Cadel Evans as leader. A chat with BMC’s Ochowicz.

//Cadel Evans as leader. A chat with BMC’s Ochowicz.

Cadel Evans as leader. A chat with BMC’s Ochowicz.

Och takes a question.

Vic sur Cere, BMC press conference. Had a chance to grab team manager Jim Ochowicz for a few minutes of Cadel talk.

TS Chris Horner had a famous quote about Armstrong making his whole team ride better in a tour but Evans doesn’t. Seems like Evans has improved as a leader in the last two years….

JO. It’s finding the right place. That’s not something you find in a book. In the last two years, with Cadel, we built this thing to where we are today. Cadel was looking for a family and we were looking for a leader. It’s perfect harmony.

TS Obviously he’s not an Armstrong type guy, what kind of leader is he?

JO. He’s a leader because everyone in this organization has a job. His function is he’s the guy everybody works for to win races. Cadel, when he shows up at the start line, he’s always prepared to win. He doesn’t come to a race to train for another race. He goes to Romandie, not to prepare for the Tour de France, he goes to Romandie to win. He delivers on his end.

TS. yeah, but you brought it back to Cadel. How does he lift the performance of the whole team?

JO. That just happens is naturally. Doesn’t matter whether you’re Armstrong or Contador or Cadel, when you win, everybody automatically comes up a notch.

TS. He leads by example ….

JO. It’s just like on all sports teams. You have one star but everybody else almost becomes a star because you play batter around him.

TS. Cadel has done some mentoring with American Brent Bookwalter. Can you tell me any other things Cadel is doing?

JO. He does it with any of the guys on the team. This last time was with Morabito. Steve just spent two weeks with him, they went up to altitude to train. That’s bonding in a team — you can just feel it, you know it. It just feels right.

TS. Do you think Hincapie mentored Cadel on how to lead a team after spending so many years with Armstrong?

JO. George’s personality makes everybody comfortable. George is as equally talented as Cadel is in his own right. But George offers Cadel a sense of security, he knows these races better than anyone else. When George is at Cadel’s side, there’s a major comfort level.

TS. He’s like a guardian angel. You need one in this tour.

JO. Exactly. It’s important to have people like George with Cadel. George provides a lot of information in that captain space, where he can direct traffic for the rest of the team. In George’s mind, all he is thinking is about Cadel — how do I make it easy for Cadel, how do I get him from place to place?

TS. Last question — is there any situation where Cadel will get up in front of the team and say let’s kick some ass?

JO. Cadel doesn’t do that. But in the race he does bark out orders from time to time — a “Let’s go!” He’s not a Lance — I don’t think there are alot of personalities in cycling like that at the moment. Cadel is not afraid to speak his mind but he does his talking on the bike. He’s not gonna do it at the dinner table.

JO. Its just like all sos teams. You have one star but everybody else almost becomes a. Star because you play batter around him.

TS. Cadel has done some mentoring with American Brent Bookwalter. Can you tell me any other things Cadel is doing?

JO. Hew does it with any of the guys on the team. This last time was with Morabito. Steve just spent two weeks with him, they went up to altitude to train. That’s boning in a team — you can just feel it, you know it.

TS. Do you think Hincapie mentored Cadel on hips to lead a team after spending so many years with Armstrong?

JO. George’s personality makes

By |2019-02-03T16:16:23-08:00July 11th, 2011|Uncategorized|2 Comments

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2 Comments

  1. Ricola July 12, 2011 at 2:02 am - Reply

    An interesting interview, certainly provides some insight with respect to the personal side of things. It's good to read that Big George and Evans are a good match, something also reflected by recent performances, true true.

    Keep up the good work there in France!

    Note: part of the interview is repeated after the last question, apparently from the unedited draft.

    • TwistedSpoke July 14, 2011 at 11:52 pm - Reply

      Ricola — I wrote that on the ipad and once to write a certain amount, the window doesn't get any bigger to see what you're doing. Trying to work that out but I'm pack to the mac. Matt

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