Evans lights up Tour, but not cigar

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2007

ANGOULEME, France (AFP) — Overcoming a deficit of just under two minutes was always going to be a tough call for Cadel Evans.

But on the penultimate stage time trial of the Tour de France, the Australian ace came agonisingly close to scoring an upset that would have put a silver lining on an otherwise cloudy race.

In the end it wasn't to be.

Evans finished second at 51secs behind American Levi Leipheimer, and 23 seconds short of coming within sight of victory on a Tour de France which, some will claim, has been distorted by the mere inclusion, and subsequent exclusion, of Denmark's Michael Rasmussen.

Going into the 19th stage Spaniard Alberto Contador was wearing the yellow jersey, and with the wind blowing from west to east on what was a relatively...