It's official.

Bro Deal said:

Evans will never win the TdF. He is staying with Silence-Lotto.

You could tell by his talk IMO that he felt comfortable at S-L. He has never seemed that perturbed about not getting much support. Obviously... if it were an issue... he would probably be looking elsewhere... but is he capable of getting Euro 2.3 million from another team? He's not exactly a Cipo, Boonen or Valverde on the charisma scale.

Crankyfeet said:

You could tell by his talk IMO that he felt comfortable at S-L. He has never seemed that perturbed about not getting much support. Obviously... if it were an issue... he would probably be looking elsewhere... but is he capable of getting Euro 2.3 million from another team? He's not exactly a Cipo, Boonen or Valverde on the charisma scale.

I don't think Evans is tactically comfortable with being the capo.

While the barbs about "wheelsucking" I think are unjustified, this decision shows that he feels that he is too tactically timid to win the Tour. Silence-Lotto will never have the ammunition to control the race. Coucke has virtually admitted that.

He's an exceptional rider, but with the team he has (and subject to seeing next year's route) I think he should target the Giro as priority number 1. He won't, of course.

maybe Silence provides health insurance for his dog

You would think, given his love of little lions, that he would do what he could to get another one. Apparently not.

Runitout is right: it shows tactical timidity. I think he is comfortable, so he won't change. Just as he hasn't shed his old Mapei connections, he won't risk branching out from Belgium. Evans fans can comfort themselves that this year was his best shot and he didn't have enough: I don't think this decision will cost him a win, because I don't think he can win after this year anyway.

Bro Deal said:

Evans will never win the TdF. He is staying with Silence-Lotto.

Isn't it more to the point that nobody else wanted him ? Rather than he chose to stay ?

Drongo said:

. Evans fans can comfort themselves that this year was his best shot and he didn't have enough: I don't think this decision will cost him a win, because I don't think he can win after this year anyway.

I don't think this year was his best shot because the first time-trial was so short. If next year includes over 100kms of TT, like it usually is, he will have a better chance.

jonjungel said:

I don't think this year was his best shot because the first time-trial was so short. If next year includes over 100kms of TT, like it usually is, he will have a better chance.

even with JB's astana boys back? 2 second place finishes has to take the drive out of you. ullrich?

jonjungel said:

I don't think this year was his best shot because the first time-trial was so short. If next year includes over 100kms of TT, like it usually is, he will have a better chance.

He didn't do to good in either time trial this year.

MintID said:

He didn't do to good in either time trial this year.

He wasn't too bad in the first one. Presumably, the tendinitis didn't help in the second.
More worrying would be the vast improvement in, say, Contador's TT abilities (viz. the Olympics). Kohl had great form on the TT bike as well.

I think he made the correct decision. Why risk with a new team if someone is willing to pay you over 2 million Euro and seem to be more than happy that you are podium potential...

Powerful Pete said:

I think he made the correct decision. Why risk with a new team if someone is willing to pay you over 2 million Euro and seem to be more than happy that you are podium potential...

And maybe he knew what this German source seems to think is a done deal - that Kohl is going to Lotto next year.

He should focus on Dwars de Vlanderarden.