Cadel Evans avoids crash to seal second in Tour de France first stage

Stage 1: Passage du Gois to Mont des Alouettes, 191.5km

Cadel Evans

CADEL Evans needs little reminding of the bad luck that has dogged him at past attempts to win the Tour de France.

But the 34-year-old Victorian from Barwon Heads has nothing to complain about at the end of a day one of the three-week enduro that was marred by silly crashes.

Evans, the BMC captain, goes into today's short 23km team time trial at Les Essarts sitting in second place overall, three seconds behind stage winner and newly crowned Belgium road champion Philippe Gilbert.

More importantly from a psychological point of view, he has a one minute 17 second time gap on race favourite, Alberto Contador, who was caught in a crash that involved a spectator inside the final three kilometres.

An unnamed Astana rider hit the spectator, who was looking the other way, causing a massive pile-up.

In the confusion that followed Evans, along with fellow BMC riders George Hincapie and Marcus Burghardt, was among about 30 riders who missed the mayhem.

While the climb suited Evans' style of riding, Gilbert proved a little bit stronger at the finish.

"George (Hincapie) was a huge help at the bottom of the (final) climb and I was really perfectly positioned," Evans said.

"I thought I would go conservatively but then a Katusha or Astana rider attacked and I got a bit closed in.

"I tried to get across to Gilbert, but it was just a little bit too late."

The team goal for Evans and BMC is to chase more bonus seconds from the get go at the start ramp on the Prairie du Vieux Chateau in Les Essarts.

Evans said he was looking forward to today's 23-km team time trial.

"It shapes as another important test," he said.

Evans, who is contesting his seventh Tour de France, has finished second twice in 2007 and 2008 along with a fourth place (2006) and eighth in his first appearance at the Grande Boucle (2005).

Wins at the Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy, the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland and a second place at the Dauphine behind Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins have the Victorian in the driver's seat for another strong performance in France.

Of the other Australians, Stuart O'Grady (Leopard Trek), Mark Renshaw and Matt Goss of HTC-Highroad finished in the main bunch and are in a group of 70-plus riders seconds down on Gilbert for the overall.

Richie Porte from Saxo Bank-Sungard and Simon Gerrans (Sky) were caught up in the carnage and find themselves one minute 55 secs. and 2.16 down respectively heading into stage two.