Evans: ‘We’re in Good Position’
Cadel Evans might have lost the yellow jersey battle up Prato Nevoso, but he’s still confident he can win the war to Paris.
The Silence-Lotto captain expressed confidence Monday that he’s still on track to win what he called a “very tight” 95th Tour de France despite losing time to all of his major rivals and slipping to third overall in the uphill drag race on the Cat. 1 Prato Nevoso summit.
“I’d say we’re in good position. Each day that passes is important. After the next two days, I will better be able to answer that question. I think it’s going to be a close call right to the end,” Evans said Monday. “I was just reading in L’Equipe – with six riders within 49 seconds – that it’s the closest Tour ever. It will go all the way to Paris.”
Evans faced about 50 journalists and a half-dozen TV crews in a rest-day press conference to assess his chances for overall victory with a final week of racing to go.
The Australian admitted he was out-gunned by three CSC-Saxo Bank riders in the final climb Monday, but remains optimistic.
Instead of being angry or worried about losing the yellow jersey, however, Evans almost seemed relieved.
When asked about losing the jersey, Evans said it was better the pressure and stress that comes with cycling’s most famous jersey fall to CSC and even admitted his team isn’t up to their level.
“Absolutely. CSC, for how strong their team is, it sure took them awhile to get the jersey, didn’t it? With the team they have, they deserve to have the jersey. Now the responsibilities that come with it will be in their hands. Time will tell with how they deal with that,” he said. “CSC-Saxo Bank has a much stronger team than we do. That’s no disrespect to my team. They showed yesterday with three in the final climb. When it was down to eight, three of them were from CSC.”
Evans still believes he can sew up the Tour overall crown if he can ride defensively in the mountains and then secure the victory in the final time trial.
Despite losing the yellow jersey to the powerful CSC-Saxo Bank team, Evans continues to point to Denis Menchov as the most dangerous rival.
“Frank Schleck is the best position, but I saw a very strong Menchov yesterday,” Evans said. “I asked Sastre to slow down (after Menchov crashed). Andy Schleck was on the front and then they didn’t start setting a hard tempo until Menchov came back, I thought that was a good sporting gesture. For Menchov to come back and to attack, it showed he’s very important.”
Evans also said he’ll be paying more attention to Christian Vande Velde. The Garmin-Chipotle captain is poised in fifth overall and gained time on Evans when he followed Schleck’s attack to leave Evans stranded.
“If Denis Menchov is my biggest rival, my second most dangerous rival is Vande Velde. He’s been the most regular. Looking at the first time trial, he’s also the second strongest in the time trial,” he said. “Christian has been hovering right there. He’s always consistent. That’s often a good thing, to be a little bit out of the limelight.”
When asked if he was jealous of Vande Velde and would rather be out of the limelight, Evans said, “I got my fair share of attention after the first 10 minutes I was in the yellow jersey.”
Evans admitted he wasn’t at his best in Sunday’s first of three stages across the Alps. He said he didn’t have a rain jacket coming over the Col Agnel into Italy and got cold. Then he said he was spooked when he saw Spanish rider Oscar Pereiro sprawled on the ground after falling 15 feet down a hairpin turn.
“Yesterday wasn’t my best day at the Tour. When the odds are three against one, (losing) eight seconds isn’t too bad, all things considered. My race yesterday almost went perfectly. A few things were out of my control, particularly the weather. I got cold from the descent off the Col Agnel. It was raining halfway down and I got cold, that didn’t help. That’s part of being a bike racer,” he said. “The crash of Oscar Pereiro gave me a huge scare. I hope he’s okay. When I came around the corner – I can’t believe they build ridiculous roads like that, it’s a recipe for accidents – I was wondering where his bike was. All I could see were his body and the branches and then I got the idea. It gave me quite a fright, personally.”
His biggest fright, however, was yet to come. CSC put the Schleck brothers and Carlos Sastre into the front group and set a blistering pace that isolated Evans.
Andy Schleck set a blistering pace before Sastre attacked twice to eventually gap Evans, who rode with Frank Schleck before losing his wheel to watch the yellow jersey ride away.
Evans is still banking on the final time trial, but hopes to get over two remaining Alps stages without losing time.
“Tomorrow is shorter but there is more climbing to Jausiers. The stage to Alpe d’Huez is epic. At Alpe d’Huez, it all comes down to who’s good and who’s got something left in the tank,” he said, before adding the stage should be epic. “The distance and the amount of climbing. I’ve never had a good day. That’s my problem. I think this will be my third time.”
Evans is counting on only having one more day in yellow, a day after the final time trial in Paris.
There are some others who are hoping he’s never back in yellow if they have any say about it.
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