Cadel Evans may not have won yesterday’s Elite road race, but the defending champion went down in a blaze of glory, attacking on many occasions during the 263 kilometre race and showing that he could well have triumphed again had the course been tougher.
He drew on the encouragement of the crowd plus the knowledge that he had a chance to put in a big display on home soil. As a result of his aggression, the race was one of the most exciting championships in recent years.
“I knew I had to be lucky, but I knew that a year out,” he said after the race. “Being defending world champion, I was surprised they would let me get away in some little group. You have the number one on your back and everyone knows I am from here, so I was surprised I could get away at all.”
Marking aside, one factor about racing at home was the huge support he had from the crowds. “It was deafening,” he said, reflecting on the experience. “I think I had my ears ringing for a while actually, going up that really steep climb, especially when I was at the business end of the race.”
He’d have loved to have won in front of those fans, even if the flatter parcours meant it was unlikely. “It would have to be a dream to continue it, to win here again,” he said, then acknowledged the conditions were not ideal. “The course at Mendrisio [in Switzerland, 2009] suited me better and I’ve had a really long and hot season and broke my arm in the middle of it, so all in all....”
Evans and Philippe Gilbert were the most aggressive of the riders in contention in the final two laps. Evans attacked repeatedly, both in trying to go clear himself and also in bridging across to other dangerous moves. Former team-mate Gilbert was another who shook the race up, and indeed looked set for victory when he accelerated clear on the final ascent of The Ridge climb.
Evans tried to get across with German rider Paul Martens, but they were all hauled back by the large chasing group, paving the way for Thor Hushovd’s sprint success.
Looking back, he knows that he made it one to remember. “This was a real bike race, this one. There were only a few strong men left at the end,” he said. “If the breakaway didn’t get so far out we might have had a chance to have a spell, [but] because the break was so far away the pressure was always on.“
“It was a confusing race. When [Philippe] Gilbert was away, I was trying to encourage a bit of cooperation in the groups I was with, but no one wanted to commit in that final part of the race because to close one gap might finish your race and your day. At least now the suspense is gone.”
His tenure in the rainbow jersey has now ended and with next year’s worlds being on even flatter terrain, he knows that he might not have a chance to wear the rainbow bands again. Even so, he knows that he has been one of the best world champions in recent years, and made a very strong impression while wearing the Maillot Arc-en-Ciel.
“My goal was to have a good year and honour the rainbow jersey. Having a good presence in the jersey all year was a good way to honour it,” he said. “I get the feeling from the UCI that they were really happy to have the rainbow jersey out in front in the Tour Down Under, the pink jersey in the Giro (d'Italia) and the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. Also, being there in the final attacks today.”