Success and downfall – Age or illness?

When Evans joined BMC in 2010 it was as the superstar of the team, and his goal was set from the very beginning; namely winning the Tour de France.

And so he did. In 2011. The year where BMC also managed to attain ProTeam status.

In 2012 he was to repeat the feat, but as most know, he had a somewhat disastrous Tour, and eventually ended in the seventh place. With an overall result that was worse than lieutenant Van Garderen’s (who finished fifth) Evans failed to meet his own expectations, the team’s, but also that of the fans’.

“I think next year, we'll go one more time for me and then we'll pass over the baton to Tejay," Evans told Cyclingnews after the French Grand Tour.

Was it age or illness that caused the result? Difficult to say, but Evans and BMC, cited the ladder.

In 2013 it initially looked like Evans could turn his luck around, and it was his surprise enrollment at the Giro d’Italia that was to start the season off.

"BMC suggested doing it. My 2012 season ended with the disappointment of seventh in the Tour de France. The idea was to add an important race like the Giro to my programme. I thought about it and said yes. Getting some extra race days in my legs won't do me an harm at all," Evans stated to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Evans did surprisingly well; especially considering that the whole point of the Giro was to be able to compete in the best possible way at the Tour. An eventual podium spot behind a superb Nibali, and just one minute after Uran, was not bad at all.

But the tale did not end well for Cadel, and it is difficult to even remember him also participating in the Tour de France.

“I don’t expect any miracles, and really, I’ve come into this third week exhausted. At this point, I just hope I can finish and get to Paris,” he told Velonews before the penultimate French mountain stage.

The former winner of the Tour would end the 2013 Tour with an extremely disappointing thirty-ninth overall. Hardly a result you would expect from a man with Evans’ palmerès.

Age or illness? Who knows.

“The king has fallen long live the king,” they say in the countries that still bow to the British monarchy. To be honest it does not make a lot of sense, but fair enough. Traditions and all.

Nonetheless, the wording might just make sense to Evans.

It is true that he has lost the blue-blooded stamp of the Tour, and that he can no longer compete amongst the French royalty (Froome, Quintana & Nibali), but there are still thrones left to be conquered.

The Giro d’Italia for example, where there is currently a succession crisis, as former king Nibali has chosen to reach after the French crown.

Evans to take the Giro throne

Age or illness? Hopefully the ladder; because would it not be nice to see Evans dish out some damage to the Giro contestants?

"In terms of the route itself, on paper the Tour easier but of course, the level is very high so it's a different style of racing," Evans told Cycling Weekly recently. "The Giro requires that you are good not only on long climbs, but on very steep climbs, being good at positioning on more technical and smaller roads, whether that's the strade bianche or smaller roads, or in adverse climatic conditions."

The most important thing is that Evans believe in the venture himself, but he is also backed by BMC, who still trust their champion and throne contender.

"Cadel believes in himself. Even now at 36. I know the way he rode in the Giro, with less than perfect preparation, and how he raced at the end of the season. He still has a lot of energy in the tank and I firmly believe that he can go to the Giro and win it," BMC performance manager Allan Peiper told Cyclingnews.

"The way he rides a bike race, the way he can prepare and live for it, I think the Giro is definitely an obtainable goal for Cadel Evans in 2014."

Cadel to rise once again, taking the Italian throne? Hrm, if he accomplishes it, it must also have been an interesting Giro, so why not.

Peiper certainly does not seem to think that Evans is too old yet, and was there not this other old dude who recently won the Vuelta…?

"Let's not even talk about age because he's already beaten that issue already and he’s done that consistently over the last five years. Whether it's his last year or not you can be sure that when the Giro comes around he's going to be on fire. I believe that 100 per cent," Paper reiterated.

"The race route is slightly more balanced. I don't know if it's more humane because if they put in less mountain stages, we just ride faster and go flat out. It doesn't get any easier. It suits a rider who is consistent but that's case for most Grand Tours. There are a lot of stages for the climbers but there's also the 47km time trial, where a pure climber will struggle not to lose time," Peiper finished.

Cadel Evans to be Giro king?