DXchulo

Not sure how much help Cadel needs on the cobbled stage (Stage 3), but I imagine Hincapie can prove his worth there. There's potential for carnage that day.

I don't think anyone expects George to chase down attacks in the mountains, but he's still very good on the flatter stages and on a stage like Stage 2 which looks like a mini classic. Half of the battle is staying out of trouble during the first week. The fact that Cadel doesn't have a climbing domestique is more BMC's fault than George's. Actually, Cadel is the one who chose BMC, so you can turn it around and blame it on him.

Racer Ex 

Ballan is somewhat noteworthy on the pave also.

Mr Zippy

That was because the journo put his hand on top of the injury Cadel had suffered in the stage or a recent one. You can hear the bald team guy say something like "Don't touch that spot".

VT Biker

Cadel unfortunately just is not a strong enough climber. Having never seen him in person, I can only use my views from photos and televisions, but he looks more like a Classics rider than a GT rider. He seems too stocky (maybe his Chin hides a more lean frame), but unlike Basso/Contador and even Lance now, Evans just seems a little heavier, and it seems to show on the bike when climbing.

He and Basso were using different chain rings sizes in the front and back up the Zoncolon, but, the gear inches were the same, meaning the effort needed to climb was the exact same (all else being equal). Therefore, I can only assume that he had extra weight to haul up the mountain, which allowed Basso to kind of just ride a smoother, more steady pace, while Evans had to get out of the saddle, and will himself up the mountain.

However - I cannot doubt his heart. The guy seems to give more effort than any other rider out there, and so I will continue to root for him in this year's TdF.

The one thing going for him is that the Giro was a tougher course this year, and I think this TdF, with its lack of mountain top finishes and less steep climbs will benefit him compared to the Giro.

kuf

Someone spiked his food with sugar and made him too fat for this sport?

tigershark

He says "ne touche pas" - Don't Touch!

And yes, he was injured from a crash earlier.

Dubbayoo

That was right after he dislocated his shoulder and in that video two guys reach right for it. I don't blame him for getting angry. No doubt everybody around knew he was injured and he had likely already said please watch the shoulder. I don't like him either really but cut him some slack.

dagna

I didn't know that--makes it very understandable to me. I came frighteningly close to punching out the emergency room doc who brusquely reached for my arm when I was in for a dislocated shoulder--and I understood he was trying to help me. Reactions took over.

daytonian

Huh???

TheKillerPenguin

Did ANYONE here (besides racerex) watch the freakin' Giro?

OrionKhan

I did along with a few other. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the TdF followers on BF only show up once a year in July for a 3 week period. They then base all of their cycling knowledge upon that 3 week period. The one good thing about the day Lance Armstrong retiring from racing will be that 90% of those people will disappear forever from BF.

FlashBazbo

Cadel has no excuses at this point in the tour. With his time trial abilities, you'd have to say that Cancellara's Stage 2/3 shenanigans benefited Cadel Evans at least as much as they did Andy Schleck. Evans has his best chance to win.

AnthonyG

Cadel has no more or no less excuses than any other leading contender at this point. I guess that its just tough for anyone who comes in 2nd or 3rd all the time in major races. With the World Road Championship you would hope that he has this monkey off his back.

Its easy being an armchair expert I guess but I keep on looking at his climbing style and thinking that he would be better off working on climbing in saddle with a lower gear at higher cadence like Ivan Basso rather than laboring out of the saddle as he does. I cant help but feel that if he had a less fatiguing climbing technique that he would be just that bit fresher and more capable of matching the best climbers.

What the heck do I know anyway.

Anthony

USAZorro

I'm posting this in the open, because this is just one example, and it applies to several others here.

This will be the end of name-calling in this thread. Surely there are other, more clever ways to rebut statements and arguments that others make. Use them instead.

DXchulo

I suppose I should admit I was wrong. I didn't see much of Hincapie, though it is possible he did a lot of work on the earlier cobble sections. Cadel didn't seem to need much help, though. He's a bigger guy and better suited to the cobbles than most GC guys. He was smart/strong enough to follow the right wheels.

Now it's all about whether he can follow attacks from Contador & Schleck in the mountains.

gear

Seems like a three man race at the moment. Evens has a minute on Contador and he can TT and hang on when climbing, Schleck has about :30 on Contador but he is not a good TT'er and he lost his climbing partner. I bet those three guys do everything they can to keep other contenders from rejoining their fight.

It should be fun to see what team can avoid or cause mistakes before the climbs and when the climbs come what rider can dominate.

MDcatV

maybe hincapie should have had cadel help him get across the cobbles.

Athens80

Evans continued on after Hincapie had a flat: