Counting sprockets

All being well and barring crashes, Cadel Evans will roll across the finish line on the Champs Elysees tomorrow afternoon in the bunch to win the Tour de France.

He will be the first Australian to take the top spot in the Tour.

It’s been an fascinating race. Three weeks of twists, turns, attacks, heroics and crashes.

For the first time in many years there hasn’t been one rider to have the everything their own way. The Schleck brothers have both had a dig. But I couldn’t help feeling that, apart from his magnificent effort up the Galibier, Andy could have been a bit more decisive in the Pyrenees. More committed efforts rather than shadow boxing and riding up the road looking backwards. We won’t talk about his lack of time trialling ability which, after all, was what lost the race for him.

Contador looked rather uncomfortable at times. Plagued by a knee injury early on, and loosing time behind a crash in the first week, even when he attacked up the Alpe D’Huez he didn’t have the bounce and spritliness that he has exhibited in previous tours. Whether it was down to a lack of steak dinners or, more likely, the fact that his commanding performance in the Giro D’Italia had taken a lot out of him.

Thomas Voeckler will finish this tour as a national hero in France. The spirit he showed in the mountains, covering moves on his own and turning himself inside out to defend the yellow jersey will go down in Tour history. He defined Rule 5 for the nine days he had that jersey on his back. It’s just a shame that he’ll finish one place away from a podium spot.

The title, however, will go to Evans. I’ve been critical of him in the past. His treatment of the press in post-stage inteviews hasn’t endeered him to many fans. But over the past three weeks he’s ridden flawlessly. Covering attackes on his own, not moaning that he didn’t have any team mates around him and being consistently strong in the mountains. All topped off with a perfect performance in the time trial today to take second on the stage behind the TT machine Tony Martin.

Cadel Evans is a worthy winner of the race and a sportsman that Australia can be proud of.

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