Photography by Tim Bardsley-Smith

Australian Road Nationals: A fitting end if Cadel Evans wins?

by Wade Wallace

There’s been a lot of talk of the favourites going into the elite men’s road race at this week’s Australian Road National Championships. With Simon Gerrans recovering from a broken collarbone and no longer a contender, things open up considerably. Could this be the year for Richie Porte? Could Mick Rogers take victory? Or could Cadel Evans take victory in his third-to-last race as a professional?

Orica-GreenEdge has won the national champion’s jersey all three years of the team’s existence, and I’ve taken great pleasure seeing that jersey worn in the pro peloton in the biggest races in the world. Seeing Simon Gerrans win Milan-San Remo and Liege-Bastogne-Liege in that jersey made those victories extra special for me.

Cadel Evans has arguably been the most influential Australian cyclist of all time, his world title in 2009 and Tour de France win in 2011 further demonstrating the strength of Australian cycling. But he’s never won a national road title.

Cadel is one of the hot favourites to win in Buninyong on Sunday. After his impressive second place to Simon Gerrans last year on the same circuit (not to mention his Tour Down Under exploits) it’s clear Cadel knows how to bring himself up to form early in the season. This is the deepest and most competitive field we’ve ever seen (see startlist here), and that favours his chances even more.

So what if Cadel were to win the green and gold? Would winning the jersey be a fairytale end to his remarkable career? Would the jersey come out for two races then be thrown into the dresser? If so, would that be good for Australian cycling; to not have the green and gold bands on show for most of a year? We saw a similar thing when Peter McDonald won the nationals in 2009. His win was thrilling to see, but the jersey was not seen on the world stage nor did he have the desire to progress his career.

As much as I love seeing the underdog win, I believe that if a low profile rider were to take the jersey from a small team it would be a shame to see it fade into obscurity for a year. However, if Cadel were to take the honours this Sunday, to me it would be a fitting and symbolic ending to the career of a rider who’s done such a service to Australian cycling, even if the jersey wasn’t seen for most of the season.

Remember how Cadel wore those rainbow stripes in 2010? He raced his guts out from the Tour Down Under until the World Championships came around again and did that jersey proud. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cadel lace up the shoes for another 12 months to simply honour the jersey were he to win on Sunday. He’d certainly do it proud at the Tour Down Under and his Great Ocean Road Race at the very least.

For all his quirks, Cadel Evans has great respect for the sport and has never shirked his responsibilities as an athlete, even if they are only self-imposed.

So what’s best for the jersey? Leave your thoughts below. Whichever way the race goes I’m looking forward to being on the roadside in Buninyong this Sunday to find out who’ll be wearing the green and gold afterwards. It’ll be a race to remember.

Tags: 2015 Australian Road Nationals, Cadel Evans

Tim Rowe

It would be a shame to end a career with all those other jerseys, but to have not won the Australian Champion jersey on the road. (He’s got one in XCO).
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  I thought so but wasn’t certain about that. Do you have a photo of the jersey he wore that season? Or did the sponsors make up one special for him? (I assume Cannondale?)
  - Richard14009
    
    Is this the top he wore?
- Dave
  
  It could be quite fitting actually, in the same sort of fashion (but nowhere near the same league) as Bradman falling four runs short of having a century average.
jules

good points Wade. i’ve given this some thought over the past couple of days. i think the result hinges on whether Cadel has made up his mind to retire early in the season as promised, or whether he has left the door open for himself to carry on, should he win the jersey. if the answer is No - he is determined to retire, my suspicion is that he won’t have done the preparation to win it.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  I hear he’s been training the house down around the Great Ocean Road. My guess is that he’s made up his mind.
  - jules
    
    he’s one tough bastard to build himself up to peak condition for only a couple of races. personally i love the idea of him riding another season and pulling out a big one somewhere (maybe unlikely on both counts)
    - Crikey Cadel
      
      I’d love him to hold the retirement and crack a classic in April as our national champ, but without a team contract…hmmmm. And, I can’t afford a trip to Belgium. I’ll drink too much.
      - Dave
        
        Would be nice, but the NRS is as good as it gets for entering a race as an individual.
        
        A limited contract with BMC Racing would be possible.
  - Todd!
    
    He’ll ride on if he wins the jersey.
MJ

I hope the best rider wins and really don;t care if the jersey is seen or not. I can’t comprehend how anybody could say it would be a shame for Cadel to win, just because the jersey won’t be worn during the season. That would just be the way the cookie crumbles. It would be very fitting if Cadel wins, i don;t think he will, but lets all just hope the best rider on the day does. Even if this is a local kid who manages to pick the early break!
As for Caddel riding another 12 months if he wins………no chance!
- Gordon
  
  Plenty of comments I agree with but this one sums it up best from my perspective, although I reckon he probably will win. He will be marked but gee whizz that has never happened before.
  As for cookie crumbling, Gerrans could have crashed after last years win and broken his collarbone much worse and the jersey wouldn’t be on the roads on Europe for some time, a pity yeap, but the cookie can crumble in many ways.
  Go Cadel……..and everyone else in the race for that matter.
  - RZR
    
    I think MJ and Gordon as very insightful people.
    - Roger
      
      Come now, are you complementing your own comments ;)
      - Gordon
        
        I’m confused, not to mention half cut. Certainly not me complementing myself via the comments section, I don’t need to as I know I’m brilliant…..in my own very special way.
Cam

I hope he goes out on top as Australian Champion and winner of the TDU, he has done so much for Australian cycling it would be a fitting end to his amazing career.
Neil_Robinson

This very question came to me this morning in the bunch. What if Cadel wins?

Like you, seeing the jersey get about in Europe, and especially seeing gerro win in it, means a lot to me.

I dont have any qualms about Cadel winning it this Sunday. I think having Cadel win the jersey is both great for Cadel (as if he needs to prove how great a cyclist he is), but it’s also great for the jersey.

think about a few years time, when the memory of a season sans the jersey in Europe has started to fade, Cadel’s name will still be on the honour roll, and lend weight to the bands for ever to come.

In 2020, when a rider we’re yet to know about pulls on those green and gold stripes, he’ll have even more pride due to being a member of a club that includes Cadel (and many other greats).

Even if he doesn’t win, like last year, his presence makes the jersey worth more. Watching Gerro v Ritchey v Cadel in the last lap was electric in 2014… I’m excited for 2015.
- Crikey Cadel
  
  Indeed!
Simon

I’d like to see Richie Porte win the jersey but it might clash with Sky’s “blue”. Colours aside, let the best man win. I’m not sentimental for a CE win just wanting a hard, fair and safe race. The predicted heavy rain could cause an upset.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Richie is 7kg lighter than what he was at this time last year. He’s a definite contender assuming he’s been training like last year (which he must be to be so light)
  - Andy B
    
    Where does Richie lose 7kg from! amazing
    He will be tough to beat if that’s the case
    - Andy B
      
      And his result in the TT shows! :)
  - A grizzly bear
    
    christ, where’d he lose that from? he might literally fly up a mountain
  - http://whatspossible.com.au/ Scott Barrow
    
    If the weight loss is true then it’s bizarre. That an established pro would need to make that much of a change. So which one is it? Too heavy last few years, or or desperately guessing this year?
    - ROger
      
      Maybe he’s peaking earlier?
- Dave
  
  Do not want to see the national jersey in a pom team.
  
  Even having it won by a Continental-level rider would be better.
  - Tricky Dicky
    
    For that comment alone, I hope Porte wins. With Earle second. And Sutton third. Or Von Hoff (yes, another pommie team). Who gives a flying f###, honestly. Let the best man win. Same for the women tomorrow.
    - Dave
      
      I knew I’d be able to get someone to take the bait :D
  - Sean
    
    Totally agree Dave.
Crikey Cadel

Crikey, I’d love him to win, but he cannot postpone his retirement. I cannot afford another trip to Europe for a Grand Tour to do more ‘croc rocking’ for the man…https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crikey-Cadel/192879877438486
bassorouleur

Is it being shown on telly?
- Neil_Robinson
  
  Yes, GEM is showing the mens race from 2-4pm
  - craig
    
    so it must be highlights as it starts at 10.30 EST, Real pity I guess this is progress ??
    - jules
      
      calm down, wheel of fortune is on at 4
    - Dave
      
      Last time I watched it on SBS it only came on for the last few laps.
      
      They would have been better off showing a condensed highlights package and the last three laps in full.
    - Liam O’Dea
      
      The race should be finishing some time around 3-3:30 so it’ll be live. Same thing’s happened before with SBS missing the first part of the race.
Dan!

The beauty of the race is that it’s so early in the season that it’s hard to tell what form every one is in. Going from the TT obviously Porte is flying, Ewan killing it in the crits but who knows if he can hold on. Von Hoff will be dangerous if it comes to a reduced bunch sprint. But aside from the TT and the crits, not a lot to go on except for rumors of Evans flogging it in training and such.

If Evans wins, I reckon he’ll sign a limited contract to tackle a limited season of classics and week long races. Maybe go Liege, Tour of Poland (just after the Tour so some of the big guns are out), Worlds, Lombardia. Can’t see him going a grand tour, even as a domestique.
Rowena

Porte to win!
MBB

A lot of egg counting - so many possibilities: Rogers, Porte, Bobridge, Durbridge, Von Hoff, Evans, Meyer (C), Dennis, Hansen, Haussler, Clarke, Ewen, Johnson. Pretty hard to make any assumptions with such a class field. Australian Cycling is in good shape.
Robert Merkel

For what it’s worth, I think it would be great for Aussie cycling and the championships for Cadel to win, because it’ll guarantee a bunch of publicity that no other rider could.

It’ll help to build interest for the TDU and GORR as well.

Personally, though, I wouldn’t mind another smokey getting up, for whom the Aussie jersey will probably be an absolute career highlight.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Good point Robert.
MattF

Should a low profile rider from a small team win the national jersey, given the calibre of the assembled field shouldn’t we simply applaud their performance? Maybe they will develop into the next Cadel Evans. Wouldn’t that be fitting.
http://cyclingu19.blogspot.com Tom

If he prepares dcent shape enough to fight for a win in both Road Race and Tour Down Under then he surely deserves the jersey even it won’t be visible from February.
gari38

Small correction - Peter McDonald did show the jersey on the world stage - here he is on his way to winning the 2009 Armidale Autumn Festival Criterium (well it’s the world stage for me :J)

Hoping Cadel wins on sunday and continues the tradition Pete started i.e. that former residents who win the nationals come back and race the Autumn Festival.

March 15 if you’re reading this Cadel…