It's official.

Bro Deal

Evans will never win the TdF. He is staying with Silence-Lotto.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

You could tell by his talk IMO that he felt comfortable at S-L. He has never seemed that perturbed about not getting much support. Obviously... if it were an issue... he would probably be looking elsewhere... but is he capable of getting Euro 2.3 million from another team? He's not exactly a Cipo, Boonen or Valverde on the charisma scale.

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Runitout

I don't think Evans is tactically comfortable with being the capo.

While the barbs about "wheelsucking" I think are unjustified, this decision shows that he feels that he is too tactically timid to win the Tour. Silence-Lotto will never have the ammunition to control the race. Coucke has virtually admitted that.

He's an exceptional rider, but with the team he has (and subject to seeing next year's route) I think he should target the Giro as priority number 1. He won't, of course.

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And saying so to some
Means nothing; others it leaves
Nothing to be said.

LewisBricktop

maybe Silence provides health insurance for his dog

Drongo

You would think, given his love of little lions, that he would do what he could to get another one. Apparently not.

Runitout is right: it shows tactical timidity. I think he is comfortable, so he won't change. Just as he hasn't shed his old Mapei connections, he won't risk branching out from Belgium. Evans fans can comfort themselves that this year was his best shot and he didn't have enough: I don't think this decision will cost him a win, because I don't think he can win after this year anyway.

whiteboytrash

Isn't it more to the point that nobody else wanted him ? Rather than he chose to stay ?

jonjungel

I don't think this year was his best shot because the first time-trial was so short. If next year includes over 100kms of TT, like it usually is, he will have a better chance.

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LewisBricktop

even with JB's astana boys back? 2 second place finishes has to take the drive out of you. ullrich?

MintID

He didn't do to good in either time trial this year.

Drongo

He wasn't too bad in the first one. Presumably, the tendinitis didn't help in the second.
More worrying would be the vast improvement in, say, Contador's TT abilities (viz. the Olympics). Kohl had great form on the TT bike as well.

Powerful Pete

I think he made the correct decision. Why risk with a new team if someone is willing to pay you over 2 million Euro and seem to be more than happy that you are podium potential...

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confusedfan

And maybe he knew what this German source seems to think is a done deal - that Kohl is going to Lotto next year.

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