After five stages and 749.5 kilometers, Australia's Cadel Evans is just a second behind individual overall leader Norway's Thor Hushovd at the Tour de France . Evans, of the BMC Racing Team, has logged in 17 hours 36 minutes and 58 seconds to take second place in the overall standings.

Evans held onto second place overall after avoiding a number of crashes that took down several overall contenders on the fifth stage on Wednesday. He had won the Tuesday's stage 4, a 172.5-kilometer race from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne with a tough uphill finish.

"It was really windy, with narrow, winding roads. We worked hard to stay in front all day. I just kept hearing on the radio over and over again, 'crash, crash, crash' and sort of kept going, and then I saw Gesink all covered in dirt. It was a dangerous day," Evans said after stage 5, according to Pro Cycling News.

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) and two others crashed though they were able to continue. Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) won the uphill bunch sprint finish on the 164.5-kilometre stage.

The Tour de France, the world's most prestigious bicycle race, opened in France last Saturday. Despite past doping scandals, millions from around the world are still following the race, hoping to see their favorite riders and teams race to emerge victorious at the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Here are some things you should know about the Tour De France.

21 Stages. First staged in 1903, the Tour de France is on its 98th edition this year and will cover a total distance of 3,430.5 kilometres. The race, which traditionally hogs the spotlight in July, runs from Saturday 2nd through to Sunday 24th. In between there are 21 stages of intense racing across north and central France, high into the Pyrenees, and then the Alps - to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first inclusion of the Galibier climb - before a final time trial and the parade stage on the Champs Elysees in Paris.

Early favorites. Spain's Alberto Contador beat France's Andy Schleck by just 39 seconds in the 2010 Tour de France and the two are expected to fight all the way to the finish this year. Contador won the Giro d'Italia in May and so could become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to complete the rare Giro-Tour double. Contador said prior to the race, "I think it'll all depend on how the race goes and how my legs are. We'll see how strong I am in the Pyrenees. If I have to name my biggest rival, I'd say Andy Schleck. But there are a lot of other experienced riders who could do well and young riders fighting for victory too."

Overall Contenders. Aside from Contador and Schleck, other overall contenders include Australia's Cadel Evans (BMC), Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale), Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) and Spain's Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi). Other names to watch for as riders contest the high-speed sprint finishes and special jersey competitions include Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), World Champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo), sprinter and winner of 15 Tour de France stages Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) and new French National Champion Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step). Gilbert currently leads the individual UCI world ranking with 356 points but Contador is only seven behind him

After 5 stages. Britain's Mark Cavendish emerged the winner on the high-speed 164.5 km fifth day at Cap Frehel with his usual head down-style, to claim his 16th Tour de France stage victory. The next stage -- a 226.5-km effort from Dinan to Lisieux -- is the longest stage this year. Overall, Thor Hushovd is the number one, followed by Australia's Evans, then Schleck. Contador is 39th with 17h 38' 42".

Australians. Aside from Evans, Australians in this year's Tour De France include Richie Porte, Simon Gerrans, Matthew Harley Goss, Stuart O'Grady, and Julian Dean. Individually, Porte is the highest ranked among the five, taking 82nd place with 17h 41' 22".
Australia's Hope. Cadel Lee Evans, 34, has the highest Tour de France finishes for an Australian, coming second in 2007 and 2008. He won the 4th stage of this year's Tour de France, his second stage win of his career. The first one was awarded to him -- the 2007 stage 13 time trial -- after Alexander Vinoukourov tested positive and his win was negated.

Most stage wins in history. Robbie McEwen, still active, has 12 stage wins at the Tour De France, the most for any Australian. Belgium's Eddy Merckx has the most wins for any rider, with 34.

Most overall wins. Lance Edward Armstrong, an American, won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, amidst having survived testicular cancer. He last won in 2005 and the 2010 edition was his final Tour De France.

Doping. The reputation of the Tour De France has been hit due to a doping scandals. This year, The International Cycling Union and France's anti-doping agency will conduct hundreds of blood and urine tests. The UCI came up with a "No Needle" policy in May that limits when riders can receive injections and prohibits injections of recovery-boosting vitamins, sugars, enzymes and amino acids. The UCI's rules provide that legitimate uses of needles must be reported within 24 hours.