Cadel Evans cannot be lured to join new team GreenEdge

CADEL Evans has turned down the chance to anchor new Australian team GreenEdge's entry into the European peloton next year.

CADEL Evans has turned down the chance to anchor new Australian team GreenEdge's entry into the European peloton next year to stay with BMC Racing.

Evans yesterday met GreenEdge team general manager Shayne Bannan, chief executive Mike McKay and financial backer Gerry Ryan at the team's base in Varese, Italy, which it will share with the Australian Institute of Sport.

But the three failed to convince Evans to switch camps.

"I'm still under contract to BMC for next year," Evans said.

"Team owner Andy Rihs has invested a lot of time and money in me and we will continue to work together and build on what we've already established.

"But it will still be great to see an Australian team racing in Europe next season."

Bannan said he had not totally given up on luring Evans to GreenEdge at some stage.

"We would have loved to have had Cadel at GreenEdge next year," Bannan said. "When the time is right, we'll talk again."

Meanwhile, Evans is using the week-long 1000km Dauphine Libere race, starting on Sunday, as his final hit-out before tackling the Tour de France next month, where he will be one of the favourites.

Evans, who bypassed the Giro d'Italia, has stuck rigidly to the same training build-up for the Tour that has brought him two runner-up spots.

His early-season form suggests he could go one better this year, having won the Tirreno-Adriatico, in Italy, Tour of Catalonia in Spain, and the Tour of Romandie in Switzerland.

"The Dauphine will be an interesting race for me to see where I stand. I'm going in with no great expectations," he said.

"It will be a real test for the riders who skipped the Giro."

The team director of defending Dauphine champion Janez Brajkovic, Alain Gallopin, yesterday declared Evans as unbeatable next week.

Although Gallopin, from Team RadioShack, believes Brajkovic has the form in his legs to press his own claims, he is still tipping Evans to win.

"Cadel Evans is everyone's favourite," Gallopin said. "I really don't see who could beat him on what he showed at Tirreno-Adriatico and at Romandie."

Evans remains Australia's highest-ranked rider in the latest UCI rankings, at fifth behind Philippe Gilbert.

The big mover was Saxo Bank-Sunguard's Alberto Contador, jumping 15 places to second after his win at the Giro. The next-best Australian is the Launceston-born Matt Goss, of HTC-Highroad, at eighth.