Least worthy TdF winner ever?

paulcuthbert

Well, that I have ever seen anyway...

Really wish Thomas Voeckler had won it for his gutsy riding, or Andy Schleck with that win on the Galibier. I think they were more deserving of the yellow jersey than sucking wheel for 3 weeks.

Discuss

ozzzyosborn206

you say evans wheel sucked, but if it wasn't for him taking it upon himself to close the gap down to Andy on the Galibier on Thursday he wouldn't have won, so i think he deserved it, i guess you would have to say anyone who doped and won the tour aren't worthy winners

ozzzyosborn206

you say evans wheel sucked, but if it wasn't for him taking it upon himself to close the gap down to Andy on the Galibier on Thursday he wouldn't have won, so i think he deserved it, i guess you would have to say anyone who doped and won the tour aren't worthy winners

Sgt_Pepper

OP, Troll post tbh.


Was it Evans or TV wheelsucking up the Galibier? remind me, I forgot.

andy81

In the past you could certainly have called Evans a wheel sucker, but he put a lot of effort into chasing Schleck on the Galibier and also Shleck and Contador on Friday. He did also put in a few small attacks when he could, but he's not a natural climber like the Schlecks or Contador and can't easily put in the big accelerations on the climbs. Interesting that you refer to gutsy riding by Voeckler, but I can't remember him attacking in the mountains, he was on the limit just riding in the group.

Don't get me wrong, I was massively impressed by Voeckler during the final week in the mountains, but in the Alps, Evans was equally impressive. He wasn't wheel sucking like he has in the past, and rode a brilliant tour. A well deserved winner.

sagalout

paulcuthbert wrote:

Well, that I have ever seen anyway...

Really wish Thomas Voeckler had won it for his gutsy riding, or Andy Schleck with that win on the Galibier. I think they were more deserving of the yellow jersey than sucking wheel for 3 weeks.

Discuss

When it came down to the race of truth Evans destroyed Schleck. Simple as that. Andy is a better climber and attacked on that stage....Evans rode his heart out to stay in touch. If Schlech had done the same on the TT it might have been closer.

I'm delighted for Evans to be honest, but it was a great race. I even warmed to Contador

paulcuthbert

Sgt_Pepper wrote:

OP, Troll post tbh.

Not at all... it's a forum and this is my opinion. Not trying to get a rise, trying to see what everyone else thinks

cogidubnus

I disagree with OP.

He won a stage, was forever at the front in first two weeks, pegged back both AS and AC's attacks in the alps as the rest left him to it. And what a time trial- 7secs off beating Martin..

jonginge

paulcuthbert wrote:

Sgt_Pepper wrote:

OP, Troll post tbh.

Not at all... it's a forum and this is my opinion. Not trying to get a rise, trying to see what everyone else thinks

I think you didn't watch the stages on thursday and friday

Not much wheel sucking going on. He was active on the punchy climbs in the first week: 2nd to Gilbert on stage 1 and winner on the mur de bretagne. He also counter-attacked Contador/Sanchez on the first #descentgate day in the alps and had a part of dragging the group back to Contador/Sanchez on the 2nd...

Moomaloid

i think we finally have a worthy champion. He's ridden his balls off all race and taken it by the scruff of the neck single handed when others either wouldn't or couldn't. Really really happy too see him get the GT he deserves... well done Cuddles...

Holyzeus

paulcuthbert wrote:

Sgt_Pepper wrote:

OP, Troll post tbh.

Not at all... it's a forum and this is my opinion. Not trying to get a rise, trying to see what everyone else thinks

Your opinion is firmly in the minority and IMHO i dont think you've actually watched much of the tour...

knedlicky

Cogidubnus wrote:

I disagree with OP.

He won a stage, was forever at the front in first two weeks, ...

Also at the front the last week - he would make a worthy points winner.

niblue

Some people seem to confuse the GC with either the king of the mountains or the points jerseys in the TDF. The GC is for the best overall rider, not for the fastest sprinter (who'll win the most stages) or the best climber (who should win the king of the mountains).

Evans was comfortably the best overall rider this year - fast uphill, downhill, in the sprints, on flat stages and in the TT. Won a stage and was close to the front on most of the others. Anyone who thinks this was an ugly or hollow win must be attracted to odious one trick ponys from Luxembourg.

peterst6906

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, so good luck to you.

You obviously didn't watch the tour though as your conclusion doesn't match the evidence from the stages.

I don't think you'll find too many supporters, except perhaps for Cressers, which might also be an account of yours.

B3rnieMac

You're saying andy should have won it entirely based on the galibier win? I say cadel single handedly towing all the favourites up after him and slicing the time gap down was more impressive. And then doing it the day after. And for his stage win early on. And for never being lower than 4th on GC. and for that absolutely MONSTER TT yesterday, did you even see that? He was a beast.

If all those things aren't even equal to one admittedly clever attack on a single stage to you, I don't know.....stick to watching the classics maybe, Paul.

B3rnieMac

But I'll take your thread name as a general, non-trolling question and say that Pereiro was maybe the least worthy tour winner.

BikingBernie

Evans was the strongest and deserved the win. True, it would have been great to see Voeckler win, but bona fide 'fairy tale' results in bike racing are almost unknown.

Least worthy winner? Must be Armstrong, given that it appears he benefitted from doping, both his own and that of his team, more than any other rider in history.

Sirius631

Cogidubnus wrote:

I disagree with OP.

He won a stage, was forever at the front in first two weeks, pegged back both AS and AC's attacks in the alps as the rest left him to it. And what a time trial- 7secs off beating Martin..

What he said.

If you have riders of exactly the same abilities you will be able to make an accurate comparrison of relative performances. Evans is not a climber in the same mold as the Schlecks, so all you can really expect is that he try to limit his losses in the mountains. However, his did more than that, in that he did attack and drop the Schlecks at times. I suppose it goes to proove the George Washington adage that "the best form of defense is attack".

martylaa

not a evans fan at all, and i was wishing scleck to do something yesterday, but as much as i can't stand evans he does deserve this for his effort in the tour, especially clawing back the leaders the other day when no one else wanted help in the hills, pains me to say it but best man won this year....
just hope cav wins todays stage now

scrumpydave

niblue wrote:

Some people seem to confuse the GC with either the king of the mountains or the points jerseys in the TDF. The GC is for the best overall rider, not for the fastest sprinter (who'll win the most stages) or the best climber (who should win the king of the mountains).

Evans was comfortably the best overall rider this year - fast uphill, downhill, in the sprints, on flat stages and in the TT. Won a stage and was close to the front on most of the others. Anyone who thinks this was an ugly or hollow win must be attracted to odious one trick ponys from Luxembourg.

I agree. This was a tour that favoured the climbers and yet Evans still won, taking time off his rivals in a variety of terrains. In my eyes that makes him more deserving than, say, Sastre who won it on a single climb.

Sirius631

martylaa wrote:

not a evans fan at all, and i was wishing scleck to do something yesterday, but as much as i can't stand evans he does deserve this for his effort in the tour, especially clawing back the leaders the other day when no one else wanted help in the hills, pains me to say it but best man won this year....
just hope cav wins todays stage now

Just putting aside the fact he's an Ozzy and ends his sentances with that annoying upward inflection, he comes across as OK so long as nobody is prodding a broken body part.

smithy21

No, no, no.

Least worthy attempt at a thread ever??

Evans has been brilliant this tour. At the start of the race all the other contenders know their own strengths and weaknesses and those of their rivals. Its up to them to make the most of their own strengths and exploit the weaknesses of others. Evans has done that to perfection.

iainf72

What was that intelligent thing you said to Cadel on twitter a couple of years ago Paul? Wasn't it something like "told you that you sucked"

Well, who sucks now son.

Pross

paulcuthbert wrote:

Well, that I have ever seen anyway...

Really wish Thomas Voeckler had won it for his gutsy riding, or Andy Schleck with that win on the Galibier. I think they were more deserving of the yellow jersey than sucking wheel for 3 weeks.

Discuss

This is crap even by your usual standards. One of the most deserving wins I've seen in a few years. I can't believe anyone who saw Evans single handedly towing the other contenders to limit Andy's gains on Thursday can accuse him of wheelsucking. Far more deserving than any of the wins by your hero with his medical assistance.

rajMAN

Bo**ox thread.

markos1963

I never used to be an Evans fan but this tour has changed my opinion of him. He rode his heart out in the Alps to limit his losses and when he refused to let Contador beat him on the stage he won showed just how much he wanted it. As for the TT he showed that he doesn't crack under pressure.
The Schlecks on the other hand spent most of the time complaining about people attacking on descents, not attacking on climbsand really expecting people to hand the Tour to them on a plate.

B3rnieMac

If I wanted to be troll myself, I would say that I wouldn't expect anything less from an Armstrong fanboy like yourself Paul

Pross

We have last year's winner failing a dope test on the way to winning, past winners subsequently being dqd and the "winningest" rider in TDF history being strongly believed to be a cheat and currently under federal investigation and Evans is the least deserving ever! Priceless - one thing is certain it looks like we have a deserving winner of idiot post of the year despite strong competit ion from the likes of Corneymade

lemoncurd

sucking wheel for 3 weeks

Wheel sucking doesn't help much going up a mountain, if it did the peleton would have just tucked in behind one of the Schlecks.

Cadel's outstanding time trial at the end and a gutsy performance on all other stages means that he's a worthy winner.

He has got a funny chin though.

Jez mon

Personally, wanted Andy Schleck to win because of an Epic attack, and because I prefer climbers to TTers

BUT Evans is an extremely worthy winner. And you Paul are trolling, or you haven't actually watched this tour.

Cleat Eastwood

smithy21 wrote:

Evans has been brilliant this tour. At the start of the race all the other contenders know their own strengths and weaknesses and those of their rivals. Its up to them to make the most of their own strengths and exploit the weaknesses of others. Evans has done that to perfection.

Totally agree. And even when his weaknesses were exposed he didnt moan he just limited his losses.

Each and every one of that top 4 are deserving of their spot.