Cadel Evans Announces Retirement

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No real surprises there. I think everyone knew his time was up - and riding the TDU and the race named after him is the perfect way to end his career.

I would like to wish him all the best for the future and thanks for the memories. I will always remember his heroic ride up the Galibier, which effectively won him the 2011 TdF.
 
Congrats to Cadel on a fantastic career. I agree with Vader, that ride up the Galibier really was something special. He really has helped bring a new bunch of cycling fans into the sport in Australia, which is great. He will go down as one of, if not the greatest Australian road cyclist.

Chapeau Cadel.
 

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Vader said:
No real surprises there. I think everyone knew his time was up - and riding the TDU and the race named after him is the perfect way to end his career.

I would like to wish him all the best for the future and thanks for the memories. I will always remember his heroic ride up the Galibier, which effectively won him the 2011 TdF.
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The one where he chased down schleck? Yup amazing.
 
Wallaby said:
TDF and a Worlds Champ. Not much doubt for No. 1..................................
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Phil Anderson will always hold a special place in this list. Simon Gerrans has every right to have a place in this conversation, he wins a lot, just different types of races to Cadel. I'd still say Cadel, but not by a massive margin.
 
Anderson deserves credit for being the first rider in many years to succeed in Europe. As such, he laid down the path that all of the subsequent riders have followed.

Gerrans has had a great deal of success as a puncheur, taking out two of cycling's "Monuments" and many other races into the bargain.

For me though, Cadel is head and shoulders above any other rider - winning the World Championships and Tour de France sets him well ahead of anyone else in my eyes.

I'd have Gerrans as #2, with the likes of Anderson & O'Grady fighting for 3rd.
 
I reckon McEwen deserves a mention amongst those names too.

Sad to see Cadel go, but the timing is right. The versatility necessary to win the wide range of events he has is pretty remarkable. Love Gerrans but disagree when people say he's a chance of knocking off Cadel as our greatest ever.
 
That day on the Galibier was amazing for two reasons - it won Cadel the Tour but it was also the last time Andy Schleck did anything notable.

Great career Cadel.

It's a bit hard to compare to Gerrans, because there's no way Gerrans will ever win a GT but you'd rate him better simply because of the achievements, and the consistency over the years he had. Some better luck and he'd have had a Giro and Vuelta added to his palmares. A World Champs isn't that bad of a consolation. :p
 
Unfortunately I missed that ride up the Galibier, but I did see the ride up Alpe de Huez the next night which was also very special. Remember he had those mechanicals on the first climb and couldn't follow Schleck and Contador. Then when he caught them at the foot of the final climb he controlled the remainder of the stage. The whole stage was ridden flat out too because it was only about 100km. Brilliant.

To me, Evans is our number one because of the magnitude of his achievements. However it's very difficult to rank cyclists. If we're only considering road achievements then Gerrans is second. The classics aren't really mainstream events yet, but if he was to pick up a few more major victories it could become a talking point amongst the rusted on fans as to who is number one.

It should also be remembered that O'Grady played an important role in some very good teams. Obviously that is hard to factor in but it adds another dimension to the argument.

Then there is Anderson, McEwen, Rogers and Opperman each for a variety of reasons.
 
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