Cadel Evans - Criterium du Dauphiné 2012 - 1ere étape (cropped).jpg

Cadel Evans

1. Growing up

Evans was born with a broken nose in Katherine, Northern Territory on Valentine's Day, 1977. He studied at Eltham High School in Victoria but also lived in Upper Corinda and Armidale, New South Wales whilst growing up.

He rode his first BMX bike at age two and as a child would ride so far from his country home that his mum had to use their dog to work out what direction he had cycled.

At eight years old Evans was in a coma for a week after he was kicked in the head by a horse. He surprised his doctors by returning to school within months.

Evans is a self confessed Tintin freak, who has a framed picture of Tintin on his bedroom wall.

2. Love life

Evans is married to Italian classical pianist and music teacher Chiara Passerini. They met in 2002 and Cadel proposed to her in Paris after finishing his first Tour de France in 2005.

They live in Stabio, Switzerland during the racing season but spend three months in Australia each year based in Barwon Heads, Victoria.

3. Cycling

Evans never expected to become an Australian sports star, because all the sports he played at school, like soccer and cricket, required speed and size. However, by the age of 21 he had won his first World Cup cycling trophy.

In the cycling world he has been known as "the nearly man" after missing out on the top spot in major races, most notably coming second in the Tour de France twice, in 2007 and 2008.

At 14, Cadel set himself the goal of winning the Tour de France, the biggest and toughest event on the world cycling calendar. Yesterday, on his seventh Tour, he achieved this. At 34, he is the oldest winner since World War II.

4. Charity

Evans is a supporter of The Amy Gillett Foundation, in memory of a fellow cyclist who was killed in an accident, and Ian Thorpe's Foundation for Youth.

He is passionate about Tibetan culture and visited Kathmandu to support to charity Asia Onlus that aims to promote social development in Tibet. During the 2008 Tour de France, Evans caused controversy when he sported a t-shirt in support of Tibet's struggle against China.

5. Celebrations

Evans' win is being compared to Australia's Americas Cup Victory in 1983 when Bob Hawke declared "any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum".

However, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has ruled out an official public holiday to celebrate Evan's historic win.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieau has confirmed the victory will be honoured by the state's government. Suggestions so far include a reception, a parade or a new Victorian cycling event named in his honour.

The AFL has also invited Evans, a Geelong Cats supporter, to be a part of their official Grand Final Celebrations.

 

Career achievements

1993
1st MaillotAustralia.PNG National Under-17 XC MTB Championships
1994
1st MaillotAustralia.PNG National Under-19 XC MTB Championships
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Under-19 XC Mountain Bike World Championships
1995
3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Under-19 XC Mountain Bike World Championships
3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Individual Time Trial Juniors World Championships
1996
1st MaillotAustralia.PNG National XC MTB Championships
3rd Bronze medal blank.svg Under-23 XC Mountain Bike World Championships
9th Atlanta Olympics Mountain Bike Race
1997
1st MaillotAustralia.PNG National XC MTB Championships
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Under-23 XC Mountain Bike World Championships
1998
1st Overall Mountain Bike World Cup
1999
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour of Tasmania
1st Stage 3
1st Jersey white.svg Young rider classification Tour Down Under
1st Overall Mountain Bike World Cup
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Under-23 XC Mountain Bike World Championchips
2000
7th Sydney Olympics Mountain Bike Cross Country
2001
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour of Austria
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Team Relay Mountain Bike World Championships
2002
Commonwealth Games
1st Gold medal blank.svg Individual time trial
2nd Silver medal blank.svg Road race
1st Stage 5 Tour Down Under
1st Jersey white.svg Mountains classification
1st Stage 1 Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale
1st Stage 4 International UNIQA Classic
3rd Overall Tour de Romandie
14th Overall Giro d'Italia
Held Jersey pink.svg Maglia Rosa for Stage 16–17
2003
1st Jersey white.svg Mountains classification Tour Down Under
2004
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour of Austria
1st Stage 2
2005
1st Stage 7 Deutschland Tour
8th Overall Tour de France
2006
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de Romandie
1st Stage 5
1st Jersey white.svg Mountains classification Tour Down Under
4th Overall Tour de France
7th Overall Tour of California
9th Overall Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 9 (ITT)
2007
Champion UCI ProTour
1st Stage 2 ITT Test Event Beijing 2008
1st Stage 1b TTT Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi-Bartali
2nd Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 13 (ITT)
2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
4th Overall Vuelta a España
4th Overall Tour de Romandie
6th Giro di Lombardia
2008
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall, Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
1st Stage 3
1st Stage 4 Paris–Nice
2nd Overall Tour de France
Held Maillot Jaune Jersey yellow.svg From Stages 10–14
2nd La Flèche Wallonne
2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
3rd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
1st Stage 2
7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2009
1st MaillotMundial.PNG Road Race World Champion
2nd Overall Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
1st Stage 5
2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1st Stage 1
1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
3rd Overall Vuelta a España
Held Jersey gold.svg Jersey Oro for Stage 8
Held Jersey white.svg Maillot Combinada from Stages 8–11
4th Overall Vuelta al País Vasco
5th La Flèche Wallonne
2010
1st La Flèche Wallonne
3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
5th Overall Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 7
1st Jersey red.svg Points classification
1st Azzurri d'Italia classification
Held Maglia Rosa for Stage 2
4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
6th Overall Tour Down Under
Jersey red.svg Most Aggressive rider Stage 5
Tour de France
Held Maillot Jaune Jersey yellow.svg for Stage 9
2011
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 4
Held Jersey polkadot.svg for stages 4–5
1st Jersey blue.svg Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stage 6
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de Romandie
2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
7th Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge
8th Overall Volta a Catalunya
2012
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Critérium International
1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
1st Stage 2 (ITT)
3rd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
1st Stage 1
7th Overall Tour de France
2013
1st Stage 4 Tour of Alberta
3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
Held Jersey red.svg Maglia Rosso Passione from Stages 9–11
3rd Overall Tour of Oman
8th Overall Giro del Trentino
2014
1st Jersey violet.svg Overall Giro del Trentino
1st Stages 1 (TTT) & 3
2nd Overall Tour Down Under
1st Stage 3
2nd National Road Race Championships
5th Overall Tour du Haut Var
7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
7th Strade Bianche
Giro d'Italia
Held Jersey pink.svg after Stages 8–11

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Pink jersey Giro 14 - - - - - - - 5 - - 3
Yellow jersey Tour - - - 8 4 2 2 30 26 1 7 39
golden jersey Vuelta - - 60 - - 4 - 3 - - - -