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Wednesday, August 6, 2008 Evans puts knee injury behind him by Agence France-Presse at 7:02 AM EST   comments Categories: Pro Cycling   Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans arrived in China for the Olympic Games Wednesday putting a positive spin on a knee injury which temporarily sidlined his hopes of cycling time trial glory. The 31-year-old slipped and injured his knee the day after finishing second overall on the world's biggest race for the second consecutive year. Uncertainty over his injury meant Evans, who will lead Australia's medal hopes in the road race this Saturday, gave up his time trial place to Michael Rogers - a former three-time world champion. Australia were however handed an extra wildcard spot for the race against the clock, giving Evans - one of the world's best - an extra incentive. After a tough three weeks of racing the Switzerland-based pro said he will find it strange if anyone other than a Tour de France rider won the Olympic road race crown. Evans said his injury was responding well to treatment and claims it is unlikely to hamper him during the 245.5km road race, where he will team up with Rogers, Stuart O'Grady, Simon Gerrans and Matthew Lloyd. "For me personally my training was upset with the knee (injury) but I will be surprised if someone who didn't ride the Tour is up there winning the medals," he said. "It (the Tour de France) is the best training block you can have." He added: "On the bike it (knee) is fine, it's just walking around that is the problem. But the doctors assure me that by the day of the (road) race I won't even know I had an injury." Alejandro Valverde of Spain is among the big favourites, along with Italy's reigning champion Paolo Bettini, for road race gold on Saturday. Described as one of the toughest ever Olympic courses the race takes the riders on a 78km tour of downtown Beijing going past all the major landmarks and then up to the Great Wall before seven laps of a brutal, hilly 23.8km circuit.       comments Follow @Pro_Cycling Tweet Subscribe via RSS or daily email Contact the editor about this article