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Stepping off the Tour de France podium, Cadel Evans’ over-riding emotion was relief. The Australian finished runner-up for the second straight year, this time to Spaniard Carlos Sastre, who rides for Team CSC.
“I rode a good race,” said Silence-Lotto rider Evans, who was still in pain after a crash on July 14.
“I gave everything, 110 per cent of what I had in my legs I got onto the road and onto the results board but obviously it wasn’t good enough.
“I was lucky to continue after that first crash. I’m still sore now.”
Now he must allow his tired, aching body to recover before representing Australia at the Olympic Games, starting in Beijing on August 8.
“I’ll try and make my plane tomorrow and then we’ll worry about those things,” Evans said.
While Evans made up seven seconds on Sastre during the processional 143km last stage into Paris, the Spaniard ended up with a 58-second margin of victory.
Bernhard Kohl of Austria finished 1:13 back overall in third — the second tightest podium finish in the 105-year-old race.
Sastre had all but secured his win a day earlier in the final time trial by holding off Evans, who needed to make up 1:34 but only managed to close the gap to 1:05.
Sastre overtook the yellow jersey by winning the toughest Alpine ride this year — stage 17 into the famed Alpe d’Huez — and held onto to it to the finish.
He crossed arms and butted helmets affectionately with CSC teammate Stuart O’Grady of Australia as they crossed the finish line on the famed Champs Elysees.
“Coming into Paris with the yellow jersey, I’ve come into Paris a lot of times before and it’s such a huge feeling of accomplishment but coming in with the winning team and the yellow jersey, it’s the next level,” O’Grady told AAP.
“I’m never going to win the Tour personally so the next best thing is to be a part of someone and and a team that can win it.
“It’s really an incredible feeling.”
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