TDF 2011: Cadel Evans, Champion - stage 21 - Créteil Paris Champs-Élysées 95 km

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THRILLHO said:
Stiffneck cops a lot of on this board and, yeah, he does whinge a bit, but I have a lot of time for him, as much as I want to hate him.

Seems to be very sporting and gracious in defeat. He didn't kick up a fuss over chain-gate last year either.
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That's because it was his fault, and he knows that it was his fault.
 
Caesar said:
I think unrealistic expectations will be a worry. Even from a neutral perspective it was an exceptionally exciting race this year, and Evans has little chance of defending next time around.

I have a feeling that next year will result in a lot of disappointment for new cycling fans.
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Mano a Mano, Contador is still the best GT rider in the peleton.
 

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Richo is God said:
She mentions him not even living in Australia as if it makes him less worthy.

:confused:
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Well theres not really any Galibier's, Tourmalet's, Izoards's or Alp de Huez's to train on in Australia is there? Just some stupid attention seeking parasite is trying to go against the grain and show she is cultured because she fails to understand the power and beauty of sport.

I'd be surprised if even the new Australian team bases itself here. All well and fine to be based in Australia if they're going to be a sprint team, but if we want another Cadel he's going to have to live in Switzerland or Spain like most of the others do.
 
Caesar said:
I think unrealistic expectations will be a worry. Even from a neutral perspective it was an exceptionally exciting race this year, and Evans has little chance of defending next time around.

I have a feeling that next year will result in a lot of disappointment for new cycling fans.
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Thats definitely true, Evans has been in brilliant form and had a perfect preparation, as well as a little bit of luck with so many contenders crashing out (maybe this didn't help him as it meant there were fewer contenders so the Schleck's and Contador could focus on him). Also Contador being allowed to race may have seemed like a stupid thing, but Contador contested the Giro becuase he didn't think he'd be able to ride the tour. The Giro was gruelling this year and Contador would have been much much fresher had he not ridden it. On top of that he crashed numerous times and on the first stage he lost a minute and a half for being on the wrong side of a crash in the peloton.

Not detracting at all from Cadel's amazing achievement, but it shows you need to have a lot of things go your way to win the tour.
 
At the risk of being accused of being a bandwagoner, which I am, I'll put in my tuppence worth. I've been casually following the tour for the past ten years, because my girlfriend liked to watch the scenery. It was the only sport we ever watched together.

During this tour, I've gained a greater understanding of the tactics and the importance of each of the individual members in the winning team. To me, Cadel's efforts are testimony to a great all-round sportsman, who transcended the sport, and the team thing, through his refusal to accept personal defeat, despite enduring adversity which would have crushed lesser men.

Having seen the presentations at the end of the race, I have no concerns about the future of the Tour de France. Does anybody think it likely that they will run out of beautiful French women who will kiss the winners? No wonder they want to win the bloody thing. I must start training.
 
:D

have found the button up long sleeve version of Scott's shirt.

it is no better, but i am tempted. :p

38185065va_12_f.jpg
 
Some more TV ratings...

Some of these numbers for SBS are just amazing.

Code: 
Rnk         Description                   Stn Network   Total Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth

7 	Tour De France 2011 Live: Stage 20 SBS ONE	690,000 202,000 246,000 60,000  65,000   118,000

14	Tour De France 2011 Live: Stage 19 SBS ONE 	604,000 148,000 235,000 65,000  61,000   95,000

22	Tour De France 2011 Live: Stage 18 SBS ONE	456,000 101,000 159,000 55,000  54,000   87,000
 
Caesar said:
I think unrealistic expectations will be a worry. Even from a neutral perspective it was an exceptionally exciting race this year, and Evans has little chance of defending next time around.

I have a feeling that next year will result in a lot of disappointment for new cycling fans.
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Yeah, thought he was gone in 2009, age etc, had missed out closely two times previous

Be remarkable to go back to back, but tall order. On the positive he's now confident in his ability, likes his team and BMC will probably chuck some more $$$$ to get hill climbers that'll be on par with Leopard & Eurocar, and that'll make a big difference.

On the negative, he'll be 35, everything fell into place for him this year, and there's heaps of good riders coming through.

Am really keen to watch Ricky Porte next year

This year, however, Evans has reached the Everest, and has single handedly taken Australian cycle to another level
 

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Obvious for all to see Mia Freedman is a Schleck fan, and was upset at him being beaten.
 
excellent article on the roar regarding miss freedman

http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/07/26/freedman-on-evans-not-wrong-but-most-definitely-not-right/

Freedman on Evans: Not wrong but most definitely not right

“I’m not going to be popular when I tell @karlstefanovic on @thetodayshow that I don’t care about Cadel Evans.” The above quote is from Mia Freedman’s Twitter yesterday morning.

This was just prior to the social commentator unleashing an attack on the adulation that has greeted Cadel Evans’ triumph in the Tour de France.

So, poor Miss Mia knew that prior to going on air she was to be expressing her interesting opinion that Evans shouldn’t be classed as a hero just because “he rides a bike”.

I’m not going to buy too much into the rights and wrongs of her opinion, except to say that there’s an old saying about opinions – everybody has one.

However, to express surprise that so many people vehemently attacked her beliefs (via her Mama Mia blog) was somewhat of a white lie, as her Twitter proves.

Freedman writes an interesting (occasionally) issues based blog and gains screen time as a social commentator.

Her previous journalistic employment includes New Weekly, Marie Claire, Who Weekly, Cleo and Cosmopolitan; all of which provides an interesting base from which to tackle the relevance of one of Australia’s sacred cows – sport.

Admittedly throughout her interview with Stefanovic, Freedman appears boxed in and uncomfortable with the fact her opinion was likely to be causing red blooded Aussies everywhere to be spitting out their corn flakes.

But…if you’re going to express your opinion, you need to be able to cop the fall out and you want to ensure you have your facts right.

I don’t necessarily disagree that we should see less focus on sportspeople in the EGN sections of our newspapers, or at the head of a news bulletin.

However, Evans’ achievement was not just significant to Australians but to the world – he was only the third non-European to win the planet’s most gruelling and vaunted cycling race.

The Tour de France is his Everest and with that great mound of dirt in Asia already conquered, along with so much more of our planet, sport is our way of challenging ourselves and exploring our own inner strength.

Sport is so often (incorrectly) compared to war and with the modern outlook towards battle having changed irrevocably since World War II, our sports stars are our new heroes.

They are the ones we look to for inspiration and who help us to build our nation’s reputation among the rest of the world.

Of course, their achievements are not as important as those of the ANZACs who staked a claim to a piece of land in far off Gallipoli, nor are they comparable to the stoic men who staved off the Japanese marauders in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

However, whether it is via the battlefield or the sports field, humanity has always sought a hero.

We in the modern day are no different to the people of ancient Greece whose adulation for the mythological warrior Achilles knew no bounds.

Sadly, while Freedman may have had a fair point (better aired at another time), she also revealed herself to be ignorant about Evans and the challenges he has stared down to reach the top, along with the good he has achieved via his continually growing profile in the sport.

His tale from childhood to bike riding champion and his support of Tibet and other causes have all been widely reported elsewhere but what they reveal is that he is a man of depth that many of us, let alone other sportspeople, can learn from.

And despite Freedman’s claim that Evans only lives in Switzerland, he is fiercely Australian and is a regular to his home in beautiful Barwon Heads.

I know I’m preaching to the converted about the relevance of sport and its value to society, so I’m going to leave the last words to Freedman herself.

But before I do, I’m going to ask her a question.

What has changed so much between May 2010, when young sailor Jessica Watson enjoyed a triumphant homecoming, and now for your definition of hero to be so different?

“I am genuinely in awe of her achievement. Back when she set out on her voyage, crashed on the first night and then set out again, I was a doubter. I still am a little bit. Now that she has returned a hero (as she should, her achievement is astonishing) it’s easy to say it was a wonderful thing for her to have done.” – When I was 16, I got my ears pierced, suck on that Jessica Watson (May 17, 2010).
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She seems to be copping it from everywhere and rightly so.....maybe she'll keep her stuck up hoity toity attitude to herself next time..

..stupid ill informed woman:thumbsdown:
 
Lol they've disabled the comments on that video, and she's also bailed from Twitter.

Guess she can dish it out but can't take it back!
 
Even my parents who are in their eighties, haven't seen the tour except for the news, think what she said was totally ridiculous and ignorant..

Both played sport in their younger days, so recognise the value and achievement done by Cadel..

This stupid woman should be more worried about kids sitting in front of the telly, on facebook etc. instead of being out in the fresh air participating in a sport so as to be fit and healthy.....and also would keep them off the streets and out of mischief..
 
Mia Freedman - Master Troll. Why people even gave her oxygen, I don't know.

I'm sure the average male didn't even know who she was - I'd certainly never heard of her - and now they do. Mission accomplished for her.
 

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TDF 2011: Cadel Evans, Champion - stage 21 - Créteil Paris Champs-Élysées 95 km

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