The Tour has been a long-standing goal for the 37-year-old who has this year turned his full attention to the Giro d’Italia that begins with a 21.7km team time trial on Friday.
“I’m lucky that things came together in at least one of my Tours. I don’t know if I’ll race the Tour again. Regardless of whether I do it or not I leave it reasonably satisfied and now I’m putting my energy into the Giro,” the BMC leader Evans said at a pre-race press conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland today.
“For me on a personal level the Giro was the first Grand Tour that I did back in 2002. Now on a professional level the team wants me to do the Giro, and not the Tour, so obviously here I am at the Giro! But no, on a personal level that’s fine for me.”
Evans joined the then Pro Continental BMC team in 2010 and with them became the first Australian to win the Tour de France a year later in 2011. He has made nine career appearances at the race between 2005-2013 including six top 10 finishes.
Compatriot and newly appointed BMC technical manager Allan Peiper spearheaded a significant internal team review after the 101st edition last year, part of which saw a reshuffle in Tour leadership with American Tejay van Garderen appointed to the maillot jaune helm.
Evans enjoys the nature of the Giro and has a rich history with the first Grand Tour of the season that will travel through Northern Ireland and Ireland this week before returning to its native Italy.
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He won a stage and the points classification in 2010 and fought day-in-and-out to ride to a third place in the overall and points standing at last year’s race, which doubled as his best career showing across three appearances.
Evans is in-form as his victory at April's Giro del Trentino indicates though will have a fight on his hands for the maglia rosa with Colombian favourites Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Rigoberto Uran (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) also set on title victory. Uran finished second overall to Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) last year in what was an excellent recovery for his then team Sky that had entered the race looking to support Bradley Wiggins, who abandoned, to overall triumph.
Uran this time will have full team support from the Grande Partenza where home hero Nicolas Roche (Tinkoff-Saxo), Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Michele Scarponi (Astana), who were also presented to the media today as race contenders, will too launch their respective campaigns.
Sophie Smith is an Australian journalist, broadcaster and author of Pain & Privilege: Inside Le Tour. She follows the WorldTour circuit, working for British, Australian and US press, and has covered 10 Tours de France.
