Road Bike Racing - Cadel Evans is out of his mind

Has anyone seen these clips?

Evans headbutting a camera man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrpL6BA6PBQ
Evans threatning someone who gets too close to his dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fe79ZuDKfk&feature=related
Dont touch his shoulder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikzgWE3t0A&feature=related

hes a funny man also bat **** crazy

The "I cut your head off" made me laugh way too hard.

the way he laughed as he walked away was just awesome

"i cut your head off" - u know he picked that up from an English speaking rider sometime in a race

I couldn't feel threatened by him.

His handlers though, look like tough belgians.

^^ me too

I think Cadel needs a team that doesn't suck. That would be more relaxing. For a guy who was totally isolated on every major climb, I think he rode great. Good enough to win the Tour. But not without more support. ANY support.

Has anyone seen these clips?

Evans headbutting a camera man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrpL6BA6PBQ
Evans threatning someone who gets too close to his dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fe79ZuDKfk&feature=related
Dont touch his shoulder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikzgWE3t0A&feature=related

Evans failing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhIMVHen0WA

what a loser. he wants attention but then freaks out about it.

I think Cadel needs a team that doesn't suck. That would be more relaxing. For a guy who was totally isolated on every major climb, I think he rode great. Good enough to win the Tour. But not without more support. ANY support.

he screwed the pooch in final TT by himself. don't mess with Molly

Has anyone seen these clips?

Evans headbutting a camera man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrpL6BA6PBQ
Evans threatning someone who gets too close to his dog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fe79ZuDKfk&feature=related
Dont touch his shoulder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikzgWE3t0A&feature=related

Who says Evans never attacks

hes an extraordinary rider without a team, he needs the attention to bring in the fans and the money for a better team and the more standoffish he is about the media the more people hear and find him interesting...

short story is the media is good and his attitude = more media

I think he needs to put himself in a light that would make people want to ride for him.

I was really looking forward to watching him race and possibly win this year. But the longer the race went on and behavior like the video clips - and now the post tour crit issues - I've seen a total lack of class that makes me wonder if he could even get a team hired around him that would ride for him.

I really think that at this point, his ability is a non-issue. He's proven he's strong enough - he hasn't proven he can get others to bury themselves for him. When your other big-name teammate (ie. Robbie) tells the interviewer at the last stage, "The best man won" and the winner wasn't you, that speaks volumes.

he screwed the pooch in final TT by himself. don't mess with Molly

I disagree. He rode OK in the TT. He got screwed via his utter isolation and destruction by pre-meditated tactics brilliantly employed on L'Alp D'Huez by CSC's Sastre and the Schleck boys. That's where Cadel lost the Tour. He rode faster than Sastre in the TT. But by then he was so fried from fighting through the mountains alone he never would have had the snot to ride fast enough.

Would Evans take Molly to China, with the smog and all..

Would Evans take Molly to China, with the smog and all..

help or no help, Evans didn't have the legs to go with Sastre. Didn't have them last year with Contador. Won't have them next year with Basso and Contador...

I think Cadel needs a team that doesn't suck. That would be more relaxing. For a guy who was totally isolated on every major climb, I think he rode great. Good enough to win the Tour. But not without more support. ANY support.

While I generally tune Carmichael out, he did make a good point the other day. Yes, CSC put the hammer down, but Sastre had to be fit enough to keep up with it. Put differently - Cadel and Sastre both got the same punishment from keeping up with the CSC drive - neither one was taking pulls. If Sastre came out of the meat grinder with stronger legs them's the breaks.

Cadel did suffer on Alpe d'Huez from lack of teammates, but part of that was 1) a decision to cover the attacks from the Schlecks to not simply ride his own pace, and 2) let Sastre get as much time as he did (hell, I thought it wasn't enough).

About the only way I could see more support helping Cadel win is if his team could have out pulled CSC and put Sastre into the red on the flats. Not sure that could've happened.

How many times can you recall lance being tucked in behind postal or trek while they pulled

How many times can u remember seeing Sastre and the Schleks behind the csc train

does Evans have teammates other than McEwen?

How many times can you recall lance being tucked in behind postal or trek while they pulled

How many times can u remember seeing Sastre and the Schleks behind the csc train

does Evans have teammates other than McEwen?

And Cadel was tucked in behind somebody (often a Schleck) in the same peleton, all moving at the same speed. Everybody was getting an aero advantage off the boys on the front (said boys not including Sastre or Cadel, or Menchov or Vandevelde).

Of course, Sastre did benefit from CSC's strength in the team time trial just a Lance did with Postal. Oh wait ... the TTT wasn't included in this year's tour.

And Cadel was tucked in behind somebody (often a Schleck) in the same peleton, all moving at the same speed. Everybody was getting an aero advantage off the boys on the front (said boys not including Sastre or Cadel, or Menchov or Vandevelde).

Of course, Sastre did benefit from CSC's strength in the team time trial just a Lance did with Postal. Oh wait ... the TTT wasn't included in this year's tour.

If you really doubt Evans' lack of a strong team wasn't a KEY factor in his loss by ONE MINUTE to Sastre, who benefited from the STRONGEST team at the Tour (they won the Team competition among other clues), then you simply don't understand modern pro bicycle stage racing. Was it the biggest factor in Sastre's win? I think so, but that is arguable. We'll never really know for sure, but I think that's very evident.

I'm quite puzzled as to what a pro with the potential of Evans to win the Tour was doing on a team that was so incapable of supporting him. It comes down to JUDGEMENT. I think Evans' conduct in public demonstrates how lacking he is in that dept, and that's why he didn't win the Tour. Lance was a MUCH smarter and better tactical and strategic rider, from preparation to team selection to how he rode the race each year.

^^^Great points.

I've never understood how having teammates, or not having teammates, affects you when you're 5km from a summit finish, and only going 10mph.

Really, the only thing CSC did was set a hard tempo to burn people off the back, and catch the leaders up the road. The former mainly serving to do what was inevitable and boot the non-contenders just a little earlier than they'd like, and the latter catching other non-contenders going for the glory of a stage win.

If you were a top-10 guy, you just had to sit in and survive. Everyone was getting the same draft on the lower slopes and lesser gradients. When Sastre went up the road, Evans didn't have the w/kg to pull him back. The Schlecks could attack him all the wanted to, but Evans had to realize that HIS race was up the road with Sastre, and that the Schlecks weren't going to pull him up to Sastre.

Even at my level of amateur racing, Master's 35+, team tactics factor into most races in a big way. A strong team allows the work of covering attacks to be shared and relieves the team's strongest riders of some of that responsibility, helps set them up for sprints, prevents other fast riders from launching attacks, and strings the pack out on he last couple of laps to prevent the 1000 meter attack specialist dudes from launching so it stays together for a pack sprint. Our team won the NY City 35+ Spring Series (10 races in March and April) employing plenty of team tactics. When you participate on it on the hack amateur level and see how effective it can be, it makes you realize how critical it is in a race like the Tour. The team leader still wins the race, but I can assure you that some of those results wouldn't necessarily be possible without the team's assistance, and the real talent on our team are the first to hand out the attaboys after the races.

I'd agree that Evans let Sastre get clear, but the problem for Evans is that there was NOBODY else to cover the attacks. When Sastre went early, Evans had to decide if that was the real attack or a decoy. For all Cadel knew, covering that attack could have set him up to be completely shelled by a counter attack by somebody else on CSC farther up the climb. Armstrong would have had a Hamilton, Livingston, Landis or Beltan to sacrifice themselves towing him back up to Sastre's wheel. Evens had no help at all. There's the difference.

CSC had a better team. The atronger team of csc was able to shell Cadel's teammates

CSC had a better team. The stronger team of csc was able to shell 95% of the Tour field.

Fixed.

Who carries around their dog like that, I mean really? He just finished a stage and the first thing he does is pick up his dog as he's walking back to his trailer/car/whatever? Dude needs a hot girlfriend, but, after watching these clips, that's doubtful.

Who carries around their dog like that, I mean really? He just finished a stage and the first thing he does is pick up his dog as he's walking back to his trailer/car/whatever? Dude needs a hot girlfriend, but, after watching these clips, that's doubtful.

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5587510,00.jpg

Try to pay attention chino. Hey may sound and act gay, but here is with his hot wife. Great looks, plenty of money, elite pro athlete. I would HOPE he could get a hot girl.

Who says Evans never attacks

He's more interesting off the bike than on. I'd rather watch paint dry than have Evans win the Tour.

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5587510,00.jpg

Try to pay attention chino. Hey may sound and act gay, but here is with his hot wife. Great looks, plenty of money, elite pro athlete. I would HOPE he could get a hot girl.

Point taken. Therefore, resolved: Cadel Evans' hot girlfriend has a dog. And Cadel Evans is whipped to the point of carrying her dog around at Le Tour.

^^Dog?? Are you referring to the cuddly stuffed lion he had on the podium?

For me that was the icing on the cake of the "don't touch my shoulder" clip -- a camp "bah!" whilst cradling his lion and stalking off. Hilarious.

I did end up with more respect for him from his riding though -- he got pummeled in the hills and survived longer than most, sans support.

Dont touch his shoulder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikzgWE3t0A&feature=related
It looked like he had something fury over his arm that someone tried to touch or pet. Was that his dog? If so, I'm a major dog lover and all, but if you don't want people to pet your dog, don't take it with you to press time.

It looked like he had something fury over his arm that someone tried to touch or pet. Was that his dog? If so, I'm a major dog lover and all, but if you don't want people to pet your dog, don't take it with you to press time.

see above

the way he laughed as he walked away was just awesome

It was kinda creepy. Threatening to cut someone's head off, then laughing like a little girl?

Well, a dog ran into me yesterday. What would Cadel do?

Evens had no help at all. There's the difference.

Sastre would not have won if he had been on Lotto.

Evans would have won by minutes if he had been on CSC.

Lotto did a lousy job from the point they let Horner walk to the disco they picked for their after party.

see above
A stuffed lion? WTF?

A stuffed lion? WTF?

don't mess with the dude's lion

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44831000/jpg/_44831678_evans203_getty.jpg

wtf is wrong? I understand that reporters might be a pain... but he also lives thanks to them not only to riding...I think a super athelete must understand that he is also a public figure and he must act accordingly even if he does not want or care...

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5587510,00.jpg

Try to pay attention chino. Hey may sound and act gay, but here is with his hot wife. Great looks, plenty of money, elite pro athlete. I would HOPE he could get a hot girl.

Beard. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard_(female_companion))

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I've never understood how having teammates, or not having teammates, affects you when you're 5km from a summit finish, and only going 10mph.

It's a small advantage, but it's real, and the Tour is all about small advantages.

The bigger difference is the tactical effect: with the top 3 so close, when Sastre went, the top 3 all knew that whoever did the most work would lose out to the other two. They'd wait for him to burn out then jump him. So none of them were willing to work.

OTOH, if Evans had had a teammate, then the teammate could pull back Sastre, or more likely just minimize the damage, since Sastre was so strong. Evans would still be relatively fresh to counter any move by the other contenders.

Last year, Horner did a heck of a job for Evans. This year with Popo, not so much.

Lotto did a lousy job from the point they let Horner walk to the disco they picked for their after party.

+1

I'm not impressed with a headbutt with a helmet on. Aussie = wussie headbutt, take off the headgear, htfu, and headbutt like a man for pete's sake.

It's a small advantage, but it's real, and the Tour is all about small advantages.

The bigger difference is the tactical effect: with the top 3 so close, when Sastre went, the top 3 all knew that whoever did the most work would lose out to the other two. They'd wait for him to burn out then jump him. So none of them were willing to work.

OTOH, if Evans had had a teammate, then the teammate could pull back Sastre, or more likely just minimize the damage, since Sastre was so strong. Evans would still be relatively fresh to counter any move by the other contenders.

Last year, Horner did a heck of a job for Evans. This year with Popo, not so much.

Let's say Evans had a stellar teammate who could climb. Sastre takes off on what you could consider is an individual time trial up Alpe d'Huez. Evan's climbing teammate bridges the gap and sits on Sastre's wheel the entire time. If Evans still sits back with the Schlecks, teammate or no teammate he's still the same amount of time down.

Plain and simple, Evans should have jumped with Sastre or forgot about the Schlecks and road his own race up the Alpe. I was watching it thinking 'why is he wasting his time with the yellow jersey group?' when a real threat is taking time out of you.

Was it a miscalculation of who Evans' real threat was? Or did Evans think he could should just stay with the yellow group, keep tabs on Sastre's time and do away with everyone in the TT?

Give Evans standup domestiques like Pereiro, Kreuziger, and version 1.0 [not 2.0 of this year] of Popovych - you have some serious firepower.

The whole point of mountain domestiques is to set hard tempos, cover attacks, and reel guys off the front - varying their power/tempo - while your captain rides ISOpower. Attacks @ 500W and settling back down to 450W is harder to maintain than just riding 475W the whole way, especially when most of these guys are already riding above threshold.

Sastre would not have won if he had been on Lotto.

Evans would have won by minutes if he had been on CSC.

Lotto did a lousy job from the point they let Horner walk to the disco they picked for their after party.

Yep.

Give Evans standup domestiques like Pereiro, Kreuziger, and version 1.0 [not 2.0 of this year] of Popovych - you have some serious firepower.

The whole point of mountain domestiques is to set hard tempos, cover attacks, and reel guys off the front - varying their power/tempo - while your captain rides ISOpower. Attacks @ 500W and settling back down to 450W is harder to maintain than just riding 475W the whole way, especially when most of these guys are already riding above threshold.

Adam has it - your theory assumes Sastre would have ridden less consistently by trying to cover attacks (as Cadel did) because some non-contender was floating around him. I don't see that.

Cadel lost because he didn't try to ride a consistent pace up Alpe d'Huez and then was still baked when he got to the ITT - hell, I still though he was gonna win. Cadel and Sastre both got the same benefit off of the CSC hammer on the other parts of the Tour (mostly keeping Menchov in line).

wtf is wrong? I understand that reporters might be a pain... but he also lives thanks to them not only to riding...I think a super athelete must understand that he is also a public figure and he must act accordingly even if he does not want or care...

Cadel addresses this idea in the VeloNews article:
http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/81074/mr-rogers--tour---evans-remains-a-star--on-youtube

Basically it's one of respect. If they respect him, he respects them. So he talks to Versus (or whoever) but bats away the doofus from whatever place tapped his injured shoulder. Btw any journalist worth his salt will know NOT to tap an athlete on an injured shoulder/arm/whatever.

cdr

the way he laughed as he walked away was just awesome

"i cut your head off" - u know he picked that up from an English speaking rider sometime in a race

You know Aussies actually do speak English natively.

Relating to team tactics, part of the whole idea of a strong team is to be able to dictate what will happen, when it will happen, how it will happen. Then the team leader/s can prepare accordingly.

Riders like Cadel were handicapped in that they could never dictate what would happen when. Instead they had to wait it out, be prepared all the time. This is a difficult way of racing.

At the beginning of the last race I did a guy who lapped the field in 6 laps a few weeks prior took off. About five guys were prepared for it. I was not one of them. I was dying and I had no idea when it would ease. As it turned out it eased after half a mile (one lap). Afterwards the guy said that he felt lazy and he didn't want to keep going. His unexpected attack really threw me for a loop though and I ended up moving up much more than normal to try and keep tabs on things. I ended up bridging to a break I felt was threatening, blew up, and got dropped. I don't think my race would have been much better but my attitude changed quickly when I got worried the race would explode like it did the week before.

If you have a very strong team then you can go into a stage knowing that the first bit will be hard. Or not. Or that the second climb will be hard. Or not. Or that the flat bit up to the fourth climb will be hard. Or not. And prepare accordingly. If you know you're going to attack from the gun then you'll change what you eat, how you dress, perhaps what wheels you stick on the bike. Etc etc.

Another thing about climbing at slow speeds is wind. When it's windy and you're climbing and you don't know how the other guys are going then it's very demoralizing. If you chase everyone sits on and they can counter and gain time. So you wait. This isn't conducive towards protecting an overall position. If you have a teammate with you then you can say "Hey, keep the break within a minute, okay?" And then you look around and when you think it's good you attack and get clear. Cadel never had that opportunity.

The strongest rider at the end of the Tour won. Cadel was not him. But on a different team, with better support, I think Cadel would have a much better chance of being that strongest rider.

cdr

Somewhere Chris Horner is laughing hysterically at Silence-Lotto and thinking "for half of what you probably paid Popovych I could have carried Cadel to yellow.....nice costing savings, morons".

im not really sure i understand how a domestique is going to pull back a sastre attacking for time and not a stage win.