Cuddles calls it a day

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/29370959
Been on the cards for a while now, those GTs wont be the same without him...
Possibly the greatest clean GT rider of his generation...
Retirement has been on the cards for a while now but shame to see it confirmed, kind of like ending a romance that you both know has been loveless for a while....
Been on the cards for a while now, those GTs wont be the same without him...
Possibly the greatest clean GT rider of his generation...
Retirement has been on the cards for a while now but shame to see it confirmed, kind of like ending a romance that you both know has been loveless for a while....
When a true genius appears in this world, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him. - Jonathan Swift
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Winner of the Bike Radar Pro Race Wiggins Hour Prediction Competition
I do respect him for adopting his son, on the other hand.
His career in a nutshell - nicely put, YP. Seemed to be a transformative day for him in terms of confidence, and in many people's perception of him; such a gutsy ride!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fe79ZuDKfk
I don't think you'll find Cadel has any links to Ferrari. Provide some evidence if I am mistaken
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
Widely rubbished though wasn't it?
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
My favourite GT stage in recent years.
Also agree with Yellow Peril, his Worlds win made his later career. Showed what a brave and honest rider he actually is, and he proved that often.
Difficult character, wildly overstated links to a dodgy doctor. Wiggins is retiring?
No, Cadel did contact and work with Ferrari - he admits it himself but states it was only for a training test:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-c ... ri-in-2000
Cadel's restaurant night out with Wegelius is (probably) a lot more damning.
No mention of his career long association with Aldo Sassi (the anti-Ferrari) though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FikzgWE3t0A
Arf
Ultimately though he didn't give up and the wins that he deserved came - his approach to his career was like his riding style - dogged and determined. His retirement comes only when it is obvious he no longer has the capacity to compete - he's wrung his talent dry. He was there in classics and grand tours giving it a go and while rarely the absolute favourite he seemed to work on the basis that if you keep buying tickets eventually your number will come up.
Compared to Wiggins (another rider most of us consider clean) I think Wiggins edges it on talent and while it's hard to say Wiggins underachieved given what he's won I can't help buy think Evans would not be going into semi retirement if he still had the legs to beat Tony Martin in a time trial.
Possibly cause & effect. He may have rubbed others up the wrong way like he did with CW. I wouldn't put it past him as seeing his face winds me up. He's the only cyclist who has that effect on me (except Lance of course).
Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
1996
9th Atlanta Olympics, Mountain Bike Race
1998
1st Overall, Mountain Bike World Cup
1999
1st Overall, Mountain Bike World Cup
2000
7th Sydney Olympics, Mountain Bike Cross Country
seanoconn
Agree with all of this. His Tour win was bitter-sweet: finally a clean enough peloton for his talent to shine just at the point his talent started to decline. I hope he takes his revenge on the sport; in writing.
The origins for this come from a MTB World Cup race in Cairns in 1994 where a 17 year old debutant Australian came 5th and the race organiser was so impressed by this youthful talent that he asked for the podium to be extended to five to acknowledge him. And they've had five man podiums ever since (because the sponsors liked it).
And that 17 year old was Cadel Evans - and here's that podium (he's on the left)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=367YyCSnOWM
1) The best Tour of the last decade.
2) The best single stage of a grand Tour for a decade
3) Best worlds victory for a while
And he's a proper bike racer. I suspect if you published sepia photos of him suffering and pretended he was from the 50's a lot of people who hate him would have a full jones for him
The Ferrari link always makes me laugh. You may as well say Lemond was a Ferrari customer.
All this.
My enduring memory of Cadel will be him dragging the GC contenders after Andy Shleck up the Galibier and turning a tour losing 4 minute plus deficit to a potentially tour winning loss of just over a minute.
The peloton will be poorer without him.