Evans hadn't panicked when Andy Schleck had jumped ahead on the climb of the Galibier pass on Thursday and then took the overall lead in Friday's last mountain stage. Evans' wife, Chiara, did. She was consumed with emotion -- at times unable to bear the suspense when he needed to make up 57 seconds in the time trial to wrest the coveted yellow jersey from the younger Schleck brother.
I was really, really bad. Crying and everything, and calling everyone 'How many seconds? With his victory, she said, "I want to let the moment sink in.
Cadel needs some rest. I need some rest too! He's only the third non-European to win the Tour since it started in American Greg LeMond broke the European domination in , with the first of his three wins, and his fellow American Lance Armstrong won seven straight beginning in The Tour was also notable for the hard work of Thomas Voeckler, who defied all predictions to wear the yellow jersey as race leader for 10 days, delighting the victory-starved French, and for the success of British rider Mark Cavendish, who captured five stages -- including Sunday's final one -- and won the green jersey of top sprinter.
In a race often marred in the past by doping allegations, only one rider has so far tested positive -- Alexandr Kolobnev of Russia -- although many of the doping tests done this year have yet to be analyzed. Contador's positive test last year only came out after the race finished. Evans has never faced doping allegations, and his longtime coach Aldo Sassi was known to be opposed to doping.
Some have suggested that may be why until now he hasn't been able to achieve his promise, though Evans won't discuss that possibility.
But he lost the Tour during the two downhill skirmishes to Gap and Pinerolo, conceding time on both days. Andy Schleck also lost large chunks of time into Gap, as he was caught out on the descent of the Col de Manse. But Schleck realised that while physically, the favourites were close, surprise tactics could create that distance. On Luz Ardiden and Plateau de Beille, attacks were shut down almost as a reflex, showing how ready the favourites were for them.
On the Izoard, however, nobody moved, and Schleck was quickly able to build a lead of four minutes. By the time Evans realised something was up, the others had realised they had him in a box, and he had to chase virtually on his own. Did he ride the perfect race? He was in the top three from stage one to 17, dropped to fourth for one day, then rose to third again before taking the yellow jersey in Grenoble.
He avoided the crashes. He gained seconds in the uphill finishes. He minimised his losses very well in the team time trial. And in the mountains, he was more or less undroppable. When Schleck was on the attack, Evans was the only rider to chase, and in pulling him back gradually, took responsibility for winning the Tour.
It was the best one since then, however, but only because the Alps were so good. Before then, it was a bit of a Test Match. Garmin entertained me, especially Hushovd. Too many stages shut down by HTC and Omega. It was desperate, compelling racing.
Significantly, the climb was ridden minutes slower than in the bad old days. The wet day in Lavaur was one sprint too many. Apart from crashes, almost nothing had happened in the GC to this point, and it was the 11th stage. He nipped off the front a couple of times on the descents, and did a lot of his trademark surges in the Pyrenees.
In the Alps, he took sole responsibility for chasing Schleck. And in the TT he was imperious. Waiting for Denis Galimzyanov to come in, outside the limit, at Luz Ardiden.
He could have packed long before, but pride kept him riding. He looked wasted at the finish, showing the daily battle many riders have with the Tour. Gesink was the only real stinker there, although I should have been kinder to Evans. Cunego slips from the group and finishes 39 seconds down on his rivals, while Sanchez gains time with a bold attack. Contador, meanwhile, is content to follow Andy Schleck, and is still suffering with knee problems. At the finish the Schlecks lash out at others over tactics.
Contador attacks on the final climb but it's his second move on the wet roads that drop the Schlecks, as only Evans and Sanchez can follow. The subsequent pursuit is one of the most exciting moments in the race, as both Schlecks suffer on the tricky corners. Evans puts the hammer down and drops both Contador and Sanchez in the closing kilometres, gaining three seconds.
Andy Schleck comes home down on Evans. Stage 17 Gap - Pinerolo km A similar parcours to stage 16 and again Contador goes on the attack. This time the conditions are dry and his accelerations on the Pramartino are telegraphed.
On the descent, however, Contador goes again and along with Sanchez they distance all their rivals, including Evans, who claims he was boxed in when Contador attacked. The two Spaniards work together but are caught just before the line by a group containing Evans, the Schlecks, and Cunego. Basso and Voeckler both lose 26 seconds to their rivals.
Stage 18 Pinerolo - Galibier Serre-Chevalier It sparks panic in the peloton and leads to one of the most iconic images in this year's Tour, as Schleck pulls further and further ahead, at one point with a lead of over 4 minutes.
It's Evans who responds, however. First the Australian burns up all his teammates at the front of the bunch before he himself drives the yellow jersey group to limit his loses and save his Tour chances.
Evans thins a group of around 30 riders to a select few with Samuel Sanchez the first to relinquish any realistic hopes of a podium place, losing on the stage. However Evans's metronomic pace is too much for even Contador and the Spaniard, who many thought had been bluffing all day, blows inside the final 4km.
Cunego, Voeckler and then Basso are all distanced in the closing stages and while Andy Schleck takes one of the most incredible stages the Tour has seen in recent years, it's Evans' performance that keeps the race alive. So with 10km to go, and Schleck more than four minutes ahead, he went for broke, grinding it out all the way to the line and halving the Luxembourg rider's lead, while also denying him the yellow jersey by a margin of 15 seconds.
That was the counterattack which won the Tour, but the following afternoon, as they approached the Alpe d'Huez, it looked as though the effort might have taken too much out of Evans's formidable reserves of energy.
Somehow he recovered and was once again on the counterattack in the last couple of kilometres, finishing with Schleck and ensuring that Contador, up ahead in the leading group of three, could not make significant inroads. Another day later, in the time trial on Saturday, he burned up the hilly course around Grenoble to such effect that he finished only seven seconds behind Tony Martin, a specialist against the clock, with the nearest challenger — Contador — a whisker short of a minute away.
Evans, halfway though his 35th year, is the oldest Tour winner since the war, superseding Gino Bartali, the great Italian champion, whose two victories straddled the conflict and who was 34 years and one week old at the time of his second success in The oldest of all is Firmin Lambot, a Belgian maker of equestrian saddles, who was 36 in when he secured his second victory without winning a stage.
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