As an avid sports fan I've watched numerous moments that will go down in Australian sports history these last nineteen years. I've witnessed several cricket world cup victories, a rugby one, and too many Olympic moments to mention here. Yet never before have I been more proud to be an Aussie sports fan than I am tonight watching Cadel Evans ride his way to the Champs-Elysees.
The strong sports culture down under has seen Aussies winning many events, yet the Tour de France has been a very long time coming. That's what makes tonight very special. There is no better feeling as a fan than seeing one of our own countrymen steal the thunder from more fancied opponents, in a sport that virtually belongs to another continent. Evans' time trial ride yesterday draws parallels to the America's Cup victory of Australia II in 1983 in that Australia explored new sporting triumphs in both cases. You see, it's one thing to consistently assert dominance in sport but something else to be that person or team to break new ground - creating a new standard by which everyone after is judged. And what a way for Evans to do just that, stealing the lead with just one stage in hand. But national pride aside, in the end this story isn't about our country because it's about one man and his ability on two wheels.
If there was one word to describe Cadel's tour it would be 'patient.' When Andy Schleck broke away for the victory on stage 18, Evans let the lead grow out to four minutes before bridging the gap enough to halve the deficit. Clever, but risky. The following stage he suffered a mechanical problem but kept his head, letting himself drop back to the peloton to conserve his energy. He then worked his way back up the field with not an inch of help from anyone, with his team already left behind. He did this catch with virtually zero help from any other team, in respect to pacemaking. Every time it somehow ended up being Evans all alone doing the catching while Contador and Schleck powered on ahead. No Basso. No Cunego. And especially no Voeckler, clinging desperately to his yellow jersey. Just Evans, a man alone on a mission.
He'd left himself enough energy to cut down the younger Schleck, convincingly, in the time trial the following day for what must be called one of the smartest tour victories you'll see. Evans has a remarkable team time trial to thank for his maillot jaune. The second placing behind Garmin-Cervelo, by just four seconds, must be close to the top of his highlights reel. For sure it was an immense individual achievement winning this great cycling event, but consider what might have been should that team time trial have unraveled. George Hincapie deserves a medal, the veteran providing invaluable assistance for Evans over the three weeks in his sixteenth tour. The seven others, too, cannot be overlooked for the work they've put in. It's sometimes difficult to remember that cycling is very much a team sport, but this tour showed us how.
The Tour de France, to me, represents the ultimate test for human endurance, teamwork and tactics. The gorgeous scenery of the Pyrenees, Alps and Mediterranean is simply a bonus. It all comes together to create one of sports' greatest spectacles. And now we just had a countryman beat 197 other men to claim the title. I don't think any of my words could describe what this means for both Australian cycling and Australian sport.
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