Cadel Evans closing in at the Tour de France overall classifications
Team BMC started the Tour de France as favourites with reigning champion, Cadel Evans finding his form just ahead of the race.
The Australian had a quite start to his 2012 campaign but managed to find the right legs ahead of the biggest goal of his 2012 season, the Tour de France.
He secured the first overall position at the Criterium International and also managed the point’s classification and a stage 2 victory at the race.
The cyclist rode brilliantly at the Criterium du Dauphine and wins the point classifications and the first stage of the race.
He was looking good for an overall victory but had to surrender ahead of the in-form Bradley Wiggins and Michael Rogers and settled down for the third overall position.
Evans finished 13th during the opening prologue of the race, 20th at the stage1, 78th at the stage 2 and came close to bag his first stage win of the race during the stage 3 of the race.
He rode brilliantly during the 197 kilometre stage at Boulogne-sur-Mer and finished at the sixth position.
Peter Sagan, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Peter Velits, Fabian Cancellara and Michael Albasini occupied the top five positions.
"The first goal was staying out of trouble and then have a go at the finish," Evans said.
“[The team] brought me into a perfect position into the last few kilometres but in the last kilometre it slowed up again”.
“We pushed around and started a bit far back. Against Sagan there wasn't much anyone could do".
"We're always worried to lose teammates. We need all the cylinders to make it to Paris”.
“For him [Gilbert] of course it was probably one of his last opportunities to have a go for himself today," Evans said”.
He has managed to secure the seventh overall position after the stage 3 classifications with a total deficit of 17 seconds on the race leader.
Fabian Cancellara of Team RadioShack-Nissan is leading the category with Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky Procycling seven seconds behind at the second position.
Sylvain Chavanel, Tejay Van Garderen, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Denis Menchov hold the third, the fourth, the fifth and the sixth positions respectively.
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