Evans remains buoyant

A gallant Evans pulled back a vital 45 seconds on stage winner Andy Schleck in the final kilometre of stage 18 to keep his yellow jersey dream alive following the Luxembourg rider’s brave breakaway.

And despite losing time to key rivals Andy and Frank Schleck Evans knows his late charge has kept him in contention.

"It is my tour to win and it is my tour to lose,” Evans told reporters at the conclusion of stage 18.

“In combination the Schlecks have the best climbing team here. They put it all on the line. They really made do with a long range attack there.”

Evans is 1min 12sec behind Thomas Voeckler who just held onto the leader’s yellow jersey in the showcase stage of the 2011 Tour de France. Andy Schleck is in second, 15sec behind Voeckler (and 57 sec ahead of Evans), and brother Frank is in third 1min 8sec behind Europcar’s Voeckler (and four seconds ahead of Evans).

Left alone to drag the chase group up the Galibier after Schleck’s incredible breakaway, Evans expressed surprise at Europcar’s tactics.

"Behind in our group, with 15km to go, no one was willing to work," Evans wrote on his official website cadelevans.com.au.

"A bit strange for a French guy in yellow, this close to Paris.....and even a chance for the White jersey as well.

"For me, without Voeckler's help, it put me in a losing situation, with the wind though, escaping from the group was going to be very difficult but not very time effective, so, I just did one turn....for 9km....

"Basso did swap off for a few seconds, and I think that Europcar guy who could have had White today did one short turn as well, not how I would be looking to set myself for Paris, but we'll see when we get there."

After Evans finished the stage in third Stuart O’Grady was the next of the six Australians in the field across the line in 61st place, 31min 17sec behind Andy Schleck.

Richie Porte was next in 80th, 33min 44sec after Schleck while Simon Gerrans, Matt Goss and Mark Renshaw all finished as part of the peloton 35min 40sec off the lead.

Overall Porte is second of the Australians in 168-strong field in 79th place, 1hr 57min 26sec behind Voeckler.

O’Grady is next in 86th, 2hr 1min 35sec behind the yellow jersey.

Then Gerrans in 107th (2.25.38), Goss in 141st (2:53:33) and Renshaw in 161st spot 3hr 12min 23sec behind Voeckler.