Ok I'm coming into this debate a bit late. Is Cadel gay? Who cares. He is a good bike rider. He lost the plot a bit in the second week of the tour, maybe the pressure of holding the yellow jersey got to him. He may not be the most charismatic rider in the peloton, but he is what he is.
Cadel Evans
- Thread starter Phixion
- Start date
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He is, as you say, what he is. And what's that - a cautious man. The only time I warmed to him was on that last 3k when he was trying to limit his losses to the CSC mafia. That took guts.
But it was purely reactive. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting my cycling gods to be those who seize the moment and the initiative, who launch off into great attempts, vainglorious escapades which will often fail and sometimes be derided.
But never ignored.
Though I watched,dutifully, every minute of the last two hours of that final time-trial and was duly surprised, as were we all, that Sastre held off Evans so effectively, I was hardly on the edge of my seat.
Was anyone?
But it was purely reactive. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting my cycling gods to be those who seize the moment and the initiative, who launch off into great attempts, vainglorious escapades which will often fail and sometimes be derided.
But never ignored.
Though I watched,dutifully, every minute of the last two hours of that final time-trial and was duly surprised, as were we all, that Sastre held off Evans so effectively, I was hardly on the edge of my seat.
Was anyone?
Tetedelacourse
New Member
- Location
- Rosyth
yeah I loved the race this year from start to finish.
Well OK, I'm glad you did. Maybe I just wasn't ever really paying enough attention: that can make complicated things seem boring.
But it always felt like an in-between race - between eras: much as I admire Zabel, we all knew from the start he wasn't going to quite quick enough any longer. Ditto McEwen - I know he had no team support etc etc, but even so. Ricco turned put to be every bit the arrogant git he seemed, alas, and Cadel was never going to become a Tour Great. Even the winner - lovely guy though he is, all agree - is hardly a hero.
Poulidor's name resounds down the years - and he only ever "lost". Who, in 20 years' time, will remember which small Spanish climber won in 2008?
(Gawd, what a miserable old sod I sound!)
But it always felt like an in-between race - between eras: much as I admire Zabel, we all knew from the start he wasn't going to quite quick enough any longer. Ditto McEwen - I know he had no team support etc etc, but even so. Ricco turned put to be every bit the arrogant git he seemed, alas, and Cadel was never going to become a Tour Great. Even the winner - lovely guy though he is, all agree - is hardly a hero.
Poulidor's name resounds down the years - and he only ever "lost". Who, in 20 years' time, will remember which small Spanish climber won in 2008?
(Gawd, what a miserable old sod I sound!)
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
- Location
- Odawa
I enjoyed the Tour this year too. We really had no idea who was going to win any of the competitions until near the end - so yes, I was on the edge of my seat. There were great team efforts and class individual performances and for one, no one dominant force - which is a thoroughly good thing.
Flying_Monkey said:
I don't deny that it was close right up to the very end. Indeed,as I recall, there was one evening, a few days before the end, when the first three were all within 9 seconds. My point was that a close-run thing is only of interest to the extent that we give a damn about the runners.
No one dominant force? Don't CSC qualify? Perhaps they don't, for the simple enough reason that there was no one on that team able/allowed to dominate.
Personally, I'd have loved to see Jens Voight go for glory or the whole team pulling for Cancellara. Instead, we had the triumph of tactics and another faceless Spanish winner.
Guess that's why Riis makes a sh*t load more money than me.
Never mind: next year maybe Andy Schleck will bring back the passion. And if there's someone else to rival him in the mountains (How good is Ricco without the EPO?) then we may have a race which is not only close but one to make us care.
Evans had no team support and CSC did a very skillful demoralising job on him but I fear that Cadel Evans is heralding the 'new breed' of Tdf wannbewinnners - the percentage players. 
Bit like the:
-golfers who play safe, never make a big mistake, never do anything exciting
-tennis players who win by not making mistakes, rather than by making winners
-etc etc
Bit like the:
-golfers who play safe, never make a big mistake, never do anything exciting
-tennis players who win by not making mistakes, rather than by making winners
-etc etc
ABSOLUTELY
Blonde
New Member
- Location
- Bury, Lancashire
I doubt he had a deliberate policy of not attacking or taking risks- what if he just didn't have it in him? I'm sure he did his best! I felt quite sorry for him, but Carlos Satre also really deserved to win. Team CSC are well hot (and I don't just mean buff)! I rather like Cadel's drama queen image though - it all adds to the interest and excitement of Le Tour! Sastre's innocent, quiet Elf-boy image is also nice and I love his accent when he speaks English, it's wonderful and he comes accross as a really nice family guy, but it would be boring old tour if everyone was the same!
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
Incidentally, one of the news sites refers to Cadel as "Cuddles", and I can't get that out of my head when I see him in print or on the box now :/
John the Monkey
Frivolous Cyclist
- Location
- Crewe
Sorry to dredge this one up again, but I wanted to mention this month's Cycle Sport - as part of its Tour review, they have a large article on Evans, and on Silence-Lotto's plan for the tour (which, unfortunately for them, didn't survive its first contact with the real world). It's a good read, and ultimately left me feeling a bit sorry for Cadel - he comes over rather better (and impressively magnanimous in defeat) than he ever did in the tour coverage.