Honouring the rainbow stripes

The 2010 season cannot come quickly enough now that Cadel Evans hassecured the world title, writes Mike Tomalaris.

The 2010 season cannot come quickly enough now that Cadel Evans has secured the world title, and although the course for next year's Tour de France won't be released until the end of the October, the possible scenarios which may unfold in the world's greatest race are exciting.

By earning the right to wear the rainbow jersey for the next 12 months (as the winner of the world championship is entitled to), Evans could be the first contender for the Tour de France General Classification since Greg Lemond in 1990, to challenge for the yellow jersey whilst in the world championship strip.

The thought of the rainbow jersey being replaced for yellow in the mountain stages is distinctly possible even if Silence -Lotto's management believe their "little Aussie battler" may face too much competition to win the grand boucle.

In a translated excerpt from an interview conducted in French by www.cyclismag.com, Silence-Lotto's athletic director Herman Frisian, immediately after Evans magnificent victory in Mendrisio, had this to say.

"We must be realistic - with Contador and Armstrong and Schleck, it will be very difficult to win the Tour in the coming years," he said. "I would love to put it into his (Evans) head to one day win the Giro or the Vuelta. It would be a victory. This goal is within reach (of Evans and Silence-Lotto)."

What a cop-out! It seems Silence-Lotto has given up on Evans ever winning the Tour de France.

But judging by today's reports Evans has every intention of honouring his world championship jersey all the way to Paris in 2010 - as he should be allowed to.

"Whether I won on Sunday or not, it doesn't change my mentality or work ethic towards my job. It's actually my first victory in a one-day race that's not a time trial, so I probably should stick to my stage races - that is my day job!".

"I don't ride that many one-day races, so I don't get much of an opportunity to excel at them, I'm always concentrated on training for the Tour," added Evans.

Frisian's comments aside, it will be very hard for Silence-Lotto to deny their world champion another shot at a Tour de France podium - and a win.

Cadel Evans is a rider in the absolute prime of his sporting life, and I'd like to think we will see him going toe-to-toe with the riders in yellow - whoever it may be - in the decisive stages.

How good would that be - the rainbow and yellow jerseys in a genuine slugfest?

Even better if the man in yellow was Lance Armstrong, who will return to France heading his new Radio Shack team. Although Shack's roster hasn't been confirmed, there's no doubt Armstrong will assemble a star-studded team made up of super riders.

Reportedly, we'll get a glimpse of this possible showdown at the Tour Down Under in January where Armstrong and Evans are both expected to appear.

And although expectations of a titanic Tour de France battle are unlikely on the roads of South Australia, it will certainly whet the appetite of things to come later in 2010.