Cadel Evans ready for battle in Tour de France

CADEL Evans won a battle on the fourth stage of the Tour de France but admits he's preparing for a war in the coming weeks of the world's toughest bike race.

Cadel Evans

CADEL Evans won a battle on the fourth stage of the Tour de France today but admits he's preparing for a war in the coming weeks of the world's toughest bike race.

Evans, a former two-time runner-up, has finished outside the race's top 20 the past two years but after just four days of racing the Australian is showing that his impressive season so far is no fluke.

Having suffered twice at the hands of three-time champion Alberto Contador, Evans got a little taste of sweet revenge when he beat the Spaniard to victory on the steep Mur de Bretagne after 172.5 km of hard racing.

"It's a a big surprise, I still quite can't believe it myself," said Evans, who earlier this season won the Tirreno-Adriatico and Tour of Romandie stage races.

After taking possession of the 'King of the Mountains' polka dot jersey from Gilbert, he added: "I didn't know if I was going to have anything left to give in the final after nearly 180km with crosswinds and headwinds.

"The first goal today was to avoid problems, and then go for the stage if possible. For me personally, the objectives are always the same - our plans in the GC (general classification)."

Although Norwegian Thor Hushovd upset predictions to finish sixth and keep the yellow jersey, Evans moved up one place to second still one second behind.

As the race heads steadily towards the hilly Massif Central region this weekend, the situation could not be better for the Australian.

While wearing the yellow jersey brings prestige and recognition, it also demands that the wearer's team, if they want to keep it, fights to defend it.

So far, Hushovd does not want to let go.

"Everyone wants to take the jersey off me, but I'm going to hold on to it as long as possible," said the Norwegian, who took the lead after Garmin won the 23km team time-trial on Sunday.

"I'm really happy to have been able to follow the specialist punchers up the climb," he added.

"At first I didn't think winning was possible but in the last 400 metres I started to think again. That thought lasted about a second, though, because I quickly realised I was beyond my limits."

As Hushovd hung on for dear life, Evans pulled ahead of an ambitious Contador to drive the pace towards the finish line where he held off a late charge from the Spaniard.

Although their key rivals - Bradley Wiggins, Ivan Basso and Andy Schleck - finished between six and eight seconds off the pace it is early days yet.

"I prefer longer climbs and I just don't have the punch to sprint for a kilometre," said Schleck, who still has a 1:30 lead on Contador and seemed nonplussed about his loss.

"Losing seven (eight) seconds isn't good, but ...."

Team Sky leader Wiggins, who last year spectacularly failed to match his stunning fourth place overall in 2009, seemed even less concerned.

"I conceded a few seconds at the top, but gained on others," said the triple Olympic pursuit champion.

"These stages are about staying safe, not giving much away."

With the big mountain stages still a week away, Evans would love nothing more for the media to keep on talking up Schleck and Contador, especially as he knows every inch of extra pressure could affect his form for the battles up ahead.

"The Leopard team and the Schlecks are the guys to watch," Evans added.

"And Contador, he's up there and he's riding well. As he's shown in the Giro and the Tour de France he's a guy you cannot under-estimate."

AFP