Congratulations to Cadel Evans for winning the TdF

[n2doc]

Cadel Evans completes Tour triumph

Associated Press
PARIS -- Cadel Evans won the Tour de France on Sunday, becoming the first Australian to capture cycling's most prestigious title.

The 34-year-old Evans celebrated after crossing the finish line on the Champs-Elysees, embracing riders from different teams as the massive crowd on France's most famous thoroughfare cheered wildly.


Pascal Pavani/AFP/Getty Images
Cadel Evans, 34, is the oldest winner of the Tour de France since World War II, narrowly eclipsing Gino Bartali of Italy.

Later he bounded up the steps onto the podium, taking deep breaths, then appeared at the top looking calm and waved the bouquet he received in the air.

Wrapped in an Australian flag, Evans looked close to tears as the Australian national anthem was played. He was joined on the podium by the Schleck brothers of Luxembourg -- Andy, who finished second overall for the third straight year, and Frank, who was third.
http://espn.go.com/olympics/tdf2011/story/_/id/6797580/2011-tour-de-france-cadel-evans-becomes-first-australian-win

[Baclava]

1. First ever Aussie to win! Congrats!

What a gritty win. Awesome last two days in the Alps. A memorable race that started out as Le Tour de Crash. Lots of big names crashed out early.

Andy Schleck took over the yellow jersey climbing the Alpe d'Huez and took a 57 sec lead going into the individual time trials.

Cadel Evans won it all back from him the next day and headed to Paris wearing yellow. Voeckler cracked on the last mountain stage.
Contador never recovered from his early crashes.


1. EVANS Cadel 141 BMC RACING TEAM 86h 12' 22"
2. SCHLECK Andy 11 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 86h 13' 56" + 01' 34"
3. SCHLECK Frank 18 TEAM LEOPARD-TREK 86h 14' 52" + 02' 30"
4. VOECKLER Thomas 181 TEAM EUROPCAR 86h 15' 42" + 03' 20"
5. CONTADOR Alberto 1 SAXO BANK SUNGARD 86h 16' 19" + 03' 57"
6. SANCHEZ Samuel 21 EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI 86h 17' 17" + 04' 55"

[bvar22]

2. Booyah!

I was able to watch every stage on VS HDTV thanks to DVR.

While I was pulling for Andy & Frank Schleck. I HAVE to applaud Cadel Evans for his heroic rides in the mountains over the last couple of days.
IMO, he WON the Tour on Thursday with his above & beyond pursuit of Andy Schleck up the steep mountain slopes in The Alps.
THAT was one AMAZING feat of athleticism and determination....above & beyond,
and while he didn't catch Andy (who won the stage) on Thursday,
he was able to close the time gap so that he would have a chance in the final Time Trials.


To really appreciate what these athletes do over a 21 day period,
you would have to watch every day. AFAIC, it surpasses the Olympics by a hundred up the mountain Kilometers.
This is my 3rd year of watching, and I am only NOW beginning to understand the complexity of the Tour...the daily strategies, the overall team strategies, the multiple races within the race....
It is indecipherable at first.

And VS TV did an OUTSTANDING job with the telecast.
I was able to watch in HDTV this year, and the shots of the French countryside, the small towns, the ruined Mideval Castles, the Pyrenees, and the Alps was worth it even without the bicycle race.

This was a GREAT Tour, and still undecided until the final Time Trials.
GREAT ATHLETIC and Human DRAMA!
I can't recommend this enough.