Evans victorious in men's road race

Eurosport - Mon, 28 Sep 09:05:00 2009

Cadel Evans became Australia's first world road race champion with a superb solo win in Mendrisio.

Australia's Cadel Evans celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Mendrisio REUTERS - 0

The 32-year-old attacked with four kilometres remaining, putting in a titanic effort on the final climb of the day to take the rainbow jersey ahead of Russian Alexandr Kolobnev and Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez who finished second and third respectively.

Home favourite and world time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara, who had seen numerous attacks pegged back, finished fifth just behind Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez.

Joint favourites Damiano Cunego and Alejandro Valverde finished eighth and ninth respectively.

A 10-man escape group composed of Andre Greipel (GER), Yukiya Arashiro (JAP), Matija Kvasina (CRO), Christoph Sokoll (AUT), Peter Kusztor (HUN), Jan Barta (CZE), Gorazd Stangelj (SLO), Mauricio Ardila (COL), Olegs Melehs (LAT) and Volodymyr Zagorodny (UKR) spent the first 140km of the race out in front before an attack from Italians Michele Scarponi and Giovani Visconti saw a large pursuing group of around 20 riders form.

Having missed out on the break the Australian team, led by Simon Gerrans and Evans, began to work to keep them within reach, while the Norwegian team also shared turns at the front of the pack.

As the pursuing group finally caught the leaders, an attack from Leonardo Duque exploded the race once more, with a new lead group of around 20 riders forming behind the Colombian.

An attack from Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland proved short-lived, as did another from Strangelj - a member of the initial breakaway - as the peloton continued to bring down the gap.

A huge push from the peloton up the Torrazza di Novazzano climb with 20km to go brought them to within just a few seconds, and Cancellara bridged the gap with a hair-raising descent before seeing an attack immediately after the foot of the climb foiled by Rodriguez and Stangelj.

Cunego, Valverde and the rest then made back the ground on Cancellara before the Italian squad formed at the front of pack to lead the peloton across the start-finish line to take the bell as they went into the final lap.

Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov set pulses racing with a typically audacious attack 11km from home, though he was caught by Kolobnev and Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland on the hill of the Castel San Pietro.

Seeing the dangerous Russian disappear up the road, Cancellara launched another huge dig on the climb; he was unable to escape the attentions of Belgian Philippe Gilbert despite a savage effort in the big front chainring on a 10 per cent gradient.

Once again he used his descending skills to gain a few seconds on his rivals, though Sanchez clung bravely onto his wheel before being joined by Rodriguez, Evans and Kolobnev.

It was from this group that these last three riders moved clear before Evans went for broke with an attack near the foot of the Torrazza di Novazzano four kilometres from home.

Kolobnev and Rodriguez tried to respond, but could do no more than keep the Australian in their sights for a short time before their previous attacks began to take their toll and they too began to slip back. All eyes then turned to Cancellara, Valverde and Cunego, though none of these looked capable of a big enough effort to reel the Australian back in.

Evans drove himself up the climb with a look of a man possessed, and by the time he reached the top with a 13-second advantage on the pursuing duo the outcome was clear.

He drove himself on into the final kilometre alone, and crossed the line with an understated celebration; however his body language was that of a man who knew he had taken the biggest win of his career.

Kolobnev, who finished second behind Paolo Bettini in Stuttgart two years ago, claimed his second silver medal, while Rodriguez rounded off the podium.

Eurosport

Comment 47 - 66 of 66

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  1. Cadel is most certainly not an average rider, he is a­ very good/consistent performer. It's not just that­ he hasn't won the Tour, there are Tour winners, who­ I wouldn't consider 'great' riders, such as­ Perriero, Riis etc.

    From pedro118118, on Wed 30 Sep 9:28AM

  2. What!! Tamerair!!? Having been on the podium for two­ grand tours without much team support is far from being­ an average rider, not to mention winning the gruelling­ World Championship!! Average riders are those whose­ names are rarely or never mentioned by commentators. ­ Average riders are those whose faces we dont recognise.­ Give the man credit for sheer determination and a­ great World Championship win. You dont have to call him­ great if you wish, but he certainly is not average!!

    From EeLyal, on Wed 30 Sep 3:07AM
  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Cadel Evans is not a great cyclist, he is an average­ rider.

    From Tamerair, on Wed 30 Sep 12:46AM

  4. Just to say - yes what a Great Ride from a real­ competitor - He deserves this win.

    BUT

    HE DOES NOT­ DESERVE THE SLIGHT OF EUROSPORT WHO DECIDED NOT TO SHOW­ HIS ACCLAMATION BECAUSE OF a fourth league ball­ game.

    SHAME ON EUROSPORT - SORRY TO SAY ITS NO MORE­ THAN WE HAVE EXPECTED OVER THE YEARS - SOMEONE AT THE­ SHARP END HAS GOT THEIR PRIORITIES WRONG.

    Perhaps its­ just as well that cycling will probably go to Sky­ Sports when they establish their new team - or is that­ not such a good thing?

    Fred F.

    From Fred, on Tue 29 Sep 8:42PM

  5. Delighted for Evans! No longer the 'nearly­ man'. Fantastic result! Delighted for him. It will­ great to see him wearing the Rainbow Jersey next year.

    From seanghehir, on Tue 29 Sep 4:21PM

  6. Spot on jamesdalby360 Cadel is a true athlete - you can­ usually tell the clean athletes who break through - see­ Nicole Cooke and Samuel Sanchez at the Olympics and­ Cadel on sunday and in his first yellow jersey last­ year - a reactio like that does not come from someone­ who has something to hide. He may not have a beatiful­ style to watch, but I bet he attacks more than any of­ the fat bunch dwellers who usually criticise him online­ do!

    From latkinschick, on Tue 29 Sep 10:15AM

  7. @si1268, you've taken leave of your senses. If you­ looked at my other posts, you would have read that I­ was impressed with Evans's win and - he rode a very­ smart race. As a pro-cyclist, you're right,­ I'm not fit to ratchet his (ugly custom) shoes up. ­ Then again, I'm not a pro cyclist, I'm a fan of­ bike racing. As a non-competitive cyclist, I don't­ really worry about my palmares........in the same way I­ don't really worry about how many tennis Slams­ I've won or Premiership football titles I have on­ my trophy cabinet! Get some perspective. Dave­ Brailsford and Bob Stapleton both have pretty limited­ palmares - does that mean their opinions on cycling are­ worthless?

    From pedro118118, on Tue 29 Sep 8:54AM

  8. Is that right Pedro. So 99.9% of pro cyclists are­ failures in your book then. Anyway who are you to­ comment on the qualities of these riders. Lets see­ your palmares. You're not fit to ratchet his shoes­ up.

    From si1268, on Mon 28 Sep 6:10PM

  9. Finally Cadel Evans win something in his career.
    I am­ happy for him.

    From Ruslan, on Mon 28 Sep 5:52PM

  10. I feel a bit guilty now for not liking Evans. The only­ reason is the hissy fits I suppose, what a child.­ Anyway, he rode as tactically perfect a race as you­ will ever see. Well done (did I say that?).

    From terrytrudgian, on Mon 28 Sep 5:35PM

  11. Can't say I'm a big fan of Cadel's, his­ riding is normally uninspiring and I don't think­ his personality is always a good thing for cycling -­ his painfully embarrassing media outbursts reminiscent­ of David Brent rather than a serious GC contender. ­ However, you only had to look at his face last summer­ when he was briefly in Yellow, & again yesterday­ accepting his rainbow medal, to see just how much this­ sport means to him, and as a fellow lover of cycling­ that's something I like to see. I agree with­ comments below, hopefully Cadel will now move to a­ strong team that will build around him properly &­ he will be in with a really strong chance next time. ­ The more riders we have mixing it at the very pinnacle­ of cycling, the better our sport will become.

    From jamesdalby360, on Mon 28 Sep 4:33PM

  12. Excellent win by Cadel Evans. Good to see honest hard­ working professional prevail. This guy deseres a bit of­ luck & hopefully the rainbow jersey will inspire­ him next season. He def needs a change of team he does­ nt owe lotto anything. Offers should be flooding in­ now!! Chapeau Cadel!!!!!!!!!!

    From treky, on Mon 28 Sep 2:29PM

  13. @si1268, what I would say is professional elite cycling­ is about a) winning, b) winning with panache and c)­ winning fair. Historically, Evans has struggled with­ a), never mind b)! He is a good athlete and seems like­ a decent enough bloke (despite the eccentricities), but­ this result will define how people remember him as a­ bike rider, not his consistancy in stage races. ­ Placings are all well and good, but who remembers guys­ who come 2nd and and 4th once they retire?

    From pedro118118, on Mon 28 Sep 1:37PM

  14. It seems that some people have found some long awaited­ respect for this superb athlete. As if two 2nds and a­ 4th in the TdF aren't good enough.

    From si1268, on Mon 28 Sep 12:59PM

  15. I don't understand why we saw the Podiums for the­ U23 TT winners - women and men, Podiums for the Elite­ men & womens TT, the Womens Road Race podium and­ yet NOT THE MENS ROAD RACE PODIUM - the biggest event­ of the week! I was right behind David Harmin. Too right­ @#$% to them all! My sentiments exactly. Really, really­ pissed me off. BIG THUMBS DOWN to Eurosport!

    From Liz S, on Mon 28 Sep 12:08PM

  16. Well Cadel at last, the reason he didn't do it­ before is he was held back by lotto shouting­ instructions in his ear that were usless, with gerants­ he tore the spanish+Italians apart. I hope he has a­ great year and THAT CURSE STAYS AWAY.

    From Walter F, on Mon 28 Sep 11:19AM

  17. As an Englishman it pains me when an Aussie wins a­ raffle but i'm so pleased Evans has won. After the­ Team Time Trial @#$% in Le Tour & the puncture in­ The Vuelta he really deserves it.

    From barrie.simm, on Mon 28 Sep 10:56AM

  18. Good for Evans - hopefully he can take some confidence­ from this and ride the last few years of his career in­ the right way. As a Brit, I was a bit worried by the­ woeful showing of Team GB. Appreciate Millar is hardly­ the best team leader on a course like that, but so many­ DNFs, including millar who pulled the pin very early?! ­ I suppose what it does show is that, Cav's­ sprinting aside, we (GB) are some (considerable) way­ off the pace - hopefully the next generation will­ benefit from road-focussed U23 programmes, based in­ Italy and progress the the level of the other major­ forces on the road. The good news for TeamSky is that­ at least their foreign riders looked pretty good -­ Gerrans, Lovqvist, Boassan Hagon etc!!!

    From pedro118118, on Mon 28 Sep 10:47AM

  19. Is it SKY or Manchester Utd? And i think they might be­ looking at someone else.

    From steven.hughes123, on Mon 28 Sep 10:31AM

  20. I agree with post 34, maybe it's time Cadel found a­ better team with better support for him, SKY?

    From Big Man, on Mon 28 Sep 10:23AM
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