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Enlarge textI'm looking through the starting list at this year’s Tour Down Under and can’t help but notice a glaring omission. Where is Cadel?
Cadel Evans with his legion of Aussie fans in Paris. (Getty)
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I'm looking through the starting list at this year’s Tour Down Under and can’t help but notice a glaring omission. Where is Cadel?
As
the world’s best and most recognized riders make a bee-line to
Adelaide, Cadel Evans chooses to by-pass Australia’s premier cycle race.
His non-appearance is nothing short of a major disappointment.
Cadel
may have valid reasons for not deciding to race in the first big
international event of the year, but if fit and healthy, he’s missed a
golden chance to reward many fans who have watched his every move
during his magnificent performances at the last two Tours de France.
Apart
from Simon Gerrans who has returned to Spain to fulfill commitments
with his new Cervelo Test team, every Aussie rider based in either
Europe or North America who is linked with a UCI pro-team, is in
Adelaide.
At a time when Cadel’s PR skills are under question,
all could have been forgiven had he simply made the short trip to South
Australia.
I understand the Tour Down Under is far too early in
the season for some whose focus is to conquer the bigger European races
later in the year.
But the same can be said for the likes of
Jens Voigt, Luis Leon Sanchez, Oscar Pereiro, George Hincapie, Gert
Stegmans and of course Lance Armstrong, just to name a few.
All
have programmes this year which take in the Spring Classics, and the
Grand Tours of Italy, France and Spain, yet all have made Adelaide
their first stop for the new season.
Not that Cadel will avoid Adelaide altogether as he has been invited to appear in the Legends Night as a guest of honour.
Sure,
more than 1500 people will attend the ticket-only dinner, but what
about the regular punters who cannot afford to rub shoulders with the
rich and famous and who stayed up until the small hours of the day last
July in a bid to urge their man on to a place on the podium in Paris?
These
same enthusiasts have also come to Adelaide to cheer on the sport’s
stars in what promises to be six days of exciting racing.
Many
of us don’t expect Cadel to win or perform at his peak at this time of
year. Yet, he could have used the Tour Down Under as an opportunity to
take in some valuable training, while at the same time acknowledge
those who have made him a household name in this country.
This
is not a character assassination of Australia’s finest cyclist, I
genuinely believe Cadel is one of cycling’s “Mr Nice Guys” but at a
time when the eyes of the world are on Adelaide, and when Australians
are leaning on the success of an international sporting hero, Cadel has
let us down this time.
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Comments (67)
Previous 10 |
26 Jul 2009 23:03 AEST
From: Vermont, Victoria
Take a look SBS
Tomalaris, your blog above is nothing short of a typical small poppy. Isn't it a shame that our Aussies have to leave this country to build their profile and then get attacked by short sighted idiots like yourself. By they way your bubling comments during the tour were unprofessional. If Sherwen and Liggett could at east try to hide their devotion to their Mother Country .over-commentated efforts of Cavendish and Wiggins. You didn't even show where the Aussies standings each night pathetic!!
24 Jul 2009 2:02 AEST
From: burwood
Jens' crash
I assume you (SBS commentators) went very quiet on Jens Voigt's horrific crash because it was caused by a catastrophic failure of his bicycle..? looked like it to me, correct me if i am wrong. if Specialised want the good publicity associated with sponsoring a TDF team then they can cop the bad publicity when their products fail in front of the cycling world, and you reporters should tell us what happened not just try to sweep it under the carpet. j
15 Jul 2009 18:19 AEST
From: epping
silence lotto
I think Cadel has buckleys of winning TDF while he is with silence lotto. Last year they weren't unified and this year they are worse. I know what happened a few days ago, when other riders refused to take the lead with Cadel in case it upset Lance's team, was pathetic, but try not to chuck little tanties all over the place. SBS you let me down for a few days. No SBS2 so missed several sleepless nights frozen to the tv watching all the little personalities and alliances. I love the TDF
05 Jul 2009 20:58 AEST
From: NSW
re: Cadel
Good luck for this year's TDF mate. There shouldn't be any medai pressure this year, because last nights Monaco telecast proves it will be another month of Phil Ligget drooling about Lance Armstrongs everymove. No other rider had the camera on them for the full 15.5km ride. Give us a break. Go Cadel.
27 Jan 2009 6:28 AEST
From: Canada
--
I appreciated the coverage of the Tour Down Under provided by SBS. It was my first time to the site and have added it to my "Favourites" tab given its unequalled web footage and excellent reporting. At a time when the temperatures approach -40 degrees Celcius, it's great to see the hot Australian climate and the incredible public support for road cycling! Excellent work, SBS!
25 Jan 2009 21:53 AEST
From: orange, nsw
--
cadel should have done the TDU. no excuses. as for the SBS coverage, it has been excellent. you others, get a life and cease your whining. you don't realize how lucky we have been to get such promotion for this event. i have loved the daily drama of the race and the professional coverage by SBS.
25 Jan 2009 21:40 AEST
From: Cranbourne, Vic
--
I am unsure of what all the drama is about. All Mike did was ask the question – Where is Cadel
25 Jan 2009 13:48 AEST
From: Sydney
--
Whilst I would have enjoyed seeing Cadel ride in the Tour Down Under, I think we have to understand what cyclist do is punishing to the human body. They must work there out of season preparatory program according to the priorities and life balance that are constants. We cannot be too harsh on Cadel as he will be preparing again for another European campaign and a further tilt at the Tour da France which he HAS GOT to WIN this year.
25 Jan 2009 9:00 AEST
From: Brisbane
--
Mike, Yes, he struggled with the huge in your face media presence at the TdF in 2008 but he handled it the best way he could; by riding his butt off to once again finish within a minute of winning the toughest bike race on the planet(apparently Piepoli, Ricco, Kohl and Schumacher were also under a little pressure to perform too...mmm how did they react to the pressure
25 Jan 2009 0:26 AEST
From: 2251 nsw
--
the lead up ads of SBS suggested that there would be a full coverage of the TDU . we all love the TdF coverage of SBS in the middle of the night and so why can't we have one of our australian tour right here? i wouldn't mind if it would be late at night either ... next year please!
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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
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