Cadel Evans’ chances of chasing a second world title plus big results are threatened by an illness which his BMC Racing team believes may have affected him all season.
The Australian has had wild swings in his form, being near the top of his game when winning Critérium International in March and netting third in the Critérium du Dauphiné in June, but also being far off the pace in races such as Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour du Romandie, both of which he won last year.
He also weakened during the Tour de France and was unable to defend his title, having to settle for seventh overall, and was back in 80th in the Olympic road race. He did not compete in the time trial there and most recently withdrew from the USA Pro Cycling Challenge
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According to BMC Pro Racing team doctor Max Testa, it is suspected that a low grade infection might be causing the issues, and could bring his season to an early conclusion.
“Despite his usual full commitment and attention to training, Cadel has been experiencing unusual up and downs on his performance,” said Testa. “Getting him back to full health and to his physiological standard of performance is a priority for the BMC Racing Team.”
Evans flies back to Milan this week and will undergo tests there.
“I didn't know what was holding me down at the time,” Evans said, speaking about the issue. “Now we have a better idea, and it's a relief to have some indicators as to why I have been under-performing. When you don't know why you're not performing, you have to ask a lot of questions of yourself.”
If the testing does not turn out well, his season might end early. Otherwise, he will fly back across the Atlantic for the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal on Sept. 9 in Canada.
Expectations were high after his stellar 2011 season and he accepts that many were hoping for more from him. “It's been disappointing for me, but I'd like to thank my teammates and people who are close to me – my family and so on – for supporting me during this frustrating period,” he said. “The first thing is to get healthy and then come back to my best.”