ozneddy

We might just win one

CV-6 

Might nothing....unless tradition is broken, he has!

Ex Pres 

Party like you're Australian, oz

Old Fat Guy

Had to chuckle at that.

I understand they may call for a national holiday in Oz. Good on you!

Too bad the race was decided by a crash with a spectator the first day, though.

WalksOn2Wheels

Unfortunately, that's racing (regarding the week one crash) on the pro circuit. You don't want it to happen that way, but the factor is always present. Also, there were other incidents that hurt some of the favorites early on.

I'm immensely happy for Evans, Australia and cycling fans everywhere. This has been a very interesting Tour this year.

Old Fat Guy

Best Tour in years, I agree.

AZORCH

I confess that I've been pulling for Andy in this Tour, but what a great day for the land down under! Spectacular time trial this morning and Cadel deserves the win. I have completely enjoyed every moment of the Tour this year.

rootboy 

Very great racing !

Picchio Special

Cadel managed his whole Tour beautifully to put himself in this position, and he finished it off with real panache. I was rooting for Cadel from day 1 (and for Tom Danielson to do well), and there's a very slight C&V hue to the whole thing for me, since I own one of Cadel's TT bikes from his very early roadie days, when he was still riding primarily mountain bikes for Volvo-Cannondale.

iab

While Cadel obviously rode smart, he still is a snore fest. The Pyrenees were a snore fest. Only stage 18 had some good racing. The rest was boring, predictable or completely inconsequential. Unfortunatley LA made the tour suck. If it is the "only" race to race, the other races are boring and if you do compete in them, you aren't "peaking" for the tour.

iab

And someone should fire Phil Liggett. He obviously won't retire in grace.

WalksOn2Wheels

I see what you mean, and this is actually one of the reasons I found myself rooting for Contador of all people. He rode the Giro really well and dominated, but when the Tour wasn't working out, his last gasp efforts were a thing of beauty this week. He has heart, that's for sure.

However, I do wish some of these Tour favorites would push themselves a little more in other stage races or one day classics rather than treating everything but the Tour as a training ride. It would be a blast to see Contador really, really give the Paris-Roubaix a solid go. This is what made Merckx just that much better. He went for it in everything.

Picchio Special

Couldn't disagree more. Cadel raced hard on numerous occasions to preserve his chances. Did he go out on the attack stage after stage? No. But he also did a heck of a lot more than follow wheels - he took the initiative many times. Are we talking Pantani attacking from kilometer 10? No. But you really just have to look a bit more closely to see the drama - and there was plenty of drama in this year's race. It's easy to call a Cadel a "snore fest" from the comfort of an arm chair, but frankly, anyone who couldn't appreciate watching Cadel manage both Schlecks and Contador with minimal support from his team in the high mountains maybe is asking way too much.
Sorry, but the days of riders racing hard the full season are just over. And Lance isn't solely responsible, unless you think Indurain was a well-rounded racer - Cadel has a more significant one-day palmares than him.

Picchio Special

No - it would be an embarrassment - or a quick trip to the emergency room. A reality of which Contador is too well aware.

bradtx

Evans has it, congrats to him as he's worked as hard as anybody to win the TdF in past years. Sure mechanicals and crashes played some towards the outcome, but that's in every race, everywhere. With the ITT stage 20 the Schlecks knew they were in trouble, but their team rode a good tour and I'll bet the two brothers will be working on their TT skills and, perhaps their decending skills.

The really good thing is the young talent is very promising...

Brad

top506

Best of luck to him.....as long as he continues to test clean.
I still have a bad taste in my mouth from 2007.

Top

Straightblock

I thought Cadel rode a patient & smart Tour. I wish Voekler had a better TT and had made the podium, though. He wore the yellow jersey with honor and guts.

txvintage

I too wish Voekler had made the podium. His shear determination, against all odds and all challengers, to hold the jersey for as long he could was the crowning m,oment for me in this years Tour.

I've never really been an Evans fan, mostly due to his off the bike personality. I none the less found myself pulling for him when he took the Peleton onto his own shoulders and rode himself and every other top 10 rider back into contention on multiple occaisions in the Alps. He showed grit, determination, and acceptance that if he wanted to win the Tour it was upto him to do it and he never made excuses or complained.

Well done Mr. Evans.

ozneddy

Well said sir !

iab

I also beg to differ. What you wrote is my definition of riding smart. And without a doubt, Evans rode smart. Still a snore fest. Still took yellow in a very boring and predictable time trial. And I can say that from my chair. You think I give a rat's crap about more than the entertainment value these guys give me? That is what they are paid to do - entertain me. You don't see a program about me doing design work now do you. Evan's "nuanced" riding is what every rider should and does know, if you get dropped on a climb, keep your own rythem and don't panic. Its your best chance of catching the group. If that floats your boat, you can watch me on every group ride I do.

oldmuthariley

GO CAVENDISH!

I'm just glad we don't have to watch Lance Armstrong anymore...

By the way Phil Liggett is a legend

WalksOn2Wheels

Now you're just being a curmudgeon to the nth degree. These guys aren't paid to entertain you. They're paid to put a bike on top of the podium, no matter what it may take. If you are a cycling fan, you are going to find it to be good sport either way. I mean, what exactly, at this point, would entertain you?

iab

Obviously, the term professional is lost on you. To be a pro, you get paid. To get paid, you need revenue. The only sources of revenue for cycling, is sponsorship, or more importantly, television. Television's only purpose is entertainment. If it doesn't enterain me, I turn it off. And for those sporting events that require a ticket (I am partial to hockey), if it doesn't entertain me, I leave the venue.

Without that entertainment THOSE GUYS DON"T GET PAID. Why exactly would anyone watch if it didn't entertain them?

Stage 18 was entertaining. Stage 19 was somewhat interesting but AC's attack was pretty much inconsequential. BTW, golf and bowling don't entertain me, I don't watch either. I will play them on occasion, that can be entertaining.

Do you watch these cyclists to see how fit they are? I mean, what is there other than entertainment?

oldmuthariley

BRAVO EVANS!
BRAVO CAVENDISH!
Long live LE TOUR!

Italuminium

Congratulations! At least your country didn't suck this year . The eurocurmudgeon in me sort of laments the fact that a leprechaun-voiced mountainbiker from the colonies won, but hey, this tour was great, the closest competition in recent decades.