His Aussie team-mate Matt Lloyd seems to have overcome a nasty
spinal injury and will make a final decision on whether he
appears at Le Tour after completing the Dauphine - the big
warm-up event.
Throw in the hill-climbing specialists such as Charlie Wegelius,
rising mountain-goat Jurgen van den Broeck who finished 7th at
the 2008 Giro and strong Dutchman Thomas Dekker and you have (on
paper) a solid unit.
I
honestly believe the Tour will come down to a showdown between
Silence-Lotto and Astana and there's a realistic possibility of
a face-off between Cadel and Spanish rival Alberto Contador.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Contador, Lance Armstrong
and Levi Leipheimer complete a podium clean sweep for Astana -
that's how strong and experienced this squad is.
I
have my fingers crossed that Cadel stays upright and stays
healthy for the three week epic.
For me, I travel to France to cover the Tour for a 14th time for
SBS.
Boy, hasn't this race changed since my first visit in 1996 when
the race started in the Dutch city of den Bosch.
My
only exposure to cycling was following the now defunct
Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic which followed a stop-start
journey down Australia's east coast.
I
knew back then the Tour was an extraordinary three week race,
but little I did realise its enormity and magnitude until
arriving prior to the prologue.
It's wonderful to see the race progress in the ensuing years and
the way it has captured the imagination of a worldwide audience
has been interesting to say the least.
To
return home at the end of each July and speak with viewers glued
to coverage of every live stage and share their love and
addiction for the sport gives me a real kick just as I'm sure it
will again this year.
For the record here are my Tour de France tips.
General Classification: 1. Cadel Evans
Points Jersey: Allan Davis
Mountains Jersey: Mauricio Soler
