Cadel and his Team mates

richard wants a baum

Ive noticed that Cadel has been openly talking about helping team mates (ie Kroon in Amstel) , seems to have finally learned how to have a team really work for him. Though to be far he started after the Worlds with Gilbert. Will be very instresting in the Giro and Tour to see if George and Kroon really bury themselves for him, which obviously didnt happen at Lotto?

iainf72

They showed themselves a couple of times at T-A and were riding very well together.

I'm sure they'll be more a cohesive team than Lotto ever were. I gather that the atmosphere on a team has a significant impact for Evans so if it's a nicer place to be he may just get on better generally.

Also, Aldo Sassi says his mindset has changed with the rainbow jersey.

DaveyL

Yes, he certainly looked like he wanted to put on a good showing in it yesterday. Will be nice to see the rainbow jersey up with the "heads of state" in the Tour.

rick_chasey

DaveyL wrote:

Yes, he certainly looked like he wanted to put on a good showing in it yesterday. Will be nice to see the rainbow jersey up with the "heads of state" in the Tour.

Not if he rides like he did last year.

richard wants a baum

Also, Aldo Sassi says his mindset has changed with the rainbow jersey.

This is hardly suprising its that big win he doesnt have to worry about getting, a bit of pressure of and also has something to point to when he gets hounded about not attacking. I think your right about the team make up it seems better suited to Cadel

DaveyL

Rick Chasey wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Yes, he certainly looked like he wanted to put on a good showing in it yesterday. Will be nice to see the rainbow jersey up with the "heads of state" in the Tour.

Not if he rides like he did last year.

I hope it is different this year!

richard wants a baum

Rick Chasey wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Yes, he certainly looked like he wanted to put on a good showing in it yesterday. Will be nice to see the rainbow jersey up with the "heads of state" in the Tour.

Not if he rides like he did last year.

No team time trial dont we will see that again he had a number of years right up there consistently

Kléber

He couldn't get on with the chaotic Lotto, having a team built around him is something quite different.

afx237vi

No doubt that the structure and environment of BMC is better suited to Evans, and that helps a lot, but the other riders in the team aren't really any better than he had at Lotto, are they?

He left Lotto, with Lloyd, Van den Broecke and Van Goolen, and ended up with Kroon, Burghardt and Hincapie - what's the difference? The one guy who would have been helpful to him in the mountains, Santambrogio, is banned and maybe won't be back by July.

It's one thing putting on a nice team display in April, but that doesn't really mean anything come July. He's still in the same situation he's always been in if you ask me.

blazing_saddles

Certainly the team seems to have a relaxed attitude to winning. :P

El Imbatido

If i remember correctly from around the time Evans said he was moving from Lotto to BMC, i think even he made mention of the fact that he knows this year will be much like his years spent at Lotto ie. no support but it was the fact that BMC wanted him and was willing to help him get the riders and helpers he wants in the future and the team is 100% behind him in GT's was the major reason why he feels BMC is the right place for him. Basically he was saying he knows this is a gradual process and will take some time.

SpaceJunk

El Imbatido wrote:

If i remember correctly from around the time Evans said he was moving from Lotto to BMC, i think even he made mention of the fact that he knows this year will be much like his years spent at Lotto ie. no support but it was the fact that BMC wanted him and was willing to help him get the riders and helpers he wants in the future and the team is 100% behind him in GT's was the major reason why he feels BMC is the right place for him. Basically he was saying he knows this is a gradual process and will take some time.

Cadel made his move to BMC public in early November. I was fortunate to meet him on the day of his transfer and asked a couple of questions.

He basically started the process during TdF. He even mentioned post stage that by end of year all would be known with regards to his poor showing at Tour.

He said he went to BMC for more support. Most people initially thought he was talking about support on the road, really he meant support from management.

He realises BMC isn't that strong a team, but Rihs, Lelangue etc will give him better support (I read this as more input into his racing calendar).

richard wants a baum

I guess i was more pointing to the fact that he seems to be making a real effort to work for others in the hope that the favour will be returned cant remmember that happening at Lotto until the very end of last year when he had already decided to leave Lotto? Though i think BMC will pick up some handy doms. in the off season this year.

rick_chasey

richard wants a baum wrote:

I guess i was more pointing to the fact that he seems to be making a real effort to work for others in the hope that the favour will be returned cant remmember that happening at Lotto until the very end of last year when he had already decided to leave Lotto? Though i think BMC will pick up some handy doms. in the off season this year.

It could easily also be construed as a constructive way to build a little condition for the Giro.


Stijn Devolder's the same, in that he will only ever do any work on the front if it's 1 weeks before De Ronde and he's not quite up to condition yet

afx237vi

I think it was interesting after the race today when Evans said that, for the first time ever, his team went and did a recce of the Mur de Huy on the eve of the race. Maybe a Belgian team just takes that kind of thing for granted - I mean, if you're a Belgian rider or a Belgian DS, you've probably ridden up that climb dozens of times over the years.

But with a fresh pair of eyes, you get a different perspective on things. It worked...

SpaceJunk

afx237vi wrote:

I think it was interesting after the race today when Evans said that, for the first time ever, his team went and did a recce of the Mur de Huy on the eve of the race. Maybe a Belgian team just takes that kind of thing for granted - I mean, if you're a Belgian rider or a Belgian DS, you've probably ridden up that climb dozens of times over the years.

But with a fresh pair of eyes, you get a different perspective on things. It worked...

I was amazed by that comment. But after giving it some thought, came to the same conclusion as you.

Either that or Lotto have been just too busy completing TTT training on pancake flat motor racing circuits in prep for hilly TdF Time Trial courses.

ColinJ

SpaceJunk wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

I think it was interesting after the race today when Evans said that, for the first time ever, his team went and did a recce of the Mur de Huy on the eve of the race. Maybe a Belgian team just takes that kind of thing for granted - I mean, if you're a Belgian rider or a Belgian DS, you've probably ridden up that climb dozens of times over the years.

But with a fresh pair of eyes, you get a different perspective on things. It worked...

I was amazed by that comment.

I was amazed by it too but it came across as a really passive thing to say. Everybody knows that the Mur is key to the race so if you were serious about it you'd make sure that you checked it out at least once. If your team manager didn't suggest it then you should insist on it yourself!

PS Super result though - I thought that Contador was going to romp away at the finish and was really pleased when Evans got it!