Professional Cycling - What's with Cadels bad attitide ?

Taking swings at reporters and head butting a camera ?

That kind of wimpy behaviuor will surely win him lots of knew friends..NOT

Cut him some slack. It's hard to hold up that big melon after 2 1/2 weeks of racing. Sometimes the neck muscles just give out and it looks like a head butt.

Well if the cycling thing doesn't work out for him, he can always get a gig at star wars conventions as a Skywalker look-alike

Evans is a fred.

If you looked like Bob Roll, you'd have a bad attitude too. :D

I think it is oxygen deprivation from two weeks of wheel-sucking. If he would get out front a little more often and maybe try to win a stage, he might get some fresh air and actually feel a little better about himself.

I dunno. Maybe he's just a jerk. He does have an amazingly annoying voice.

Give him a break. He only wheel-sucks because if he's ever in front, his eyelashes get entangled in his eyebrow carpets from the wind pushing them into each other. Getting it all untangled again is comparable in difficulty to solving a Rubik's cube.

The mechanic at my LBS today mentioned I shouldn't judge Cadel by some of his recent under-stress behavior. He had met Cadel several years ago at a mountain bike race, and said Cadel acted like a regular guy, was an amazingly nice person and was extremely approachable despite being at the top of the mountain bike world at that time.

Besides, his eyelashes are lovely. You guys are just jealous :D.

Don't listen to 'em Cadel. Go on witcha bad self.:bang:

He does have an amazingly annoying voice.


+∞-billion.

He reminds me of Denise Richards every time I see him.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4159215616/nm0000612

Evans is a solid guy. A good mate of mine was stranded with a busted bike between torquay and anglesea last summer - cadel happened to drive by, stopped, helped fix his bike, and then gave him a lift back to torquay in his mustang... he's really one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet - a true community man...

you can't really judge someone by how they act in as stressful a situation as the tour

He may be a great guy, but I do wish he would ride a little more aggressively. I'm rooting for Sastre - at least he had the guts to hang it out in the last mountain stage. I'd hate to see the GC go to someone who never did anything but play it safe and finish in the pack.

- Mark

good article if you still hate him;


Yellow fever grips Evans local fan club


REGARDLESS of Cadel Evans' performance tonight in the time-trial stage where he is expected to win — or lose — the Tour de France, some of his cycling chums plan to wear yellow jerseys on their weekly ride on this side of the world tomorrow morning.
If it was summer, Evans would likely be joining them on the cliff tops of the Bellarine Peninsula because one of the first things he did after setting up his Australian home base in sleepy Barwon Heads two-and-a-half years ago was check out the nearest cycling epicentre, Hendry Cycles in Ocean Grove, and get pedalling with the local lycra-clad mob.
Bob Jordan, 62, a recreational rider ''forever'' and the general manager of Barwon Coast, remembers the first time cycling royalty turned up in the Ocean Grove car park at his group's regular 8am meeting time.
''It was an absolutely amazing Sunday morning,'' Jordan said yesterday.
''This new guy arrived and he was just walking up to people saying, 'Morning, my name's Cadel'. It was as calm and as casual as that.''
With local hero Evans now on the verge of making history in the world's most famous bike race, a shrine has been erected in his honour in Barwon Heads. Parked at the village's main intersection is a huge, towable sign splashed with a bright yellow inscription — 'Go Cadel! Barwon Heads is cheering'.
'CADEL' is written on the roads that wind along nearby Thirteenth Beach and, at Hendry Cycles, a local artist has installed an elaborate shop-front decoration featuring a life-sized cut-out of Evans on a podium on Paris' Champs-Elysee.
Stephen Draper, the shop's co-owner who raced against Evans in elite mountain bike events as a junior, now maintains some of his equipment over summer (''His bikes are hand-painted … I look at them and it makes me want to weep,'' he swoons), and also joins him in the weekend peloton.
For Evans, the 60-kilometre course undertaken weekly by as many as 75 cyclists — coastal tradesmen, a dentist, a policeman, teenagers and a veteran in his mid-80s among them — is but a warm-up.
Usually he will split from the bunch before it stops and head for the hills in the Otways solo, although one day, so the story goes, an eager junior unaware of who he was up against kept up with Evans until Anglesea. Feeling distinctly unwell at that point, he had to phone his mother and organise a lift home.
When the training regime permits, Evans is not averse to joining in the traditional coffee-drinking and cake-eating session in Ocean Grove post-ride.
''He's like all good cyclists,'' Jordan said. ''He's got a good story to tell. Except in Cadel's case they're true. The rest of us just pretend we used to be world champions.''
David Pike, of Barwon Heads, first met Evans on one of his regular mid-week rides with a mate. The recreational riders were asked by the professional if he could tag along. Later, the trio ended up in an Airey's Inlet cafe chewing the fat.
''What we anticipate doing on our Sunday ride this week is trying to wear yellow jerseys,'' Pike said yesterday, adding that a group of locals would be gathering to watch tonight's time trial.
''We hope it's not commiserations, but just some sort of 'Thank you Cadel' basically'.''



http://www.thea (http://www.theage.com.au/news/tourdefrance/yellow-fever-grips-evans-local-fan-club/2008/07/25/1216492737741.html)ge.com.au/news/tourdefrance/yellow-fever-grips-evans-local-fan-club/2008/07/25/1216492737741.html (http://www.theage.com.au/news/tourdefrance/yellow-fever-grips-evans-local-fan-club/2008/07/25/1216492737741.html)

Evans is a solid guy. A good mate of mine was stranded with a busted bike between torquay and anglesea last summer - cadel happened to drive by, stopped, helped fix his bike, and then gave him a lift back to torquay in his mustang... he's really one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet - a true community man...

you can't really judge someone by how they act in as stressful a situation as the tour

Neat little tale. I think a lot of the riders are nicer people than many of us think they'd be. The media catches them with their "game face" on quite a bit.

this is the first i've ever heard of him acting like that; it's not like he is one of those types with a perpetually bad attitude or big mouth whom nobody likes....he's probably feeling the pressure and stress, who wouldn't?

He may be a great guy, but I do wish he would ride a little more aggressively. I'm rooting for Sastre - at least he had the guts to hang it out in the last mountain stage. I'd hate to see the GC go to someone who never did anything but play it safe and finish in the pack.

- Mark

He's there to win the Tour de France, not entertain the gallery, and has turned himself inside out to (try and) do it. I suspect Evans' form is probably not quite as good as last year.

Sastre has really only put his face in the wind with a big attack once, on Alpe d'Huez. Same deal as Evans, he is riding to his strenghs

Without making any direct accusations, extreme aggression is frequently a by-product of drug abuse.

The mechanic at my LBS today mentioned I shouldn't judge Cadel by some of his recent under-stress behavior. He had met Cadel several years ago at a mountain bike race, and said Cadel acted like a regular guy, was an amazingly nice person and was extremely approachable despite being at the top of the mountain bike world at that time.

Besides, his eyelashes are lovely. You guys are just jealous :D.

plus one. a problem of any kind of stardom. You always have to smile. The paparazzi are a pain in the ass. I get grumpy after 100 miles. I can only imagine how one would feel after 3000 miles. Maybe he should just duck into the bike bus for awhile, and let the pr guy do the pr stuff. Also, is he not newly married to some female cycling star? / When on the bike for two weeks, bet one has no time for honey - do , kinds of activities.

Aussie attitude maybe? Unwilling to put up with any crap from anybody they don't need to. I seem to notice it with a lot of Australian sports people (in this case comparable to McEwen). I may just be having a few shape my view of the rest though.

It's interesting that VS doesn't show Evans with attitude. The, instead, show the kind and gentle Cadel.

... Brad

Without making any direct accusations, extreme aggression is frequently a by-product of drug abuse.

The only thing questionable is Sastre's time trail. :eek:

The only thing questionable is Sastre's time trail. :eek:

No it's not. He placed 12th overall. That's completely fitting with many of his previous TT's.

No it's not. He placed 12th overall. That's completely fitting with many of his previous TT's.

+1. 12th at 2.5 minutes is where you'd expect him to be in the last TT of the Tour if he was his usual strong self in the third week.

Usually he will split from the bunch before it stops and head for the hills in the Otways solo, although one day, so the story goes, an eager junior unaware of who he was up against kept up with Evans until Anglesea. Feeling distinctly unwell at that point, he had to phone his mother and organise a lift home.

That must have been quite an ego blow to Cadel to call for a ride home! ;)

I think Cadel gets some unfair criticism. Yes, it's true that he is not the most exciting rider to watch. Neither was Miguel Indurain, who used to primarily mark his competitors in the mountains, and then spank them in the time trials. It wasn't the best TV viewing, but it was effective, and that's the bottom line. Unfortunately Evans didn't quite have the engine today, but considering his crashes and injuries, he has ridden well overall.

It wasn't the best TV viewing, but it was effective, and that's the bottom line. Unfortunately Evans didn't quite have the engine today, but considering his crashes and injuries, he has ridden well overall.

Well, it was "effective" enough for 2nd place again which is a fine showing. But I do think he will need to get more aggressive and take a few more risks if he wants to win it all.

- Mark

Well, it was "effective" enough for 2nd place again which is a fine showing. But I do think he will need to get more aggressive and take a few more risks if he wants to win it all.

- Mark

Sorry that I wasn't more clear. When I wrote "effective", I was referring to Indurain winning the Tour five times, not to Cadel's ride today.

I think Cadel's tour strategy of marking climbers in the mountain and beating them in time trials will win him a Tour in the future. But he would need some help from his teammates. Where was Popovych for him in the mountain stages? He's a very talented rider, but this tour, he didn't do anything to help Evans win. If he didn't had to chase and pull other riders on the mountain stages like he did when he chased Frank Schleck on one of the mountain stages, then pull again at Alpe D'Huez, he would've been so much fresher for the TT. No other riders would pull. He just needs one reliable climber on his team who would help him chase attacks in the mountains for at least one HC mountain top finish, then he would be fine. Then, he wouldn't have lost so much time climbing up Alpe D'Huez to Sastre. The chase was going so damn slow that Menchov, who was dropped earlier caught up. So, Silence Lotto just have to spend cash on one excellent climber who would work for Evans to win the tour.

I think Robbie did more for Cadel than Popo did, sad.

So, Silence Lotto just have to spend cash on one excellent climber who would work for Evans to win the tour.

I agree that with more help, he would have been over the top. But the world isn't standing still and I could see other teams getting stronger before Silence Lotto does. And Cadel may not get any stronger either. This year might have been the big/last chance. We'll see.

- Mark

Would you happily work for someone who has a reputation for publicly denigrading his teammates collectively regardless of the fact that the fault may lie with management and/or individuals who may have
not delivered on their promise (Popovich)? McEwen made the sacrifices required this year as opposed to riding for himself. The same with Leif Hoste. I don't recall Hoste ever pursuing his own personal interests
and going off in breaks of chase stage wins. Yet Evans publicly, for the 2nd year, speaks publicly to the media about his lack of support. I'd leave his sorry whining arse to his own devices too, not that that is the case but if you have listened to some of the other teams riders talking about their teamleaders you often hear about how because of their leader's demeanor and how he treats them they don't mind working hard for them. Oscar Freire is one in particular that is admired by his teammates.

It would have been interesting if Horner had stayed with Davitamon / Predictor / Silence - Lotto instead of switching to Astana.

It would have been interesting if Horner had stayed with Davitamon / Predictor / Silence - Lotto instead of switching to Astana.

He did not have a choice. Lotto was not renewing his contract.

Horner raced in Chicago last weekend...at least I think it was last weekend. Lakefront criterium...

He did not have a choice. Lotto was not renewing his contract.

Horner raced in Chicago last weekend...at least I think it was last weekend. Lakefront criterium...

Good point, although as I recall, Evans wanted Horner to be kept on.

He did not have a choice. Lotto was not renewing his contract.

Horner raced in Chicago last weekend...at least I think it was last weekend. Lakefront criterium...

He was definitely racing in BC on July 19 weekend.