World's, Evelyn Stephens?

[don compton]

Why wasn't Evelyn Stephens in the Women's road race?:confused:

[firerescuefin]

She was

[jc031699]

You should find her listed, spelled Stevens

[don compton]

I just expected her to be in the hunt.

[fa63]

They were riding for Megan Guarnier.

[Chris]

I think she crashed and couldn't catch back on.

[gavingould]

crashed. DNF.

[bobswire]

Why wasn't Evelyn Stephens in the Women's road race?:confused:

I was like you, where is Evelyn? I expected to see her in the mix and later found out she crashed. I've been following her since she came on the scene straight out of Wall Street winning races as a newbie then putting her career on hold to race bicycles but I think we've seen the best of her. Kinda like Phinney, a young phenom that many of us may put too much expectations on.

[Mark McM]

crashed. DNF.

You're thinking of Shelley Olds.

Evelyn Stevens was in the front group that came together in the final lap, that broke up again during the finish. She finished in 24th place, 19 seconds behind the winner.

[gavingould]

You're thinking of Shelley Olds.

Evelyn Stevens was in the front group that came together in the final lap, that broke up again during the finish. She finished in 24th place, 19 seconds behind the winner.

you are correct, i was thinking of Olds.

[Hawker]

Was following her and hoping for a better placement. I heard she really was in the mix until the end. Seems like the Euro-women are on a slightly higher plane most of the time. Uh.....dare I ask about the elephant?

[echappist]

I was like you, where is Evelyn? I expected to see her in the mix and later found out she crashed. I've been following her since she came on the scene straight out of Wall Street winning races as a newbie then putting her career on hold to race bicycles but I think we've seen the best of her. Kinda like Phinney, a young phenom that many of us may put too much expectations on.

She can't even outduel her compatriots to get a Stars & Stripes jersey. How do you expect to do well in a classics style race? In the 2013 World's in Firenze, she'd lose six-ten wheels out of every single corner and was forced to use valuable energy that could have helped her later on. That course is as climber friendly as they come, and if she can't win there, don't expect her to deliver more than three more single-day victories in her career unless we are talking about a course that ends on a climb or if she actually learns how to ride a bike. Her cornering in the past two national road race championships in Chattanooga was nothing short of cringe-worthy.

She was always overhyped as much of her early success was built on placing second in a climbing heavy French stage race.

Phinney is different as he's just 25 and came very close to winning a gold medal in the ITT three years ago (at 22, against a rampaging Tony Martin). Give him two more years to get back to where he was before the injury and see what he can do.

Was following her and hoping for a better placement. I heard she really was in the mix until the end. Seems like the Euro-women are on a slightly higher plane most of the time. Uh.....dare I ask about the elephant?

what is most of the time? Consider that European riders represent a significant proportion of the peloton, it's statistically normal to see them do well. Or is it that you don't follow women's cycling enough to know that Shelly Olds won in Madrid (women's version of the final stage of the Vuelta) and that Gaunier won Strada Bianche? If anything, i'd say that the U.S. women captured more victories than what you'd expect as both aforementioned events will be in the World Tour next year (along with 14 other races).

At the risk of invoking the True Scotsman fallacy, Stevens didn't do well because she is not a "true" bike racer. She can climb and time trial, but can't corner and fight for position in the peloton. Gaunier and Olds, OTOH, are "true bike racers."

Stevens got popular in the U.S. because of her path to cycling and is furthermore is easy on the eyes. None of this has anything to do with her performance in the biggest one-day races in the world.

[54ny77]

man, i bet you're fun at parties.

:bike:

She can't even outduel her compatriots to get a Stars & Stripes jersey. How do you expect to do well in a classics style race? In the 2013 World's in Firenze, she'd lose six-ten wheels out of every single corner and was forced to use valuable energy that could have helped her later on. That course is as climber friendly as they come, and if she can't win there, don't expect her to deliver more than three more single-day victories in her career unless we are talking about a course that ends on a climb or if she actually learns how to ride a bike. Her cornering in the past two national road race championships in Chattanooga was nothing short of cringe-worthy.

She was always overhyped as much of her early success was built on placing second in a climbing heavy French stage race.

Phinney is different as he's just 25 and came very close to winning a gold medal in the ITT three years ago (at 22, against a rampaging Tony Martin). Give him two more years to get back to where he was before the injury and see what he can do.



what is most of the time? Consider that European riders represent a significant proportion of the peloton, it's statistically normal to see them do well. Or is it that you don't follow women's cycling enough to know that Shelly Olds won in Madrid (women's version of the final stage of the Vuelta) and that Gaunier won Strada Bianche? If anything, i'd say that the U.S. women captured more victories than what you'd expect as both aforementioned events will be in the World Tour next year (along with 14 other races).

At the risk of invoking the True Scotsman fallacy, Stevens didn't do well because she is not a "true" bike racer. She can climb and time trial, but can't corner and fight for position in the peloton. Gaunier and Olds, OTOH, are "true bike racers."

Stevens got popular in the U.S. because of her path to cycling and is furthermore is easy on the eyes. None of this has anything to do with her performance in the biggest one-day races in the world.

[chengher87]

What about the beautiful Mara Abbott? Why wasn't she chosen?

[fa63]

This wasn't a course suited to a climber like Mara Abbott.

[echappist]

man, i bet you're fun at parties.

:bike:

i point out the truth that few wants to acknowledge.

The U.S. has so many talented female riders: Guarnier, Olds, and Lauren Hall, to name a few, as they have all won a real classics race in the last few years.

Yet the only attention people pay to U.S. women's cycling is Stevens this and Stevens that for races of all types and act surprised that she doesn't do well in an actual bike race. Frankly i was surprised she finished in the front group yesterday given her track record. Steven excels on a very limited type of parcours but represent a good story. I'm sure if she were to write a memoir, people will lap that s*** up, but that doesn't change the fact she should not be the leader of the national team for all but the most hilly of races.

[fiamme red]

VCU Exercise Science: Professional Cyclist Evie Stevens Interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h8XW12DUfY&feature=youtu.be)

[54ny77]

^^ great interview, thanks for the link.

[rwsaunders]

I didn't know much about ES and then I read her bio on USA Cycling...pretty impressive if you ask me.

http://www.usacycling.org/evelyn-stevens.htm

[Louis]

Given the choice between having the bike-handling skills and no motor and having Evie's motor but lesser skills, I'd take her situation any day. One can always improve cycling skills over time, but the motor is genetics and not changing (assuming no assistance from PEDs) and she's obviously willing to suffer to succeed.

[echappist]

Reread the article. Her team took her through deScending camp back in 2010, and i'm pretty sure there were more since then. But this is the best she could do, which is to say not enough to be amongst the best one day racers. Note how she lists Philly and Fleche as her favorites. What do they have in common?

And the other racers arent exactly people with no motors.

[nooneline]

It was smart of Team USA to ride for Megan Guarnier, and Stevens did a huge amount of work for the team. She is an incredible superdomestique.

[trener1]

Stevens won some small race last year called Flesche Wallone, I think it's in Europe but I could be wrong since she isn't a "true" bike racer.
Oh and a bronze at the worlds TT last year, but what do I know, maybe Spain isn't part of europe either.

[choke]

Stevens won some small race last year called Flesche Wallone, I think it's in Europe but I could be wrong since she isn't a "true" bike racer.
Oh and a bronze at the worlds TT last year, but what do I know, maybe Spain isn't part of europe either.Uhhh...she won FW in 2012. And she was on the winning TT team at the Worlds last year (as well as in 2012 and '13) plus a silver in that event this year.

[echappist]

Stevens won some small race last year called Flesche Wallone, I think it's in Europe but I could be wrong since she isn't a "true" bike racer.
Oh and a bronze at the worlds TT last year, but what do I know, maybe Spain isn't part of europe either.

name a single day race (aka classic) that doesn't end on a VO2max-ish climb she won, and you have a point. Bueller, Bueller?

and no, i haven't heard of the Flesche (sic) Wallone; i have, however, heard of the Waalse Pijl. Are the races similar?

[don compton]

name a single day race (aka classic) that doesn't end on a VO2max-ish climb she won, and you have a point. Bueller, Bueller?

and no, i haven't heard of the Flesche (sic) Wallone; i have, however, heard of the Waalse Pijl. Are the races similar?
Maybe it's just me, but why the hate?

[echappist]

Maybe it's just me, but why the hate?

not hate, just that she grabs more than her fair share of attention due to how she got into cycling a opposed to what she has done.

Gaurnier graduated summa from Middlebury, but b/c the path she took is a bit more traditional, you don't hear about. In my mind, hers is just as impressive, but you'd be hard pressed to find nearly as many people who know about her.

I'd hazard a guess that most here don't follow women's cycling, and the only person most people recognize is Stevens due to her unique story. For those of you that do follow men's cycling, ask yourself this, would you comment on how surprised you are that climbers like Rodriguez and Nibali didn't do well in Richmond or that you are surprised that more climbers and GC riders weren't competing? That's essentially the points people are raising here.

[choke]

Gaurnier graduated summa from Middlebury, but b/c the path she took is a bit more traditional, you don't hear about. In my mind, hers is just as impressive, but you'd be hard pressed to find nearly as many people who know about her.That's at least partially due to the fact that Gaurnier doesn't have anything near the palmares of Stevens, though she really stepped up her riding this year.

[wallymann]

not hate, just that she grabs more than her fair share of attention due to how she got into cycling a opposed to what she has done.

pfffftttt. totally offsides and incorrect to blame stevens. you totally show your haterness right there.

she doesnt "grab" attention. full stop. stevens is a serious athlete, trains hard, work selflessly for her teammates, and is one helluva athlete. she cant be blamed for the amount of ink others choose to devote to her, that you somehow believe is undeserved in some way.

her power on the bike and story for how she got into the top level of cycling along with other non-cycling accomplishments she brings to the sport arguably *helps* her teammates and women's cycling.

[echappist]

pfffftttt. totally offsides and incorrect to blame stevens. you totally show your haterness right there.

she doesnt "grab" attention. full stop.



fine, you got me rhetorically. Perhaps you can come up with a synonym without that connotation. Garner, perhaps? In any case, hate? Far from it. More like frustration that I'm debating a point with a group who barely knows anything about women's cycling other than the story of Stevens.

I once read this quote about Cancellara: He's like the Black Album, really good but overrated. I maintain that Stevens falls into this category

stevens is a serious athlete, trains hard, work selflessly for her teammates, and is one helluva athlete.
you think other athletes don't? Funny, i saw UHC seriously "punk" her in the 2014 Pro Nats, slew of UHC riders working over Lululemon so that Powers rode away at the end. If you may allow me to indulge in some rhetoric, i'd like to ask if you are implying that the other riders at the end of that race are somehow less serious and more selfish than Stevens.

she cant be blamed for the amount of ink others choose to devote to her, that you somehow believe is undeserved in some way.

you are right that she's not responsible, but as my previous comments have pointed out, it's the audience's lack of knowledge of women's cycling that led to the sort of inane questions posted here. The posters bought into the media coverage and didn't dig more into it, and frankly, not much more digging is required if you actually follow women's cycling to realize just how out of proportion the story has been hyped.

Nobody who follows a bit of men's cycling will ask why Contador can't win Paris Roubaix or Milan San Remo as people understand that it's very hard for a climber to do well on a course for classics specialists, yet people don't care to think through their question when it comes to Stevens and expect her to do extremely well against a bunch of classics specialists on a classics style course.


her power on the bike and story for how she got into the top level of cycling along with other non-cycling accomplishments she brings to the sport arguably *helps* her teammates and women's cycling.
Help how? How many female riders do you think the posters here know without having to check wikipedia? The story starts and stops with her and doesn't extend much further.

Let me go one step deeper, who here amongst the Stevens partisans actually watch women's racing? I know it's hard to find coverage, but i doubt any would have seen more than half of the following: 2015 Nats, 2014 World, 2014 Nats, 2013 World, 2013 Nats, 2012 World, 2012 Olympics, and the UCI produced summaries of all the Women's Pro Tour events (about 12 year since start of 2012). I admit i personally skip watching the summaries of the boring events (Chongming Island, anyone), but for de Ronde, Fleche, and Plouay, you bet i've seen them

I do think Stevens is over-rated, but I bet i follow women's cycling more than anyone else here. How has your adulation for Stevens increase your awareness of women's cycling?

[choke]

Let me go one step deeper, who here amongst the Stevens partisans actually watch women's racing? I know it's hard to find coverage, but i doubt any would have seen more than half of the following: 2015 Nats, 2014 World, 2014 Nats, 2013 World, 2013 Nats, 2012 World, 2012 Olympics, and the UCI produced summaries of all the Women's Pro Tour events (about 12 year since start of 2012). I admit i personally skip watching the summaries of the boring events (Chongming Island, anyone), but for de Ronde, Fleche, and Plouay, you bet i've seen themWhile I'm not a Stevens 'partisan', I do respect her. Sure, she had pretty much no chance of winning the RR in Richmond but that doesn't diminish what she has accomplished. And I've watched every one of those (including China) except the Nats as I have no interest in domestic racing, male or female.

I do agree that she's the best known rider to most people in the US who don't really follow women's cycling.

but I bet i follow women's cycling more than anyone else here.I'll take that bet.

[echappist]

While I'm not a Stevens 'partisan', I do respect her. Sure, she had pretty much no chance of winning the RR in Richmond but that doesn't diminish what she has accomplished. And I've watched every one of those (including China) except the Nats as I have no interest in domestic racing, male or female.


I actually met her on a ride back before she joined HTC. I should have joked with her that I also rode on Columbia, but I was somewhat star-struck as she's the first pro racer i've actually met in person. Regardless, and she was very gracious.

Again, i'm not (though it may not come across that way) diminishing what she has accomplished, just that in the grand scheme it's not as nearly as impressive as what most here believe she's capable. You can bet that i was rooting for her at the 2013 Worlds when she threw the attack on the hills, but it doesn't mean i overlook her cornering when they were racing through the streets of Firenze.

btw, women's Nats are actually quite good as some of the best riders are from the U.S.


I do agree that she's the best known rider to most people in the US who don't really follow women's cycling.

I'll take that bet.
kudos to you, sir/madam. I watch the recaps but watching recaps of a bunch sprint is a bit more than i can handle; ditto with recaps of TTTs.

It's good to know that someone other than me actually follows women's racing. The thing is that they are usually a lot more interesting than the men's races. Fewer races end in sprints, and you have puncher's chance attacks stick (thinking of Lucienda Brand's attack in Plouay last year)