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Cyclingnews 2007 Reader Poll Results
Best male road rider
Evans' consistent season earns best road rider
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Australian Cadel Evans had an amazingly consistent season, scoring points from Paris-Nice to the Giro di Lombardia - covering a full seven months and two Grand Tours. From his second place in the Tour de France, to fourth overall in the Vuelta a España, Evans worked hard to successfully capture the ProTour title, but his victory was bittersweet, as Evans' only chance to stand on the top of the podium in Europe came with a team time trial win in the Settimana Ciclistica. Evans was denied his chance at a Tour de France stage winner's ceremony by Alexander Vinokourov, who defeated Evans the stage 13 time trial in Albi, but has yet to be disqualified despite being sanctioned blood doping on that stage.
The man in second place in our poll had plenty of podium time at this year's Tour de France: Fabian Cancellara. The prologue winner wore the yellow jersey for seven stages this year, and even surprised the sprinters to steal a stage win on stage three. He then went on to a repeat win in the World Championship Time Trial.
Both Evans and Cancellara were deserving of their votes, but Tour de France and Paris-Nice champion Alberto Contador could only muster up 1300 votes, or 13.47%, showing that there is more to the Best Road Rider category than just stage race wins. Popularity counts, and the young Contador will have to work on his star power, along with his fourth placed teammate, Levi Leipheimer.
Danilo Di Luca is not lacking in the star power department, but his untimely sanction for his involvement in the 'Oil for Drugs' affair scuttled his ProTour chances and pushed him to fifth in our poll. He did manage to beat Paris-Roubaix winner Stuart O'Grady by 42 points.
O'Grady's teammate Andy Schleck rode his second place in the Giro d'Italia to seventh in our poll, coming in ahead of Ronde van Vlaanderen winner Alessandro Ballan, Vuelta champion Denis Menchov, sprinter Daniele Bennati and Davide Rebellin.
Results
Votes %age
1 Cadel Evans 3190 33.04%
2 Fabian Cancellara 1823 18.88%
3 Alberto Contador 1300 13.47%
4 Levi Leipheimer 969 10.04%
5 Danilo Di Luca 693 7.18%
6 Stuart O'Grady 651 6.74%
7 Andy Schleck 375 3.88%
8 Alessandro Ballan 249 2.58%
9 Denis Menchov 175 1.81%
10 Daniele Bennati 134 1.39%
11 Davide Rebellin 95 0.98%
Total: 9654
