Evans is a deserving champion

When this Tour began, Cadel Evans wasn't my favorite. I thought he was too old and past his prime.

Evans had a history of acting like a prima donna, like he was entitled, that he had already won the Tour. For instance, he hired a bodyguard to the Tour, just like Lance Armstrong. He also had a history of choking on the big stage. His passive style of racing, sucking wheels and never attacking didn't endear him to traditional cycling fans, except maybe for the Aussies.

For whatever reason, Cadel had always underachieved and for an athlete so talented, it was frustrating to see him waste his talent kvetching at lost opportunities or imagined enemies in the peloton or in the media. He is also thin-skinned and once threatened to cut of the head of one journalist who almost stepped on his dog.

In 2002 Girod'Italia, he wore the leaders jersey for one day before losing 17min the next day. In 2009, he bolted from his team, Lotto, and questionably signed for a continental team BMC, whose chances of getting a ride in the Tour meant a wildcard. BMC, a bike manufacturer from Switzerland, was still hurting from the 2006 Tour when their sponsored rider, riding then for Phonak, Floyd Landis, won and was later stripped of his Tour win for doping.

With no Lance, no Ivan Basso, no Alberto Contador and no Landis, he was the favorite in the 2008 Tour. Just like this year, it all came down to the final, penultimate, 53km ITT. CarlosSastre, the Spanish climber had a 1.34min and was expected to hand over the yellow jersey to Evans lead but the latter could only take back 29sec.

In the big races, he was always one of the favorites but his style of racing got in the way of him winning the big one. I think it all changed during the World Championships in 2009 when out of character, he attacked the leading group of nine riders in the closing kilometers and won the Rainbow Jersey. At that time, it seemed surreal, since it's in these types of race situation where he freezes and ends up losing.

The following season, he was a different rider.He won his first classic, Fleche Wallone by attacking on the last climb. In the Tour, he wore the yellow jersey but a broken elbow put it all to rest. With Contador riding like he wasn't going to lose in the next 10 years, and the Schlecks clearly the better climbers, it looked like Evans career was on the slippery slope.In the pre-Tour warm-up Dauphine Libere this year, he placed an unconvincing 2nd to Levi Leipheimmer.

In the first and second week of the Tour, he was lucky to escape the crashes that whittled the favorites that included him, the Schlecks, Contador and the surprising Thomas Voeckler.

Today, barring any untoward incidents, the path to Paris for the Australian is paved with yellow. This win is also a vindication for Andy Rhis, the former team Phonak owner who was humiliated just five years ago.

Jim Ochocwicz, who guided the first American team, 7-11, to ride the Tour in 1986 and now team manager of BMC, finally tasted his first win after almost signing Greg Lemond in 1990. He also lost Lance Armstrong to Cofidis after his team, Mototola, who funded the team after 7-11 left cycling, folded in 1995.

So what's next for Evans and BMC? For starters, they should savor the accomplishments for the next few days and start designing a new jersey! - THE FREEMAN