Evans set to become first Aussie to win Tour de France

Updated on: 24 July,2011 08:17 AM IST |
AFP |

Cadel Evans is set to become the first Australian winner of the Tour de France after overcoming his overnight deficit to Andy Schleck in the penultimate stage time trial on Saturday

Cadel Evans is set to become the first Australian winner of the Tour de France after overcoming his overnight deficit to Andy Schleck in the penultimate stage time trial on Saturday.

Australia's Cadel Evans during Saturday's Tour de France
Stage 20 in Grenoble. PIC/AFP

BMC leader Evans started the 42.5 km race against the clock with a 57sec deficit to Schleck in the overall standings but easily erased that on his way to second place behind stage winner Tony Martin of Germany.

It means Evans will go into Sunday's final stage, a 95 km run from Creteil to Parisu00a0-- which is traditionally not disputed by the overall contendersu00a0-- as the new race champion.

Evans, the runner-up in 2007 and 2008, will succeed Spain's three-time champion Alberto Contador who suffered a dramatic collapse in the penultimate stage on Thursday to all but drop out of contention.

HTC-Highroad's specialist Martin, who had started his race earlier in the day when the course was still drying after a spell of rain, clocked a winning time of 55min 33sec. Evans finished only seven seconds behind in 55:40.