Tour de France winner Cadel Evans to retire from cycling in February
CADEL Evans’ career as the king of Australian cycling will end on the Great Ocean Road in February
CADEL Evans’ abdication as the king of Australian cycling will begin at the world championships in Ponferrada on Sunday and end on the Great Ocean Road in February when the nation’s only Tour de France champion contests his final race.
As exclusively reported by News Corp twice over the past six weeks, Evans, 37, will retire after riding the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Classic on February - not at the Tour Down Under as suggested by European sources.
After Sunday’s world championship road race in Spain, Evans will contest the Giro d’Lombardia before riding the Tour Down Under in South Australia, the national titles near Ballarat and then eponymous Great Ocean classic.
Evans last night ended months of speculation over his future.
“It has been the journey of more than a lifetime, something I could never have envisioned when first experiencing the joy of riding a bike on the dirt roads of Bamylli (Barunga) in the Northern Territory,” he said.
“It is amazing how far two wheels can take a person.
“A special thank you goes to my current and final team (BMC), and to the many fans and people around the world who just enjoy riding a bike. Thank you - and keep riding.”
A world champion and winner of several of the sport’s most prestigious races, Evans bows out as he competed - as his own man, a unique and compelling figure.
Cycling Australia president Malcolm Speed said Northern Territory-born, Victorian-raised Evans had impacted massively on a truly global sport.
“Significantly Cadel hasn’t just left a legacy for Australian cycling, he has left an indelible mark on the world of cycling,” Speed said.
“Australia has a long and proud cycling history, but no one has had the sort of impact of Cadel.
“He’s one of the select few Australian sports people to have transcended the sport, which was highlighted by the deserving reception he received at Federation Square following his historic Tour de France victory.
“He is also undoubtedly responsible for the improved health of many Australians, who have been inspired by his feats to take up cycling for recreation, racing or community.
“The name of Cadel Evans is one that will forever be celebrated in Australian sport, just as Dawn Fraser, Sir Donald Bradman, Cathy Freeman and Rod Laver are.
“We congratulate Cadel for what he has achieved, thank him for his enormous contribution to Australian cycling and wish him all the very best for his future endeavours.”
Blessed with outstanding physiology, Evans twice finished second in the Tour de France before winning the world’s greatest race in 2011.
And had sport’s game-changing blood passport and stricter doping controls been introduced earlier, he might have won several times more.
As it was, the tungsten-tough all-rounder tabled six top-10 finishes in the French marathon.
Twice winner of the world mountain bike World Cup series, Evans finished seventh in the discipline at the 2000 Olympic Games bedfore switching to the road.
A Commonwealth Games time trial gold medallist at Manchester in 2002, Evans stayed at the athletes village and supported Australian track riders by carrying their bikes into the velodrome.
As a professional, he rode for some of Europe’s largest teams - Saeco, Mapei, Team Telekom and Predictor-Lotto, before joining BMC Racing in 2010 after winning the 2009 world titles in Switzerland - not far from his home.
Among his myriad achievements are two victories in the Tour de Romandie in 2006 and 2011, contesting three Olympic Games and finishing on the podium of all three grand tours - France, Itay and Spain.
A superb tactician, Evans was an elite climber, skilled time trialler and an adept sprinter.
CAREER OF AUSTRALIAN CYCLIST CADEL EVANS
1977 - Born on February 14 in Katherine, NT
1995 - Started international mountain biking career at the Australian Institute of Sport
1998 - Won cross-country event at Mountain Bike World Cup and before defending the title in 1999
2000 - Switched to road cycling full time
2001 - Won overall honours at Tour of Austria
2002 - Won road time trial at Manchester Commonwealth Games
2004 - Won Tour of Austria for second time
2005 - Joined Davitamon-Lotto and finished eighth in his first Tour de France
2006 - Won Tour de Romandie
2007 - Crowned champion of UCI ProTour
- Finished 2nd overall in Tour de France to become first Australian on the podium
2008 - Finished 2nd overall again at Tour de France
2009 - Became first Australian to win the road race world title
2010 - Moved to BMC Racing and won Fleche Wallonne
2011 - Became first Australian to win Tour de France general classifaction
- Also took overall honours in Tirreno-Adriatico and Tour de Romandie
2012 - Won GC at Criterium International
2013 - Finished third overall in Giro d’Italia
2014 - Won Giro de Trentino and finished 2nd at Tour Down Under
Originally published as Tour de France winner Cadel Evans to retire from cycling in February
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