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Cadel's team face tough decisions before the Tour

29 May 2008 | 07:14 - By Mike Tomalaris

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With an eye to the upcoming Tour de France, Mike Tomalaris spots a rider on the Silence-Lotto team who has the engine to match team leader, Cadel Evans.

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It's rare for modern-day pro-cyclist to compete in successive Grand Tours, particularly if they have performed beyond expectations and challenged for top honours on the General Classification.

Take Silence-Lotto's Belgian discovery Jurgen Van Den Broeck and his outstanding performance at the Giro.

Here is a 25-year-old who has ridden out of his skin.

Podcast: video highlights of every stage of the 2008 Giro d'Italia

He sits in ninth place on the overall standings in his first Grand Tour.

Van den Broeck's only other major career achievement was being crowned under 23 world time trial champion in 2001.

What predicament has he brought to team directors who are in the process of selecting a squad that will revolve around guiding Cadel Evans to victory at the Tour de France?

Surely he has rocketed into calculations for selection in the nine-man TdF team.

It's a luxury Silence-Lotto never thought they would've been in before the Giro and I'm sure they now must be tempted to take their most improved rider to the big race in July.

But how much of an ask is it for someone as inexperienced as Van Den Broeck to back-up and compete in the toughest race of them all six weeks after completing the biggest assignment of his life?

I wonder if Evans himself will have the final say on whether he gets a start?

After all as a Tour favourite, Evans has been outspoken at the lack of team depth and support he was given through the mountain stages before finishing runner-up at last year's Tour.

You may remember Chris Horner was the only rider Evans could rely on for support through the high country.

To say he was disappointed with team management for not re-signing the American is an understatement.

Thankfully for Evans the appointment of Ukraine mountain specialist Yaroslav Popoyvich at the beginning of 2008 was seen as a God-send.

Van Den Broeck would certainly add some extra steel to a rider and a team bent on success in France?

Seems to me some pretty hard decisions are to be made between now and the Tour start in Brittany on July 5.

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Comments (3)

30 May 2008 18:26 AEST

Daniel

From: Geelong

It's all about Cadel!

The biggest concern for the Silence-Lotto team is the lack of form of Robbie McKwen. His form in the Giro & year to date (1 win only) suggests that he won't be able to get that Tour stage win he has always delivered. Especially when you add Boonen, Stegmans into the mix. At no stage in the Giro did he look like threatening Bennati, Cavendish. I think that S-L has to take a team totally focused on Cadel, that includes Lloyd & Jurgen VDB. It's un Australian but, should R M miss out? Go Cadel!

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29 May 2008 19:04 AEST

PaulD

From: GoldCoast

"Silence TdF Team"

With Chris Horner and "Fast" Freddie Rodriguez gone from the line-up there are only two spots vacant from last years team. Yaroslav Popovych has been recruited to do what Horner could not do, deliver Cadel to the front and act as a WILD CARD for his own victories. This leaves one spot. The team is now firmly set on GC victory, therefore any new rider will have to be there for Cadel, not Robbie. Which means that both Lloyd and Jurgen VDB are in the running. Jurgen has the form thus far.

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29 May 2008 16:40 AEST

Ben

From: Melbourne

Van Den Broeck

If he recovers well you would have to give him the call up for the TdF. What are people's thoughts on the likely squad? Will Lloyd get a ride? Here is what I think (although I don't profess to know too much): 1. Evans 2. Popovych 3. Van Den Broeck 4. Brandt 5. Cioni 6. McEwen 7. Aerts 8. Van Summeren 9. Vansevenant maybe Van Huffel - depends how heavy they go with the climbers

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Stay in touch with the ProTour road cycling season with SBS's cycling blog, featuring race reports, video highlights and blog coverage of every race of 2008, as well as details of SBS's racing coverage

Mike Tomalaris is SBS's cycling presenter, who has covered the Tour de France for 12 years. Mike is a keen cyclist himself, and covers a few hundred kilometres a week in a social weekend bunch ride. For cycling fans around Australia, Mike Tomalaris is cycling.