Australian rider wants to settle ‘unfinished business’ with race; Santos Tour Down Under may be on race programme
Almost certainly missing next year’s Tour de France and thus focussing one hundred percent on winning the Giro d’Italia, Cadel Evans has made clear that he feels there is some unfinished business in the Italian race.
The Australian rider made his breakthrough as a professional on the roads of Italy, riding his first Grand Tour there after switching over from mountain biking. That debut came in 2002 and he wore the Maglia Rosa on stages sixteen and seventeen.
Although he then had a bad day and slipped back to fourteenth overall at the end, the performance showed his potential in three week races, and paved the way for later finishes of first, second, second, fourth and eighth in the Tour de France.
Things didn’t work out for Evans in the past two Tours and now, at 36 years of age, he wants to focus everything on trying to win Italy’s Grand Tour.
“The Giro for me was my first Grand Tour that I ever did back in 2002 and I always felt that I had a lot more to be able to give,” he told VeloNation yesterday in the video interview below. “It is something this year that of course I wanted to be able to give to the Giro, but also in terms of chasing results. Next year hopefully with a bit more time and a bit more careful preparation, we can make a difference from the bottom step of the podium to something a little bit higher.”
In this year’s race, Evans was sitting second overall behind Vincenzo Nibali heading into the stage 18 mountain time trial to Polsa. He was just one minute 26 seconds back then and still within a shout of winning the race, but things didn’t go to plan in that race against the clock and he was only 25th.
That dropped him back to four minutes and two seconds down, ending his push for victory. He eventually finished third overall behind Nibali and Rigoberto Uran (Sky).
Looking at the route for the 2014 edition, Evans says he believes that the race could suit his characteristics but he’s also aware that he has to avoid bad days. “This year my performance in the uphill time trial wasn’t anywhere where it needed to be to hold the place on GC where I was,” he admitted. “Certainly there are a few areas that I can improve on from the last two years to going into next year.
“I’d say it is a reasonably good course for me and of course it will all depend on what happens in the three weeks there.
“There’s a lot of climbing, a lot of mountain stages. It is not going to be easy by any means, but compared to some other years we don’t have really big days of five thousand metres plus climbing day after day. It will still be certainly difficult.
“I think the first half is going to be more about staying out of trouble than making big differences. But it is always hard, lots of climbing, I’d say slightly more favourable to the climbers but of course climbing there every day and being consistent throughout three weeks is going to be the key.”
In the video interview Evans discusses the race route and the importance of the Giro d’Italia to him, his likely decision to miss the Tour de France and how the revised goals will affect his race programme. He also states he need to hit peak form for May means he may consider riding the Santos Tour Down Under for the first time since 2010.
“I always had an idea of unfinished business. I started racing on the road in the Grand Tours of course to ride the Tour de France, and I dedicated ten years of my life to that. Now I have the opportunity to go back and concentrate and prepare well for the Giro,” he said, hoping to add the winning Maglia Rosa to the Maillot Jaune he took to Paris in 2011.