Criterium International: Evans looking good again

peterst6906

After a pretty lack lustre T-A, Evans looks good again.

Frank Schleck blew up today, but with Michael Rogers breathing down his neck a lot of the way, Evans showed who's the boss. Finished third in the stage after dragging a few up the mountain at the end, but he was in control.

Good stage to watch in replay.

afx237vi

peterst6906 wrote:

After a pretty lack lustre T-A, Evans looks good again.

Frank Schleck blew up today, but with Michael Rogers breathing down his neck a lot of the way, Evans showed who's the boss. Finished third in the stage after dragging a few up the mountain at the end, but he was in control.

Good stage to watch in replay.

With the mute button pressed.

Evens looked though. Seemed to be toying with them with 3-4 km to go. Remember when he always used to be criticised for his negativity?

Mad Roadie

Evans did well - Sky maybe should have challenged better with 3 in the the final group, but they tried and blew - good showing from Evans. Impressed on the climb

Tusher

Grows more impressive with age. Wonder if he can make it a Tour double this year.

frenchfighter

Glad for him.

1a/b quick highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdnR71QP ... r_embedded

Pretty nasty crash there just before the line

Stage 3 Results
1 FEDRIGO, Pierrick (FDJ-BIG MAT) 4h 52' 34"
2 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo (AG2R LA MONDIALE)
3 NORDHAUG, Lars Petter (SKY PROCYCLING)
4 EVANS, Cadel (BMC RACING)
5 LEVARLET, Guillaume (SAUR - SOJASUN) + 00' 08"
6 LE MEVEL, Christophe (GARMIN-BARRACUDA)
7 ANTON HERNANDEZ, Igor (EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI)
8 ROGERS, Michael (SKY PROCYCLING)
9 PERAUD, Jean-Christophe (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 00' 20"
10 DUPONT, Hubert (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 00' 21"

Final General Classification
1 EVANS, Cadel (BMC RACING) 7h 03' 43"
2 FEDRIGO, Pierrick (FDJ-BIG MAT) + 00' 08"
3 ROGERS, Michael (SKY PROCYCLING)
4 NORDHAUG, Lars Petter (SKY PROCYCLING) + 00' 09"
5 NOCENTINI, Rinaldo (AG2R LA MONDIALE)
6 MONFORT, Maxime (RADIOSHACK-NISSAN) + 00' 23"
7 ANTON HERNANDEZ, Igor (EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI) + 00' 38"
8 LÖVKVIST, Thomas (SKY PROCYCLING) + 00' 42"
9 DUPONT, Hubert (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 00' 47"
10 RIBLON, Christophe (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 01' 11"

frenchfighter

remove

inkyfingers

Frenchie, could you not have found a better picture of Evans?

The Kennington Kaiser

afx237vi wrote:

peterst6906 wrote:

After a pretty lack lustre T-A, Evans looks good again.

Frank Schleck blew up today, but with Michael Rogers breathing down his neck a lot of the way, Evans showed who's the boss. Finished third in the stage after dragging a few up the mountain at the end, but he was in control.

Good stage to watch in replay.

With the mute button pressed.

Evens looked though. Seemed to be toying with them with 3-4 km to go. Remember when he always used to be criticised for his negativity?

I know it's a commonly heard refrain during the season, but it deserves repeating, Carlton Kirby is a terrible lead commentator. He could barely identify any of the escapees on the final climb and what was he banging on about when discussing the Colombians? Something about them only being good for 'smuggling' now they'd been dropped from the lead group'? You could almost hear his thought process: Colombians - Drugs - Smuggling. Think he realised his mistake a few moments later. I do actually like his wacky anecdotes/streams of consciousness when he plays third string to Harmon and Kelly during the Tour but he can't be trusted on his own or when leading the commentary.

calvjones

+1. Spent the whole time shouting "WHO THE FECK IS IT!?" at the TV

Pross

Rogers showed his hand too early and paid the price but Evans looked in control throughout. I think he had a slight panic near the line thinking Nordhaug was Rogers though.

Tusher

What on earth is going on in that top photo of Evans? His top half looks like a man who's just had a noose placed round his neck, whilst his lower half is, well, like a man who's just well hung.

Or a ballet dancer.

rick_chasey

He won the overall didn't he?

Always a good sign when big favourite for later on in the season are already winning.

inkyfingers

Rick Chasey wrote:

Always a good sign when big favourite for later on in the season are already winning.

Agreed, Evans laid the foundations for last year's tour with good early season wins. Wiggins, Valverde and Nibali also already have some good results in the bag. As usual the Schlecks are yet to do anything of note other than get dropped. Alhough there is nothing new in that it's a risky strategy considering that the TDF is hardly suited to them.

Will be interesting to see Evans goes in the Ardenne classics, unless Gilbert sorts his health problems and finds some form very quickly it looks like Evans may have to carry the flag for BMC. A win in la Doyenne would pretty much complete Evan's palmares, Valverde of course will have other ideas.

frenchfighter

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. He has done terribly all season then won a 6.5km TT and was with the front group on Sunday.

Its good yes, and I like Evans, but there are GT riders going better than him, and he has a way to go.

rick_chasey

frenchfighter wrote:

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. He has done terribly all season then won a 6.5km TT and was with the front group on Sunday.

Its good yes, and I like Evans, but there are GT riders going better than him, and he has a way to go.

Who?

I can only think of Wiggins.

Valverde doesn't count because a) he always has a day off in France and b) the course doesn't remotely suit him.

inkyfingers

frenchfighter wrote:

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. He has done terribly all season then won a 6.5km TT and was with the front group on Sunday.

Its good yes, and I like Evans, but there are GT riders going better than him, and he has a way to go.

I didn't say he was there yet, just that like last year he looks like he's starting to lay some good foundations for the year unlike many other big name riders (Schlecks, Basso, Gesink etc). I know he wasn't up against the best, but he looked very comfortable going uphill yesterday.

frenchfighter

Levi, Cunego, Nibs especially, J-Rod, Sanchez, Horner, Nocentini, Machado, Uran Uran, J-Rod, Wiggins especially, Porte, Kreuziger, Valverde, Machado, Fedrigo, J-Rod.

Obv not all podium material, but easily top ten top 20 material. All have done reasonably well this year and shown some form (and are ahead of Evans pointswise).

Winwise, Nibs, Valverde, Wiggins are ahead, but number of wins isnt that important to me at this point as if you have one win but have been out of any sort of contention in most races compared to a rider who has been up there more or less but has no wins, I'd say the 2nd rider is better atm.

Evans got smoked big time earlier this year so was very surprised when I saw him come back and win so soon...

Generally I've felt many GT top 10 riders haven't done very well this year.

rick_chasey

Has Basso finished a race in 2012 yet?

frenchfighter

inkyfingers wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. He has done terribly all season then won a 6.5km TT and was with the front group on Sunday.

Its good yes, and I like Evans, but there are GT riders going better than him, and he has a way to go.

I didn't say he was there yet, just that like last year he looks like he's starting to lay some good foundations for the year unlike many other big name riders (Schlecks, Basso, Gesink etc). I know he wasn't up against the best, but he looked very comfortable going uphill yesterday.

The Schlecks are shit and never perform all season apart from a spike of form in the Ardennes then at the Tour. Basso well he isn't often up there. Gesink would have expected more.

RichN95.

frenchfighter wrote:

Gesink would have expected more.

He broke his leg in September so he was always going to be lagging behind the others.

frenchfighter

Last 12km:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xpoeig ... 12-3_sport

inkyfingers

RichN95 wrote:

frenchfighter wrote:

Gesink would have expected more.

He broke his leg in September so he was always going to be lagging behind the others.

Ahh, i'd forgotten about that.