Why isn't Evans ever on a good team?

[slartiblartfast]

Evans in an introvert who I suspect has a lot of difficulty forming new professional relationships. I don't think he had it in him to play the field when it came to negotiating a new team contract last year. Of course he should have joined Garmin, as some were pointing out in the forum discussion during the 2009 tour. He can still the Giro from here, but without team support in the mountains it will be that much tougher.

 

[Sasquatch]

If Evan's had not lost 47 seconds on stage 3 it would not look so bad. That was bad teamwork leaving him isolated. He is two minutes down on Basso and Nibali, not Contador and Schleck, 90 odd seconds on Vino who has been known to falter on mountain stages sometimes and he is not far from Sastre on GC.

A bit early to be righting off the pre-race favourite with 17 days of racing left. I do agree with others, though that it was a big mistake sending Hincapie and others to the Tour of California but I have a feeling that that race is compulsory for Hincapie and part of his regular racing program.

As we have seen in other grand tours, the third week is vital and Nibali was preparing for the Tour de France not the Giro. I still see Sastre as the big improver later in the race and the biggest theat to Evans. Vino is erratic and tends to lose time sometimes when you don't expect him to. It is shaping up to be an exciting race because evereryone will be attacking Liguigas. Five favourites within two minutes or so with two time trials and plenty of climbing to come. Hardly a foregone conclusion.

He's not going to the Tour to win. Basso is and he's their leader so I would argue that Nibali isn't purely focusing on the TDF.

 

[karlboss]

He's not going to the Tour to win. Basso is and he's their leader so I would argue that Nibali isn't purely focusing on the TDF.

I doubt nibali was focussing on the giro, as he wasn't originally down to ride it.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Fot those saying there is still a long way to go in this Giro, while certainly true - it does not take away from the question that he is on a weak team.

BMC may well be better over the next years - but Cadel is at a point in his career where he should not be in 'team building' mode - he needs a team to be beside him now.

Actually I think Evans is in more danger on the flat stages than the mountains as he is very isolated - but he will have Santamrogio for part of the mountainous stages.


@ Powderpuff: The JV quote is fromthis Cyclingnews article.

 

[davis_123]

I think it is really simple why he went to BMC and not another bigger team. BMC has a massive budget with no star riders to take any of it up and they needed one badly to get invited to the grand tours. Garmin on the other hand would probably only be paying him what Wiggans got last year and at the time wiggans hadn't switched anyways had he?

Its not rocket science really, ride with us for 750k a year (Garmin) and have a good team or go to BMC for 1.5mil a year and hope they can buy in the support you need.

You would be stupid to refuse that kind of money. He has probably decided no matter what team he has he can't win the TDF anymore and in the Giro or Vuelta he really doesn't need a team unless there is a TTT.

Cadel if he had gotten in a better team 5 years ago may just have 1-2 TDF titles next to his name and now he may not ever win any of the GT's. That is the risk you take though, when someone is throwing that much extra money at you then anyone else its hard to refuse, you can only be a professional athlete for so many years after that there are 30 long years before you hit pension age.

 

[Moondance]

I think it is really simple why he went to BMC and not another bigger team. BMC has a massive budget with no star riders to take any of it up and they needed one badly to get invited to the grand tours. Garmin on the other hand would probably only be paying him what Wiggans got last year and at the time wiggans hadn't switched anyways had he?

Its not rocket science really, ride with us for 750k a year (Garmin) and have a good team or go to BMC for 1.5mil a year and hope they can buy in the support you need.

You would be stupid to refuse that kind of money. He has probably decided no matter what team he has he can't win the TDF anymore and in the Giro or Vuelta he really doesn't need a team unless there is a TTT.

Cadel if he had gotten in a better team 5 years ago may just have 1-2 TDF titles next to his name and now he may not ever win any of the GT's. That is the risk you take though, when someone is throwing that much extra money at you then anyone else its hard to refuse, you can only be a professional athlete for so many years after that there are 30 long years before you hit pension age.

Well, the Cadel fans are claiming that he's actually earning less at BMC than he was at Lotto... So go figure.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Isn't his manager Tony Rominger? You would assume he would be pretty shrewd.

I don't blame Evans for getting out of his Lotto contract when the oppurtunity arose - but as BroDeal pointed out going to a Pro Conti team is a huge gamble - and Garmin would have made an excellent choice.

BMC did quite well today - but its only day 4 of the race and the cracks in the team are already evident.
If Cadel falls short by 1 or 2 minutes in this Giro those precious minutes wont have been lost on the road they will have been lost in the team selection before a pedal was turned in anger.

what both of you said

 

[Angliru]

No Péraud either, and he's the French ITT champ, and Lotto's highest finisher in the 2009 ITT World Champs (11th).

I'd completely forgotten Peraud and he's been pretty impressive this being his first year focusing on the road coming from a mountain biking background.

 

[BroDeal]

It's easy for people in hindsight to say he should have gone to Garmin, I will reserve my decision until after the Giro. If he wins his decision is absolutely justified. He definitely had to leave Lotto, they are simply a joke.

If Evans wins the Giro then it justifies nothing. It will be despite his team instead of becaues of it. If I play Russian roulette for a milion dollars and happen to win that does not justify the stupidity of playing; it just means I was lucky.

 

[TRDean]

To the OP.

He has been on good teams, just not at the height of his career. Saeco and T-Mobile were pretty handy. Agreed Lotto were and are pathetic.

It's easy for people in hindsight to say he should have gone to Garmin, I will reserve my decision until after the Giro. If he wins his decision is absolutely justified. He definitely had to leave Lotto, they are simply a joke.
I guess he has taken a risk on this year and banked on the team buying a couple of climbers and a TT weapon to help him.

A joke?? I think that is a bit much...they did just beat BMC in the TTT...and are a better team than BMC. No hindsight at all...I was thinking the move to BMC was a bad one when it happened...as stated by someone earlier, I think Cadel can't handle the pressure of a good team...whereby he would have no built in excuses.

 

[Boeing]

His People Skills leave many Domestique riders and managers apathetic is the rumor on the street. He'll be riding for Alberto in the TDF regardless

He should have gone to Garmin

 

[Boeing]

I think Cadel can't handle the pressure of a good team...whereby he would have no built in excuses.

interesting point

 

[tgsgirl]

I'd completely forgotten Peraud and he's been pretty impressive this being his first year focusing on the road coming from a mountain biking background.

Yeah, Péraud has been a very pleasant surprise. Cuddles would've had a team with Péraud, Moreno and Jurgen VDB...

 

[Boeing]

If Evans wins the Giro then it justifies nothing. It will be despite his team instead of becaues of it. If I play Russian roulette for a milion dollars and happen to win that does not justify the stupidity of playing; it just means I was lucky.

Brodeal; I must say you have been on your game as of late.

thanks for playing

carry on

 

[issoisso]

Honestly I think the Evans fans should be a lot more worried about Evans' form than his time loss so far. Specifically, he's been in good form for a while now. It's very unlikely he'll keep it for the third week.

Isn't his manager Tony Rominger? You would assume he would be pretty shrewd.

Yup. One of the two Rominger clients who hasn't yet been busted for doping, out of the original dozens of Rominger clients.

Well....then again, whether Klöden has been busted or not, is debatable.

It's interesting you would mention it, as Rominger was a guy who was plagued by bad team choices. He had brilliant results in smaller races, but nothing in GTs until 1992 mostly because he kept joining teams where he had to work for stars in GTs (Bugno for example). Maybe Rominger's advising him on team choice?

 

[BroDeal]

..as stated by someone earlier, I think Cadel can't handle the pressure of a good team...whereby he would have no built in excuses.

That was me. But I also think the move to BMC has all the marks of a rash decision that was done without much thought. I suspect that there was an incident or bad blood that had been been building between Evans and Lotto's management. When he saw the opportunity to get out, he jumped without looking. It took everyone by surprise.

Dr. M. posted a quote by Vaughters saying he wished he had known than Evans was on the market. A more thoughtful and astute exit from Lotto would have landed Evans on a much better team than BMC.

I will also echo the thoughts posted above that this may be Evans' last season to win a GT. The young guys like Nibali, Gesink, etc. are coming up fast. I will not be surprised at all to see Nibali win this Giro.

 

[offbyone]

Honestly I think the Evans fans should be a lot more worried about Evans' form than his time loss so far. Specifically, he's been in good form for a while now. It's very unlikely he'll keep it for the third week.

You are correct, he has been on fire all season, actually it seems like he has been on form since late 2009. It will impressive and surprising if he can maintain this form through the TdF.

 

[TRDean]

That was me. But I also think the move to BMC has all the marks of a rash decision that was done without much thought. I suspect that there was an incident or bad blood that had been been building between Evans and Lotto's management. When he saw the opportunity to get out, he jumped without looking. It took everyone by surprise.

Dr. M. posted a quote by Vaughters saying he wished he had known than Evans was on the market. A more thoughtful and astute exit from Lotto would have landed Evans on a much better team than BMC.

I will also echo the thoughts posted above that this may be Evans' last season to win a GT. The young guys like Nibali, Gesink, etc. are coming up fast. I will not be surprised at all to see Nibali win this Giro.

Thanks Bro...I couldn't remember who said it. Agree with everything above!! The move by Cadel to BMC is hardly defensible...

 

[tgsgirl]

His People Skills leave many Domestique riders and managers apathetic is the rumor on the street.

Well, he doesn't help himself exactly. At the Alpe d'Huez TdF stage in 2008 Evans was in the group with all the GC contenders at the beginning of Alpe. He had Johan Van Summeren there (think about how hard Summie would've had to suffer to make it to Alpe with GC men - they had already passed the Galibier and the Croix de Fer by then) and Mario Aerts as well. Apart from Lotto only Saxo (Sastre and the Schlecks) and Ag2R (Valjavec and Goubert) had more than one rider in that group. Samu, Menchov, Valverde... all on their own. Van Summeren paced the first part, but we all know he isn't much of a mountain goat. Aerts then took over til he too completely imploded.

Sastre rode away from the lot and put two minutes into everyone, including Evans (2'15", to be exact). After the stage, what does Evans do? Moan and whine about how terrible his team was, and how he had no support. You kill yourself for the guy and all he does is complain. So why bother?

When Summie went to Garmin Belgian journos asked him what is was like to be on a team with Leif Hoste and Cadel Evans, both notable complainers. Van Summeren had kind words for one of them... and he wasn't Australian.

 

[BroDeal]

You are correct, he has been on fire all season, actually it seems like he has been on form since late 2009. It will impressive and surprising if he can maintain this form through the TdF.

That is a function of being on a Pro Conti team. He has been forced to perform well in early season races so his team will get invites to the Tour and the Giro. On a Pro Tour team he would have had the luxury of timing his peak form purely for the Giro.

 

[offbyone]

That is a function of being on a Pro Conti team. He has been forced to perform well in early season races so his team will get invites to the Tour and the Giro. On a Pro Tour team he would have had the luxury of timing his peak form purely for the Giro.

Are you suggesting that Evans is more interested in targeting the Giro as opposed to the Tdf?

 

[BroDeal]

Are you suggesting that Evans is more interested in targeting the Giro as opposed to the Tdf?

I don't think he is smart enough to target a GT other than the Tour. If he were then he would have Menchov's Vuelta and Giro wins.

 

[DreamTeam]

I don't think he is smart enough to target a GT other than the Tour. If he were then he would have Menchov's Vuelta and Giro wins.

It is not a question of whether he is smart, pre the worlds result BMC was a good place to hide out pre-retirement ... the freedom seems to be working and in hindsight now BMC suddenly seems week for what everyone thinks he can achieve ....

 

[ttrider]

Yeh BMC is a strange decision but then again had his position at lotto become untenable it would be a valid explanation for leaving because otherwise peraud vandenbrock and moreno with Hoste on cobble could definitely support a GC winner, i think he is as talented as anyone with a VO2 max of 90 but he really must be just very difficult to work for, i think he can still take the Giro this year if he is lucky and i can see him adding the vuelta if he focusses as well, his talent shows that his palmares is a major dissapointment, id take evans over menchov, sastre or di luca any day and yet in menchovs case he is 3 grand tours up! If BMC had Kroon Ballan and Hincapie along side santambrogio as well as another top 20 in GC climber he would have a very good chance in the Giro etc

 

[hfer07]

To address directly the title of this threat, I honestly believe that Evans lacks the Overall picture-and he's fool enough to believe he can do everything by himself. The fact that he's been twice 2nd in the TDF & got podium in the Vuelta without the entire support from his former team, has made him a lonely rider, perhaps stubbornness built his reputation as a great rider but at the same time made him close-minded to seek that missing partnership that could have helped him to achieve those denied TDF & Vuelta titles. I agree with many folks around here that called his switch to BMC a rushed move, an unthoughtful one, considering his own capabilities.... Cadel only has two more years left in his legs before he starts the inevitable decline in fitness & performance, so he better off make good use of them- nevertheless- good luck to him because I still like him as a cyclist