Cadel Evans out of contention for the Tour de France overall classifications?
Cadel Evans of Team BMC is riding the Tour de France 2012 as a reigning champion after his splendid performance in the last season.
He rode exceptionally well to walk home with the honour of winning the most anticipated cycling race of the season, the Tour de France 2011.
The Australian succeeded during the stage 4 of the race and also held the mountain jersey for two consecutive stages, stage 4-5 last year.
However, his current performance after the first 16 stages of the race is not as convincing as previously and he is not ranked as a favourite overall contender for the contest.
Cadel achieved the 35th overall position during the 197 kilometre stage 16 of the race and fell 11 minutes and 56 seconds short of the race leader Thomas Voeckler.
He has now been dropped down to the seventh overall spot after the stage 16 classifications with a deficit of 8 minute and 6 seconds on Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky.
It has been revealed that Evans is suffering from some health issues and is not 100 % fit for the coming Tour de France stages.
"I didn't think it [the stomach upset] would affect me before the race but obviously that's not my normal level and it's pretty much the Tour de France over for me," Evans briefed.
"I don't know if I'm far enough back to have the freedom to go in the breakaway," he said. "You have to be optimistic but also you have to be realistic. Obviously this year things haven't been coming together".
“The year's not over, but the retirement present I wanted to give George Hincapie this year is gone,” he cited.
Wiggins is leading the overall classifications since stage 8 of the race and is a favourite for the event as the strong Team Sky escorts him through the different parcours of the race.
Bradley’s countryman and team-mate Christopher Froome is 2 minute and 5 seconds behind at the second position.
Vincenzo Nibali is another strong candidate for the overall classifications as the Italian eyes the remaining stages of the contest with his third overall spot after the stage 16 classifications.
Jurgen Van Den Broeck of Team Lotto Belisol and Haimar Zubeldia Agirre of Team RadioShack-Nissan occupy the fourth and the fifth positions in the respective order.
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