Evans faces uphill battle

L’ALPE D’HUEZ – Cadel Evans faces a tough battle to win the Tour de France, even though the Australian will be the favourite in tomorrow’s decisive time trial, his Silence-Lotto team’s sports director Mark Sergeant said.

Evans is lying fourth after the final mountain stage, one minute 34 seconds behind Spaniard Carlos Sastre of CSC, who won on Wednesday at l’Alpe d’Huez to take the overall leader’s yellow jersey. “Today, they (CSC) played the Sastre card, it was clear.If Cadel was less than a minute behind, it would have been better,” said Sergeant, adding that he had feared the gap would be even bigger.”With five km remaining, the gap was growing too much.I told him he had to react,” he said.”He took his responsibilities.If you want to win the Tour, you have to go for it.”Although Evans looks set to gain at least two minutes over Sastre in Saturday’s 53-km race against the clock from Cerilly to St Amand Montrond, Sergeant said he would not take anything for granted.”Yes, I am worried.It will be extremely tight,” he said.”We must not forget (Denis) Menchov.”Russian Menchov is fifth overall, 2:39 behind Sastre, and is a decent time triallist.Evans’s team mate Mario Aerts of Belgium said he had faith in his leader.”Sastre surprised everybody by attacking at the foot of Alpe d’Huez.But with a 1:34 deficit, it remains very possible,” he said.In the first time trial of the race in Cholet, Evans needed just 29.5 km to beat Sastre by 1:16.He had an advantage of 2:33 over the Spaniard last year after the last time trial from Cognac to Angouleme, over 55.5 km.Meanwhile, disgraced Italian cyclist Ricardo Ricco is to be interviewed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) at the end of the month, Italian news agency Ansa said on Wednesday.The 24-year-old became one of the major attractions of this year’s Tour de France when he stunned a host of big names to win two stages, just a few weeks after finishing second at the Giro d’Italia.However, Ricco was arrested ahead of stage 12 on July 17 following a positive test for EPO after the fourth stage time trial at Cholet on July 8.Nampa-Reuters”Today, they (CSC) played the Sastre card, it was clear.If Cadel was less than a minute behind, it would have been better,” said Sergeant, adding that he had feared the gap would be even bigger.”With five km remaining, the gap was growing too much.I told him he had to react,” he said.”He took his responsibilities.If you want to win the Tour, you have to go for it.”Although Evans looks set to gain at least two minutes over Sastre in Saturday’s 53-km race against the clock from Cerilly to St Amand Montrond, Sergeant said he would not take anything for granted.”Yes, I am worried.It will be extremely tight,” he said.”We must not forget (Denis) Menchov.”Russian Menchov is fifth overall, 2:39 behind Sastre, and is a decent time triallist.Evans’s team mate Mario Aerts of Belgium said he had faith in his leader.”Sastre surprised everybody by attacking at the foot of Alpe d’Huez.But with a 1:34 deficit, it remains very possible,” he said.In the first time trial of the race in Cholet, Evans needed just 29.5 km to beat Sastre by 1:16.He had an advantage of 2:33 over the Spaniard last year after the last time trial from Cognac to Angouleme, over 55.5 km.Meanwhile, disgraced Italian cyclist Ricardo Ricco is to be interviewed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) at the end of the month, Italian news agency Ansa said on Wednesday.The 24-year-old became one of the major attractions of this year’s Tour de France when he stunned a host of big names to win two stages, just a few weeks after finishing second at the Giro d’Italia.However, Ricco was arrested ahead of stage 12 on July 17 following a positive test for EPO after the fourth stage time trial at Cholet on July 8.Nampa-Reuters