He has his own major Australian record in France, but Cadel Evans says being part of Anzac commemorations in the Somme region has been a history lesson like no other.
The 2011 Tour de France winner was among a number of prominent Australians to attend a lunch at Chateau de Bertangles on Sunday as part of Governor-General Peter Cosgrove's state visit to the country.
The chateau was the headquarters for the Australian Corps led by Lieutenant General John Monash in 1918, and where King George V conferred Monash's knighthood in the same year.
Posing for a photo on the stairs of the chateau where that historic investiture ceremony took place, Evans said was particularly special.
"When you see it in the flesh, and stand on those stairs ... it's an honour to be here," he told AAP.
"I'm still learning today how important what happened then was for where our country is today."
While the Anzac history wasn't unfamiliar to Evans, he said the chance to visit sites where battles were fought and where ties between the two countries were forged was an opportunity he'd encourage others to take up if they could.
"For anyone with curiosity, they will have that curiosity satisfied visiting this place. For me, it's just been an amazing history lesson."
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