Cadel Evans is going to win the Tour de France in 2011. Hahahaha! I’m going to say that again, just because I can. Cadel Evans is going to win the Tour de France in 2011. What a nice sentence to read and write!
The time trial last night was expected to be a shootout between the world’s best time triallist, Fabian Cancellara, and the next big thing, Tony Martin. Behind these two big hitters doing their thing, the question everyone was interested in was if Cadel could take 57″³ out of Andy Schleck.
Fabian opened the day’s proceedings with a great ride, setting a typically high standard performance despite the course not being ideally suited to his big frame.
Young Australian talent Richie Porte took a few seconds out of Fabs, and I took that tone a good sign of things to come, that an Aussie could beat a Leopard. A few other blokes took time out of Fabs, and it looked like the Leopards had perhaps left their best work in the Alps.
Tony Martin eventually laid down an incredibly quick time, even quicker than that which he set to win the TT at the Criterium du Dauphine last month on the same course. And then it came down to the big hitters.
Contador was most impressive, again beating Fabian in a TT at the end of a Grand Tour. Cadel then rolled out, looking smooth and powerful. The vision of Andy Schleck prior to him starting didn’t look promising — it appeared touch-and-go as to if he would throw up or not.
As soon as time comparisons came up on screen it became apparent that Cadel was on a good one — he had taken more than half of his deficit away from Andy before the official first time check. It was then a procession, with the Australian coming to within 7s of Tony Martin in a truly brilliant ride.
All talk of Cadel’s inability to overhaul Sastre in the TT at the end of the Tour in ’08 was relegated to empty air, as he caught Andy, and then sailed away from him.
I’ll sign off with my favorite sentence. Cadel Evans is going to win the Tour de France in 2011