Evans says Tour starts for real in Pyrenees
Source: Agencies |
July 15, 2011, Friday
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CADEL Evans spent the first half of the Tour de France avoiding crashes and injuries, and the Australian said on Wednesday that the "real Tour starts tomorrow in the mountains" as he prepares for three intense days in the Pyrenees.
The two-time Tour runner-up looks to be in his best shape in years.
The 34-year-old Evans lost the 2007 Tour to defending champion Alberto Contador, and he was the race favorite the following year only to miss out again to another Spaniard, Carlos Sastre.
"The first mountain stage always gives a pretty good indicator of who's a real contender for Paris," said Evans, who rides for the BMC team.
Two big crashes have seriously impacted this year's Tour, on stages five and nine, and several riders have been forced to retire with injuries, including British contender Bradley Wiggins and Kazakh star Alexandre Vinokourov.
Heavy rain and slippery roads have not helped matters, but Evans' luck has so far held.
"I've been trying to stay dry and healthy as we always do," he said after Wednesday's 11th stage from Blaye-Les-Mines to Lavaur.
"It's been an usual Tour for us this year, but the real Tour starts tomorrow in the mountains. We'll see."
For Johan Bruyneel, who was team manager at Discovery Channel when Contador won his first Tour in 2007, Evans is now the Tour favorite.
"The guy who looks best is Cadel, he looks good and he's been escaping (from) all the crashes.
"If you look at the situation he's the favorite to win the Tour now," Bruyneel said. "He had a good season already, he feels very good."
Evans cracked in 2008 when he was favorite to beat Sastre, only to lose out in the decisive time trial. Coming into this year's race, Contador and Schleck were tipped ahead of him, and Bruyneel thinks that has suited Evans.
"He doesn't have the big pressure. In 2008 he was the big favorite when Sastre won it, I think he (Evans) made some mistakes," Bruyneel said.
"He hasn't started as being the big favorite, but he's in a position to win it."
The two-time Tour runner-up looks to be in his best shape in years.
The 34-year-old Evans lost the 2007 Tour to defending champion Alberto Contador, and he was the race favorite the following year only to miss out again to another Spaniard, Carlos Sastre.
"The first mountain stage always gives a pretty good indicator of who's a real contender for Paris," said Evans, who rides for the BMC team.
Two big crashes have seriously impacted this year's Tour, on stages five and nine, and several riders have been forced to retire with injuries, including British contender Bradley Wiggins and Kazakh star Alexandre Vinokourov.
Heavy rain and slippery roads have not helped matters, but Evans' luck has so far held.
"I've been trying to stay dry and healthy as we always do," he said after Wednesday's 11th stage from Blaye-Les-Mines to Lavaur.
"It's been an usual Tour for us this year, but the real Tour starts tomorrow in the mountains. We'll see."
For Johan Bruyneel, who was team manager at Discovery Channel when Contador won his first Tour in 2007, Evans is now the Tour favorite.
"The guy who looks best is Cadel, he looks good and he's been escaping (from) all the crashes.
"If you look at the situation he's the favorite to win the Tour now," Bruyneel said. "He had a good season already, he feels very good."
Evans cracked in 2008 when he was favorite to beat Sastre, only to lose out in the decisive time trial. Coming into this year's race, Contador and Schleck were tipped ahead of him, and Bruyneel thinks that has suited Evans.
"He doesn't have the big pressure. In 2008 he was the big favorite when Sastre won it, I think he (Evans) made some mistakes," Bruyneel said.
"He hasn't started as being the big favorite, but he's in a position to win it."
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