Mcewen, expect him to go to High Road and be Cav's point man.

[thunder]

I reckon Mcewen will be at High Road in 2009, as Cav's leadout man.

Ciolek to Milram.

heard it here first folks.

 

[coneofsilence]

I reckon Mcewen will be at High Road in 2009, as Cav's leadout man.

Ciolek to Milram.

heard it here first folks.

So that will let Cadel get more support for the Tour....

 

[thunder]

So that will let Cadel get more support for the Tour....

they hold on to Popo, and perhaps buy someone like Maxime Monfort, they would have enough support.

2009

Popo
Cioni
Monfort
Vansummeren
Lloyd
Vandenbroeck
Hoste
Tjallingii

 

[Powerful Pete]

Let's see how McEwen does for the rest of the year. Having one bad spring and not winning in one GT is not the end of a rather competitive sprinter.

 

[confusedfan]

Let's see how McEwen does for the rest of the year. Having one bad spring and not winning in one GT is not the end of a rather competitive sprinter.

But McEwen does need a new contract for next year, and probably would like to sign something sooner rather than later (and at the moment, this year's results aren't exactly going to get him the type of contract he's had in the past perhaps) ... I read somewhere the other day that he wants to continue riding for at least 2 more years, maybe to finish off with the Worlds in Aus in 2010.

 

[confusedfan]

Article from sporza about McEwen leaving the Giro, google translation:

McEwen went home without victory
Sat 24/05/08 - Robbie McEwen is no longer Saturday at the start of the 14th stage in the Giro. The Australian quit the Tour of Italy without ritzege.
For the first time since the Tour de France of 2003 achieves the spurter no victory in a major round in which he participates.
McEwen with a wry sense to go home.
"I feel like in the Tour last year, after my fall in the journey to Canterbury. Rotslecht so."
"I'm along all sides geblutst and gebuild, which I completely distorted on my bike is," says McEwen in Het Nieuwsblad.
"I'm twice fallen and have pain in my left shoulder to my right shin"
"I have no lack of confidence, but my body just would not cooperate."
The Silence-Lotto rider can handle and ride the Tour of Switzerland.

(anyone who can fill in the non-translated words, please feel free to do so)

 

[whiteboytrash]

Article from sporza about McEwen leaving the Giro, google translation:
(anyone who can fill in the non-translated words, please feel free to do so)

Geez I'm glad you posted that. I mean that was such an informative translated interview !

 

[confusedfan]

Geez I'm glad you posted that. I mean that was such an informative translated interview !

well, it explained for me why he hasn't been doing so well, that he's injured because of his crashes ... but yeah, aren't most sporting interviews kind of silly actually? "yep, I had a good day and I won" "I gave it 110%" "nope, it wasn't a good day today".

and actually, I was hoping that someone could translate "geblutst" for me, because it doesn't sound particularly good ... I find Dutch/Flemish to be interesting for the sounds of some of their words, even if the sound conveyed isn't really the meaning of the word.

 

[jimmypop]

Geez I'm glad you posted that. I mean that was such an informative translated interview !

Stop being such a shitbrick.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Come on, if anything he is being geblutst.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Hey thunder... I think you're right about McEwen... getting old and past his prime. Do you think he has lost any motivation as well as the physical effects of age? I can't imagine him riding leadout for Cav. Not unless he really needs the money.

 

[Trev_S]

McEwen won't go to lead out duties. He will retire, maybe not at the end of this year, perhaps though at the end of next.
Maybe he would ride for the proposed Aussie protour team that has been talk off.

 

[thunder]

McEwen won't go to lead out duties. He will retire, maybe not at the end of this year, perhaps though at the end of next.
Maybe he would ride for the proposed Aussie protour team that has been talk off.

disagree, there is always the lure of being a mentor to the next star.

if he is honest with himself and cannot see himself winning GTsprints.

Zabel said about 4 years back, he would like to help Allan Davis.

This is like the Hollywood actor marrying the Hollywood actress. Star ****ing. Two egos come together. Good for both of them.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Hey thunder... I think you're right about McEwen... getting old and past his prime. Do you think he has lost any motivation as well as the physical effects of age? I can't imagine him riding leadout for Cav. Not unless he really needs the money.

I posted the above in the FID originally and thunder gave me this extensive reply by PM which he said I could paste in here.

Mcewen was never the fastest, but he was often described as the quickest. (not Oxford dictionary synonyms)

Like in aths where they talk of strength (endurace) and power (speed) Mcewen's quickness was euphenism for his explosiveness.

Mcewen could never hold his sprint much longer than 150 metres. See the best sprinters, they can stay in the wind about 200 metres, before they die.

Often Mcewen could only be in the wind for 100 metres before a guy like Freire could use his slipstream to slingshot.

But Mcewen won because he was the best at positioning, and because he was so explosive, he could come out of Boonen's wheel in the last 100 metres, and beat him. Freire does the same thing.

Now Mcewen has lost a little explosiveness, he has also lost some top line speed, plus he has lost some endurance, which helps to position himself in the last 5km.

So he has lost much of his armoury.

Mcewen is still the best bike handler in the peloton, but that will never win you a race. Albeit, it did win him that stage in Romandie, we are talking about GT stages, where he has to beat ten riders, not just Bennati in Romandie.

Mcewen said Fred Moncassin was the best bike handler he saw, but hands down, Mcewen is the best this decade. I just don't see him winning again.

Now Mcewen's real value for next year, say he was a 25yo rider with no palmares but 2008, would be around 100k Euro. He is on over 1 million Euro this year.

But, that is his riding value, his marketing value and name is worth a mint to a Belgian team where he is considered Belgian. BUT, there are only 2 Belgian teams. Lotto and QS. And Lotto probably will look to Evans and Van Avermaet, the new young buck.

So, what does he do, and where can he get a payoff of the marketing increment he can bring, with the name. Note Zabel is probably still earning close to one million Euro at Milram, and he is 2 years older. But he has the benefit of riding for a German/Italian team. So they need a national headliner to speahead their marketing. Zabel fits.

So, if Mcewen believes he cannot win much next year, and he gets a good offer from High Road, circa 500k Euro, I reckon he would move. It is good for these guys egos to be a mentor to the next breed.

I think Lotto would still be able to match the 500k tho, and prolly allow him to ride for himself. We will see.

 

[Crankyfeet]

This is like the Hollywood actor marrying the Hollywood actress. Stear ****ing.

Is this what Hollywood actors and actresses who get married do? How do they get it inside the house?....

 

[thunder]

Is this what Hollywood actors and actresses who get married do? How do they get it inside the house?....

perhapsyou shoud re:read

and check the timeline

 

[Crankyfeet]

perhapsyou shoud re:read

and check the timeline

It's much less interesting now...

 

[earth_dweller]

This is like the Hollywood actor marrying the Hollywood actress. Star ****ing. Two egos come together. Good for both of them.

such a romantic you.