Cadel Evans believes he can win another Tour de France

CADEL Evans will need to produce the ride of his life if he wants to win his second Tour de France.

Cadel Evans

CADEL Evans will need to produce the ride of his life if he wants to win his second Tour de France.

The 100th edition of the Grand Boucle, the big loop, starts tonight in Porto-Vecchio on the island of Corsica.

Cadel looked relaxed and at ease during Thursday's team presentation and said he was fully recovered from the Giro d'Italia, where he rode superbly to take third overall.

And that's the key. Riding two grand tours so close is a challenge, but I believe it was a masterstroke by BMC to suggest it and by Cadel to take it on.

His form was not where it needed to be earlier in the year and riding the Giro has turned that all around.

The other key factor is that Cadel believes he can do it.

His BMC team looks stronger and it is younger.

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American Tejay Van Garderen will be the main support for Cadel in the high mountains. Many thought BMC would back Tejay for this tour after his brilliant fifth last year and his recent win in California.

But wiser heads have prevailed and Cadel will be given his last crack at the title. And it surely is.

Cadel was the oldest winner back in 2011, so more records will need to be broken to win again.

The hot favourite is last year's runner-up Chris Froome, whose lead-up this year has been exemplary.

His Sky team looks the strongest and his wingman, Aussie Richie Porte, is touted as a podium chance himself.

Then there's Spaniard Alberto Contador, who seems to have got his act back together just in time to be a chance.

His Saxo Bank team looks well balanced and again it's an Aussie right-hand man, Michael Rogers, who will be crucial in the high mountains.

The super-strong Russian Katusha squad is led by Spanish climbing star Joaquim Rodriguez, who finished on the podium in the other two Grand Tours, the Giro and the Vuelta, last year. He is a genuine threat.

Next is another Spaniard in Alejandro Valverde, whose Movistar squad is very impressive. Valverde becomes a genuine threat because he has improved his time-trialling immensely.

I can't see a winner coming from anywhere else, but hopefully we can witness the birth of a young superstar. And it's a surprise inclusion in the Garmin team, young Aussie Rohan Dennis, who could do just that.

A last-minute call-up after his amazing performance in the Criterium du Dauphine,

Dennis showed glimpses of super talent. The first three days in Corsica are going to cause a lot of nerves.

The island is mountainous and the narrow roads are not designed for a peloton of 200 cyclists. The tour won't be won in three days, but it can definitely be lost.

Today's 213km stage up the east coast to Bastia is the easiest of the three days, giving the sprinters a rare opportunity to snaffle the Maillot Jaune. Aussie Matthew Goss is one of the few who can possibly take down hot favourite Mark Cavendish.

But it all changes tomorrow.

The sprinters won't be long in contention on this tour. Stages two and three are mountainous, not quite like the Alps or Pyrenees but serious enough to start shaping this bike race.

John Trevorrow is a three-time Herald Sun Tour winner and competed in the Tour de France.