Cadel Evans: fired up for Florence

On Saturday, Cycling Australia will name the nine riders who will compete in the elite men’s road race in Florence at the end of the month.

With so many talented riders, the final selection was always going to be difficult, but the intervention of fate has simplified the task somewhat.

Although, at the same time, it’s made planning a race strategy a little less straightforward.

A few weeks ago, I nominated my nine for the race: Richie Porte, Cadel Evans, Michael Rogers, Adam Hansen, Matt Hayman, Brett Lancaster, Cameron Meyer, Michael Matthews and Simon Gerrans.

A crash on stage three of the Vuelta has ruled Gerrans out and, as he was targeting a podium finish at the worlds, his absence robs Australia of its number one card.

Brett Lancaster wasn’t chosen.

So that means two riders who I didn’t choose are now in contention – Rohan Dennis and Simon Clarke.

Adelaide’s Rohan Dennis, who recently won the Tour of Alberta in Canada, looks set to end an amazing first season of World Tour racing with a spot on the team.

He can also ride the time trial, but with Richie Porte and Luke Durbridge also selected, Dennis looks a good bet as a super-domestique for a genuine world championship bid.

As does Simon Clarke, who has been named on the CA list, but I’m curious as to how he has qualified?

Several of you questioned why he wasn’t in my original nine. Well, I didn’t think he was eligible. But it seems he is.

The rules for selection are based on firstly a competing country’s UCI World Tour ranking and then the number of riders who have UCI World Tour points.

“The 10 first countries in UCI World Tour classification by nation on 15 August 2013: each country may enter 14 riders, with nine to start.”

Australia is ranked sixth on the World Tour and, according to the individual rider rankings for 2013, has 16 riders with World Tour Points.

Simon Clarke is not on that list.

Maybe the list is incorrect. Maybe his part in Orica Orica-GreenEDGE’s glorious team time trial, which is worth 20 World Tour points, did the trick, but presumably that goes to the team ranking.

Not that I’m saying Clarke doesn’t deserve a spot, I’m just confused as to how he’s been selected in the ‘long list’ announced recently by Cycling Australia.

Regardless, we’ll know on the weekend whether Clarke makes the final cut, but with Gerrans not there, it’s hard to imagine last year’s Vuelta King Of The Mountains not being picked.

But that still leaves the question of how to replace Gerrans, because Clarke can’t do that.

Given the hilly nature of the course, which includes more than 3000m of climbing, Clarke is capable of staying towards the front of the race but will he have enough left for the finale?

Richie Porte is in a similar position but may also have his eye on the time trial. Backing up shouldn’t be a problem but you never know.

Porte has been preparing for the worlds in the US at altitude and will also race in Canada this weekend at the GP Cycliste de Quebec and GP Cycliste de Montreal.

That leaves Cadel Evans, who is rested and seemingly full of confidence again after this week’s stage win at the Tour of Alberta.

Evans found himself in the day’s break and then won a five-rider sprint to win his first race this year.

Writing on his website, he wasn’t making too much of the win, but Cadel will be feeling pretty good about his riding after a deflating Tour de France.

“Overall, of course a win is always good but for me it’s a good sign that things are going in the right direction towards the end-of-season World Tour races.”

And there’s no reason Cadel can’t win a second rainbow jersey.

Clearly, he has the experience of a world road race, and the climbs won’t be too steep for him to stay with the contenders.

Cadel can sprint too.

And he’ll have such strong support around him, he should get something he rarely gets at BMC, proper protected rider status.

It’s been a mixed year for Cadel, with arguably more downs than ups, but the way Cadel’s career has gone, who would be surprised if he notched another historic victory.