Evans still hopeful

VILLIE-MORGON, France— Bradley Wiggins may have a firm grip on the yellow jersey after the first week of the Tour de France, but defending champion Cadel Evans isn’t so sure the British rider can keep up his relentless pace for the entire race without faltering.

Evans is nearly two minutes behind his main rival after losing time in Monday’s long time trial, which Wiggins won to cap a flawless first week of racing.

But Evans said Wiggins is still relatively untested in the major races and is hoping his own experience will make the difference over the next two weeks, before the race ends in Paris on July 22.

“If I was going to convince myself now he was unbeatable and unstoppable, well I might as well decide on second,” Evans said Tuesday during the Tour’s first rest day. “He doesn’t have much of a history over three weeks compared to someone like me.”

Before triumphing on the Champs Elysees last year, the 35-year-old Evans had twice finished second overall.

Wiggins, a three-time Olympic champion on the track, achieved his best result on the Tour three years ago when he finished fourth.

The lanky British rider ended a disappointing 24th in 2010 and crashed out of the race with a broken collarbone last year.

“Most of the other riders in the first 10, we’ve seen them more at their limits, have more three-week Tours to judge them by,” Evans said.  AP