Cadel Evans: First Australain To Win Tour De France in Hundred Years
Victorian Native Cadel Evans Wins Tour De France After Coming Close to Win the Title Twice
Cadel Evans has clinched the Tour De France victory Monday making him the first Australian to win cycling’s most prestigious title since the international race began more than a hundred years ago.
The 34-year-old native from Victoria, Australia has also become the oldest cyclist to rip through the finish line in Champs-Elysee, making listen to Australian national anthem with tears in his eyes from the top Tour de France podium during the ceremony.
Evans owned the title after 2, 100 miles and three weeks of highs and lows throughout the ride as he has according to the LA Times would always be under the radar, 'never more than one bicycle length behind his rivals'. But he was always there, albeit small lead.
While observers thought that he may have made a big mistake breaking away from field as the riders climb the Galibier pass Thursday, he had remained calm until he snatched victory on the last leg Sunday.
"Really, I can't quite believe it," Evans said according to ABC.Net.AU as he shared the victory with his BMC team.
"I rode the best time trial I could today. Every day, we rode the best we could. Every day, the team did 99.9 per cent, if not 100 per cent," added Evans.
Trailing Evans are the Schleck brothers who stood with him at the podium: Andy for 58:11 and Frank, 1:34 winning time.
"I'm very happy. Cadel was the best of the Tour and he deserved to win," Andy Schleck, said according to the LA Times, adding "Second isn't bad, and my brother was on the podium too".
"I'll be back to win this Tour. We have a date for next year," he added.
Evans Italian wife joined him after the ceremony Sunday, claiming the Tour de France's titlist has 'worked very hard' to finally get the job done.
He has come close to winning the title twice before clinching to historic victory: first in 2007 and the second in 2008. He has been one of the major challengers in the race since 2002.
The titlist is the oldest to win the tour since World War II, slightly older than Italy's Gino Bartali who won Tour in 1948. Evans is the first Australian to win since Tour De France began 108 years ago, noted The Herald Sun. The Victorian sportsman is the first to bag the title almost 100 years after the first Australian, Brian Kirkham rode the international race in 1914.