Evans keeps his eyes on July
Schmidthouse
Posts: 134
http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/eva ... 88776.html
Samantha Lane, Adelaide
January 16, 2009
THE opportunity to line up against Lance Armstrong on home soil had little appeal to Australia's dual Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans, whose meticulously planned training program revolves entirely around him peaking in the French race in July.
While seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong launches his comeback to racing after almost four years at the Tour Down Under race prologue on Sunday, Evans is quietly continuing his season's preparation in the Victorian coastal town of Barwon Heads.
Evans has not ridden the Tour Down Under since 2006. To the question of whether he was tempted to alter his summer program this year to race against Armstrong, he said: "Not for me. If Lance wants to race in January that's fine. It's not very often that riders ride Tour Down Under and do well at the Tour (de France). But Armstrong's a different case . . . he has to do as much racing as he can because of his years out of the sport."
Armstrong, who yesterday completed a five-hour training ride in Adelaide before being visited by drug testers, has rated himself five- to 10 per cent off his peak fitness, and is using the event as a reintroduction to racing tempo.
The Tour Down Under stages have latterly ended with bunch sprints to the finish line so Armstrong is not expected to win on any day or challenge in the general classification. Evans said he expected the Texan would "roll along in the bunch and get his racing legs back". In any case, Armstrong will be handsomely remunerated for his participation, receiving what The Age understands to be a $US1 million ($A1.49 million) race fee.
Evans will recommence racing on the European circuit in February at Spain's Ruta del Sol as he has in recent years or through small one-day events in Italy.
His professional team Silence-Lotto is still looking to replace star Ukrainian rider Yaroslav Popovych, hired in 2008 primarily to support Evans during the mountain stages of the Tour de France but recruited by Armstrong's Astana team.
Silence-Lotto also lost Bernard Kohl - currently banned for doping - who it recruited after initially making advances to Australian 2008 Tour de France stage winner Simon Gerrans while he was out of contract last August.
Samantha Lane, Adelaide
January 16, 2009
THE opportunity to line up against Lance Armstrong on home soil had little appeal to Australia's dual Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans, whose meticulously planned training program revolves entirely around him peaking in the French race in July.
While seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong launches his comeback to racing after almost four years at the Tour Down Under race prologue on Sunday, Evans is quietly continuing his season's preparation in the Victorian coastal town of Barwon Heads.
Evans has not ridden the Tour Down Under since 2006. To the question of whether he was tempted to alter his summer program this year to race against Armstrong, he said: "Not for me. If Lance wants to race in January that's fine. It's not very often that riders ride Tour Down Under and do well at the Tour (de France). But Armstrong's a different case . . . he has to do as much racing as he can because of his years out of the sport."
Armstrong, who yesterday completed a five-hour training ride in Adelaide before being visited by drug testers, has rated himself five- to 10 per cent off his peak fitness, and is using the event as a reintroduction to racing tempo.
The Tour Down Under stages have latterly ended with bunch sprints to the finish line so Armstrong is not expected to win on any day or challenge in the general classification. Evans said he expected the Texan would "roll along in the bunch and get his racing legs back". In any case, Armstrong will be handsomely remunerated for his participation, receiving what The Age understands to be a $US1 million ($A1.49 million) race fee.
Evans will recommence racing on the European circuit in February at Spain's Ruta del Sol as he has in recent years or through small one-day events in Italy.
His professional team Silence-Lotto is still looking to replace star Ukrainian rider Yaroslav Popovych, hired in 2008 primarily to support Evans during the mountain stages of the Tour de France but recruited by Armstrong's Astana team.
Silence-Lotto also lost Bernard Kohl - currently banned for doping - who it recruited after initially making advances to Australian 2008 Tour de France stage winner Simon Gerrans while he was out of contract last August.
There's no time for hesitating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.
Pain is ready, pain is waiting.
Primed to do it's educating.
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