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NormThe REAL Cadel Evans - Tour de France
July 14th 2008 07:19
Exceptionnel!! Sunday's 9th stage led the weary riders through the mountainous French Pyrenees, with Cadel Evans recovering from an early tumble to finish in a solid postion moving into today's 10th stage. Evans hit the turf so hard that his helmet cracked, leaving the roving doctor to rather skillfully administer antiseptic to his battered leg whilst driving alongside Evans in a vehicle. Merde!!
SportingMind enjoys the Tour de France purely for the chance to learn a few French words whilst admiring the French countryside. Words such as peloton, contre la montre, le maillot a pois, etc. Using these in conversation allow me to combine learning with viewing sport, a combination not seen since i learned all about criminal law from Australian footballers - be it sex offences or drug possession charges.
I must say however, that a visit to cadel.com is a rare treat. His video message was a touching salute to his fans "G'day everydone, thank you very much for all your support and messages, i really appreciate it", albeit very short and sweet. It is also touching that on his website there is a "Free Tibet" t-shirt sponsor advertisement, with 20% of the proceeds going to Tibetan students. Looking further into this sponsor's link, one can also purchase socks that are emblazoned with the words "bitch", "flirt" and "sassy". An opportunity not to be passed on.
But who is Cadel Evans? Other than a ginger, grizzled version of Craig Lowndes with a softly spoken voice; Evans is actually a South Sydney League supporter, an ex-mountain biker, married to a classical pianist and has broken his collar-bone over 7 times, according to the Tour commentators. Outspoken against drug cheats and unafraid to speak in the 3rd person, Cadel is a "Territory tough" NT-born cyclist, who donated his $50,000 Herald Sports Performer of the Year prize to Charity late last year.
I want to like him. He's a tough Australian cyclist who is generous towards charities and seems to be morally upstanding. But do i need my sporting identities to be loud, obnoxious, brutish and belligerent for me to recognise them? Do i need them to splashed across the papers, a la Willie Mason, therefore constructing my opinion of said sportman for me? Is there a place in Australian sport for the family man, a stoic performer who is battling away at possibly the most physical and mentally challenging sporting competition that exists? Or does mere performance not lend itself to media attention, instead leaving such athletes to create their own websites, in which they personally address fans first-hand in a very amateurish fashion.
Vive Cadel Evans. I genuinely hope you win this year's Tour de France. And i can continue to pretend i understand the French language, when in reality i am merely typing words into an online translator.
-SportingMind
SportingMind enjoys the Tour de France purely for the chance to learn a few French words whilst admiring the French countryside. Words such as peloton, contre la montre, le maillot a pois, etc. Using these in conversation allow me to combine learning with viewing sport, a combination not seen since i learned all about criminal law from Australian footballers - be it sex offences or drug possession charges.
I must say however, that a visit to cadel.com is a rare treat. His video message was a touching salute to his fans "G'day everydone, thank you very much for all your support and messages, i really appreciate it", albeit very short and sweet. It is also touching that on his website there is a "Free Tibet" t-shirt sponsor advertisement, with 20% of the proceeds going to Tibetan students. Looking further into this sponsor's link, one can also purchase socks that are emblazoned with the words "bitch", "flirt" and "sassy". An opportunity not to be passed on.
But who is Cadel Evans? Other than a ginger, grizzled version of Craig Lowndes with a softly spoken voice; Evans is actually a South Sydney League supporter, an ex-mountain biker, married to a classical pianist and has broken his collar-bone over 7 times, according to the Tour commentators. Outspoken against drug cheats and unafraid to speak in the 3rd person, Cadel is a "Territory tough" NT-born cyclist, who donated his $50,000 Herald Sports Performer of the Year prize to Charity late last year.
I want to like him. He's a tough Australian cyclist who is generous towards charities and seems to be morally upstanding. But do i need my sporting identities to be loud, obnoxious, brutish and belligerent for me to recognise them? Do i need them to splashed across the papers, a la Willie Mason, therefore constructing my opinion of said sportman for me? Is there a place in Australian sport for the family man, a stoic performer who is battling away at possibly the most physical and mentally challenging sporting competition that exists? Or does mere performance not lend itself to media attention, instead leaving such athletes to create their own websites, in which they personally address fans first-hand in a very amateurish fashion.
Vive Cadel Evans. I genuinely hope you win this year's Tour de France. And i can continue to pretend i understand the French language, when in reality i am merely typing words into an online translator.
-SportingMind
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