thinks he) has this time, I hope he keeps it to himself. I'd do him good to just say "someone else was better", without addendums and what ifs.

*even if you're one of those who feel Lotto did nothing for him, he became a contender with them.

**********************************************************
Actually Lotto never had a GC contender until Evans. He raised their profile as much as they helped him. Also he extended his contract after they advised him that they were buying Kohl and Dekker who both turned out to be deadbeat druggo's. Sastre jumped to Cervelo after he won the TDF. Evans showed more loyalty than most after sticking with Lotto for so long. Evans has been saying for the past three days that "Basso is stronger and has the best team." That seems pretty crystal clear to me. That's not whining. That's a fact.

 

[Sydney Sider]

I really dont care bout his personality and interviews after the races and everyone can get a little emotional and say stupid things after a long exhausting day in the saddle .

As a Rider he is currently riding out of his skin and has so much belief in himself that he can animate and win any race he rides , Evans , Vino and the LG boys have made this race an incredible spectacle for us fans to watch and any rider that makes the race more exciting gets the thumbs up by me

 

[tgsgirl]

He raised their profile as much as they helped him. Also he extended his contract after they advised him that they were buying Kohl and Dekker who both turned out to be deadbeat druggo's. [...] Evans has been saying for the past three days that "Basso is stronger and has the best team." That seems pretty crystal clear to me. That's not whining. That's a fact.

Yup, Evans was good for Lotto. Never said he wasn't. And with Kohl and Dekker - you're saying Evans should be praised because he stuck by Lotto, "even though Lotto's crystal ball didn't work"? Is Gadret a hero if he sticks with AG2R? Nibali and Basso for extending their contracts with Liqui?

The addendum thing was referring to "the reason he can't give us til after Verona". Whatever it is - it'd be good for him to keep it to himself and admit that Basso and Liqui were stronger, as he has been doing the past few days.

And I hate it when people try to win an argument by saying "that's a fact".

 

[tgsgirl]

As a Rider he is currently riding out of his skin and has so much belief in himself that he can animate and win any race he rides

... except for the one he's currently riding?

I'm not trying to be a hater here, but some people are going seriously overboard. Evans has had a really good season so far. But two victories don't scream "I win wherever and whenever I want".

EDIT -
Unless you're saying that he believes he can win any race he's in. In which case I take back all of the above.

 

[biker jk]

I believe you'll find Mrs Murphy is quite knowlegable and likes to stir the evans crowd.

True, if you believe that spewing crap like it's pouring from an open sewer is "knowledgable".

 

[Sydney Sider]

To be fair though Lotto focused 2 years solely on Cadel and he came second twice in the TDF thats not a bad record , the other years Lotto were more focused on McEwan and the green jersey which was completely reasonable as McEwan was a proven winner.

In that case Lotto gave Cadel the chance to ride the tour but they were not supporting him and therefore he turned himself into a contender and gave Lotto no choice but to support him. I understand why Cadel wanted to leave and i also understand why Lotto wanted to focus on VDB but its in the past now.

 

[Sydney Sider]

... except for the one he's currently riding?

I'm not trying to be a hater here, but some people are going seriously overboard. Evans has had a really good season so far. But two victories don't scream "I win wherever and whenever I want".

EDIT -
Unless you're saying that he believes he can win any race he's in. In which case I take back all of the above.

I meant believe he can win not does win

 

[tgsgirl]

I meant believe he can win not does win

Alrighty!

And to make this post ten characters long I give you wiktionary's word of the day:

henpeck v
1. (chiefly by a wife) To nag persistently.

 

[High Cotton]

The only thing I dislike about Evans is the obnoxious bunch of chamois sniffers that support him on this forum. They make it really, really easy to pull for him to do poorly.



With regard to the man himself, he's earned a lot of respect with his performances in this Giro. The old Cadel would not have reacted the way the new Cadel has to certain setbacks, and, instead of moaning about things and then secluding himself from the press, he's come out each day and fought.



Oh, and can we please drop the he doesn't have a team to support him junk. If he doesn't this year, Cadel is the only person to blame. He was not forced to go to BMC. He chose, of his own free will, to come to a team that would not be able to properly support him. It was obviously a risk he was willing to take.

 

[icefire]

Short memory you have there. Just compare Wiggo's 2009 TdF to Evans'. And I don't even like Wiggo.


Anyway. I don't like Evans' personality. I'll never cheer for someone who leave their team in the dark after years of support* (that includes Beppu, Swift and, whatdoyouknow, Wiggo). But post-rainbows Cuddles is definitely better than pre-rainbows Cuddles, and he's shown a good fighting spirit. Whatever excuse he (thinks he) has this time, I hope he keeps it to himself. I'd do him good to just say "someone else was better", without addendums and what ifs.

*even if you're one of those who feel Lotto did nothing for him, he became a contender with them.

Evans raced the TdF 2009 as far as his strength and health allowed him. Wiggo has taken the Giro as a training camp organised by Zomegnan instead of Brailsford

 

[tgsgirl]

Evans raced the TdF 2009 as far as his strength and health allowed him. Wiggo has taken the Giro as a training camp organised by Zomegnan instead of Brailsford

Probably depends on your interpretation of honoured. If you're saying honoured is "tried his very best", then fair game.

 

[icefire]

Overrated how?

Looking at their careers in the last 5 years I don't see Sastre as a super-exciting rider compared to Evans. Carlos has a TdF in his bag and Cadel hasn't got any GT. But both have been consistent in GTs at a similar level and Cadel has got a few important 1-day races. I don't see a big difference in them in terms of results or racing style that justifies the different level of appreciation and respect they get here. It seems that it's all about personality, which I can understand. Carlos looks like a nice guy when he speaks English or Italian. But when he speaks in his mother tongue, I'll tell you, everything he says sounds as excuses, complains and evasive answers. Does that sound familiar to any of you? He just needs to travel around with his dog

 

[yourwelcome]

The only thing I dislike about Evans is the obnoxious bunch of chamois sniffers that support him on this forum. They make it really, really easy to pull for him to do poorly.

Talk about 'obnoxious'

 

[9000ft]

The only thing I dislike about Evans is the obnoxious bunch of chamois sniffers that support him on this forum. They make it really, really easy to pull for him to do poorly.
.

So what other people think has such a hold on you? Can't make up your mind and be your own person?

 

[Archibald]

Probably depends on your interpretation of honoured. If you're saying honoured is "tried his very best", then fair game.

how else would you interpret as honoured?