The real mountains have hit in this year’s Giro D’Italia. The attacks are flowing and riders are cracking and the words no Australian wants to say are unfortunately being said. Cadel Evans is cracking.
After a glorious first week for the 37-year-old Aussie, it has turned from bad to worse as time gaps really start to open up to key contenders in the Giro.
Evans still holds second place, but with so many days in the mountains Evans will have to come out on the other side of the rest day a lot better than the way he goes into it. Otherwise, he will drop a long way down the General Classification.
The first major day in the mountains, Stage 14 was a true test for Cadel. He lost time to Domenico Pozzovivo and Nairo Quintana while putting a measly five seconds back into Rigoberto Uran.
But five seconds is five seconds, right?
After this stage a lot of people were arguing Evans rode a smart race and tried to limit energy wasted, however it was clear to see he was not riding how he normally likes to ride.
No matter what the terrain, he likes to ride up the front of the group to either stay out of trouble on the flat and descents, or be right in position to follow attacks going up into the high mountains.
The way Evans rode Stage 14 was not like that. He was caught near the back of an ever-thinning leaders’ group when the attack went, and predictably couldn’t follow it because he was too far back in the group.
One could argue that he was just trying to stay with Uran, but that isn’t the way Evans should be riding. There is still the potential to lose a lot of time in this Giro, so following one rider and not worrying about the rest of the GC contenders is probably not the best way to go about winning.
If Evans’ tactic was to stick like glue to Uran even that didn’t work as he lost 30 seconds to his competitor. Even with teammates around him in the closing kilometres he could neither close the gap nor follow uran’s attack, and a number of other GC riders went with Uran.
Evans tried his own attack when the group was together but was hunted down and then spat out the back, losing precious seconds on other GC contenders.
The way Evans has been riding in the last two stages, he should not even be on the podium come Sunday night in Trieste. It is going to be very interesting to see if he can come out on the other side of the rest day and really put the GC riders to the sword, or at the very least not lose any time to anyone.
Otherwise the third week is going to be a very very long one for Cadel Evans, and as an Aussie I certainly don’t want to see that.
Australia's Jai Hindley has said he is "lost for words" after a shock stage victory at the Tour de France earned him the leader's…
Australia's Jai Hindley has said he is "lost for words" after a shock stage victory at the Tour de France earned him the leader's…
Tadej Pogacar has won a drama-packed Tour of Flanders, winning in a breakaway with Matieu van der Poel second, Mads Pedersen third and Wout…
Women are not allowed to compete in the Tour de France. However you choose to re-read that sentence, the fact remains: the most famous…
The jam-packed month-by-month quiz full of 2022 sports trivia!
Australian Grace Brown has won silver in the women's time trial, the first event at the world road cycling championships.
