Cadel Evans in procycling

flattythehurdler

I may be being oversensitive, but after initially saying he was too busy to interview, in the evening he relents and is quoted as saying "there's no problem with an interview, it's just that I found out that procycling was based in London, and I thought they were going to send a pom", the inference being that he is bigoted enough not to have given an interview to a person just because they were English. I am a paddy, but replace the word pom with paddy/asian/whatever you like, and there would rightly be uproar.
I have had a good life in England for the last few years, and whilst hoping to move home soon, I will have good friends and good memories. It really, really p1sses me off that petty little mean spirited and bigoted comments seem fine as long as they are levelled at the English. Is this man really worthy of support, given that he obviously despises the country and it's inhabitants?
Do procycling not care, or did they deliberately publish this quote?

SunWuKong

He could have been joking.

Or he as a colonial he may be worried an English person would have used 'big' words he doesn't understand.

robmanic1

We can only hope his tongue was firmly in his cheek.

flattythehurdler

He may have been, but insert a similar derogatory phrase for another nationality, and "I was only joking" won't cut much ice.

robmanic1

Half Australian, half Welsh, no wonder he hates the English!

Tom Butcher

He's probably just read a few UK cycling forums and realised we all think he's the most negative wheelsucker in the history of the sport.

Doobz

good job he didn't mention the word Pikey :shock:

donrhummy

If he wasn't joking he's a complete jerk. I have to say that given a number of interviews I've seen online with him, that wouldn't surprise me. He does come across a bit self-loving, looking down his nose and acting like he's entitled. Hopefully Cunego can pull the miracle of the century and beat him in the TDF.

ninjaslim

He didn't have to be joking

He is a complete jerk

good luck to the dull, sullen faced wheelsucker

may he get truely attacked in every raced he rides

He deserves all the negative press he gets, I think he courts it and without it who would he be, one consistent, persistant but ultimately dull and forgetable elite australian athlete.

RichN95.

I think he's just not very comfortable with the press - he was born in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so people skills probably aren't a strong point.

I'm also yet to meet an Aussie who can resist a dig at the Poms - but it's always in good fun though.

I like the guy. He's the first stage racer who is competitive all year from Paris-Nice to Lombardy for a long time. Plus I genuinely believe (perhaps naively) that he's a clean rider amongst dopers (along with maybe Sastre).

I'm sure he'd attack if he could, but he has no sudden jump and a team full of Belgian cobblers. He was an attacking rider in his MTB days (when Rasmussen rarely got near him and Landis never did)

Plus look at the last Tour. On the climbs, in front of him is Rasmussen with Dekker, Boogerd and Menchov. To his right, Contador with Leipheimer, Popovych and maybe Hincapie. To his left, Valverde with Pereiro and Karpets. Sastre's there too with Schleck. Meanwhile Horner is hanging on for dear life at the back. Would you attack in this situation?

Plus on the commute back from work today, wearing a Silence-Lotto top, I was passed by a better rider on a small climb. I chased him and then sucked wheel in the best Evans tradition. It seemed an easier way to do it. (The other guy was clearly a racer, while I've never raced, I'm 36 and about a stone overweight)

Doobz

He deserves all the negative press he gets, I think he courts it and without it who would he be, one consistent, persistant but ultimately dull and forgetable elite australian athlete.

lol don't you mean Auzzie athlete

Bagman

Robmanic1 wrote:

Half Australian, half Welsh, no wonder he hates the English!

Half Australian, half Welsh? No wonder he's got a chip on the shoulder!

ddraver

donrhummy wrote:

If he wasn't joking he's a complete jerk. I have to say that given a number of interviews I've seen online with him, that wouldn't surprise me. He does come across a bit self-loving, looking down his nose and acting like he's entitled. Hopefully Cunego can pull the miracle of the century and beat him in the TDF.

True - but so do all australians - remember that the uber sensitive political correctness that we have here simply does not exist outside of UK borders, and the aussies are particularly unaffected by them....and in some ways they have a point - why is it acceptable to call New Zealenders Kiwis but not the french Frogs or the welsh Taffs or what ever - And what is the difference between calling them Aussies and a Pakistani gentleman a Paki - its only the UK where that is viewed as derogatory - probably becuase we re the only people who A had such issues with it way back when and B give a dam!

ever heard the 12th man recordings foe example? (affect you re best Benaut accent)Justin langer has carved the sri lankan bowling pair Ifeel likeachunder and Imightneed apootoo (sic) a bit this innings? Very popular recordings in Aus and i reccomend any cricket fan to listen to, although you ve been warned!

Doobz

what's the big deal with being called a Pom anyway? If he doesn't like the British then that's his choice.. Most places you go in the world dislike the British/Poms because they are over senstive and Egotistic, what's new? get over it!!

Kléber

He probably meant it as a joke. Besides, POM means "Prisoner of Her Majesty", the term given to deported criminals shipped to Australia during the 19th century. So he's probably a lot more closely related to a Victorian crook than you or me, it's Evans who is the pom.

Anyway, stop whingeing about him.

Moomaloid

Can't believe the over reaction here. Not only that i'm getting fed up with everyone getting on Evans's back. He never actually done anything wrong or put a foot out of place, and because some deem that to be boring they see it as license to be abusive towards him. I personally see him as the consummate professional, and his love for riding his bike is very clear.

I hope he does win it this year, it will be no more than he deserves!

Garry H

Kléber wrote:

He probably meant it as a joke. Besides, POM means "Prisoner of Her Majesty", the term given to deported criminals shipped to Australia during the 19th century. So he's probably a lot more closely related to a Victorian crook than you or me, it's Evans who is the pom.

That's in all likelihood incorrect. The most probable explanation is that it's short for pomygranate (Spelling?). Which is either rhyming slang for Immigrant (Dodgy) or that it describes the colour of british skin after a week in the aussie sun.

Anyway, he can call me a pom, as long as he doesn't mind me calling him a whingeing Aussie bore. Wouldn't think that he meant anything by it though.

calvjones

Moomaloid wrote:

Can't believe the over reaction here. Not only that i'm getting fed up with everyone getting on Evans's back. He never actually done anything wrong or put a foot out of place, and because some deem that to be boring they see it as license to be abusive towards him. I personally see him as the consummate professional, and his love for riding his bike is very clear.

I hope he does win it this year, it will be no more than he deserves!

How about a compromise. The only people allowed to criticise:

- his riding: those who have ridden a GT and finished, ooh, I dunno, top 10?

- his Welshness: other Taffy b@stards like me

- his squeaky voice: Tony Hopkins & Tony Christie

- his whingeing: everyone

thamacdaddy

honestly having been to Aus recently I cannot imagine it being anything other than tongue firmly in cheek.

Its a given that most aussies have a laugh at the "poms" but its always done with a smile and its not meant in the manner which the OP posted. If you choose to be offended it says more about our culture than theirs. I agree they are years behind in PC compared to us but then again there is more of a common sense nature about it than everyone being uptight there. However I know from my friend (english man) who now lives out there that he says soemtimes it goes a little close to the bone with what comes out especially in the media in comparision.

I met probably only two aussies in my time there who were not super friendly happy people and I am sure they exist however on the whole the place is far more laid back and refreshing in comparison to how down right nasty we are to each other here in the UK. I love england but in recent times its getting quite a harsh place to be. They have their bad points of course nowhere is perfect but as much as I am not an evans fan I am sure this is definitely a joke statement. Men over there are very much like you would find in groups of "real men" types here, lots of mickey taking, love their sport and have a laugh.

iainf72

This isn't something I'd expect from Cadel

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=579294

flattythehurdler

thamacdaddy wrote:

honestly having been to Aus recently I cannot imagine it being anything other than tongue firmly in cheek.

Its a given that most aussies have a laugh at the "poms" but its always done with a smile and its not meant in the manner which the OP posted. If you choose to be offended it says more about our culture than theirs. I agree they are years behind in PC compared to us but then again there is more of a common sense nature about it than everyone being uptight there. However I know from my friend (english man) who now lives out there that he says soemtimes it goes a little close to the bone with what comes out especially in the media in comparision.

I met probably only two aussies in my time there who were not super friendly happy people and I am sure they exist however on the whole the place is far more laid back and refreshing in comparison to how down right nasty we are to each other here in the UK. I love england but in recent times its getting quite a harsh place to be. They have their bad points of course nowhere is perfect but as much as I am not an evans fan I am sure this is definitely a joke statement. Men over there are very much like you would find in groups of "real men" types here, lots of mickey taking, love their sport and have a laugh.

My experience of England and Scotland has been overwhelmingly positive. English people are not down right nasty. Maybe it's just you?

thamacdaddy

I don't get what you are implying with that really. People aren't overtly nasty to me just in my opinion what you see here in everyday interactions between others, road rage, people being uptight about PC etc, complaining and criticizing everything, being more negative than positive in thinking.

I have spoke with others I know who live abroad in various places and they agree they can notice it instantly. You are totally free to disagree but I know its not just me as you suggest....maybe that was tongue in cheek ? 8)

Kléber

I like the way some get annoyed by his use of "pom" and then go on to attack him for a "squeaky voice" or being a wheelsucker.

When it comes to sucking wheels, in the 2007 Tour, probably more than 190 out of 198 riders in the race would sell their granny to be able to follow Rasmussen and Contador, something only Evans, and to a lesser extent Leipheimer, could do. Menchov, Moreau, Valverde, even a supercharged Vinokourov couldn't manage it.

Squaggles

Wheel-sucking convict .

*Only joking*

Gragi

Does that mean we get the first Welsh winner of the tour?

Champion!

Tom Butcher

thamacdaddy wrote:

honestly having been to Aus recently I cannot imagine it being anything other than tongue firmly in cheek.
.

Remembering how he reacted to being asked if he now had to be considered a series GC contender in the TdF a year or two ago he didn't seem very laid back then.

The Dr

What the hell people?? Anyone who found that statement to be anything other than p!ss take needs to take a long hard look at themselves! And I'm not quite sure how the word pom could be construed as offensive.........it seems ok to use the Aussie does it not? And IanF, how about instead of be surprised about Cadel you offer him some praise for doing the right thing and giving Tibet's plight the coverage it deserves???????????

iainf72

The Dr wrote:

And IanF, how about instead of be surprised about Cadel you offer him some praise for doing the right thing and giving Tibet's plight the coverage it deserves??????????

I was surprised in a pleasant way.