Crikey Cadel – Congratulations!

What a fantastic start to the week! An historic victory for Cadel Evans being the first Australian to win the Tour de France.

Marrying into a family with an illustrious history in cycling it was inevitable that we stayed up to watch Cadel Evans achieve what many thought was impossible.

Over night an emotional Cadel Evens stood on the Champs Elysees with an Australian flag draped around his shoulders after fulfilling his lifelong dream – winning the 2011 Tour de France. His words were inspiring and gracious a true champion.
“To stand on Champs Elysees with an Australian singing your national anthem, is not a dream that comes true for many people but it has for me. It’s amazing.”

Pioneering compatriot Phil Anderson paved the way for dozens of young Australians by becoming the first non-European to pull on the yellow jersey. Cadel the oldest winner of the Tour de France in 88 years previously finished second on the Tour in 2007 and 2008. Tradition allowed Cadel to savour the 95 kilometre ride into France.

“As a young child we aspire to a lot of things in life and watching the Tour de France in 1991 and seeing Indurain tear everyone to pieces planted a small seed in my head that continued to grow,” Evans said. “I went through some difficult periods – for two years I was really unlucky coming so close to winning, but maybe it’s just made it all that more special now.”

To read more the ABC News website www.abc.net.au