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Cadel Evans to contest final European event LIVE on

SYDNEY, 30 September 2014 – Australia’s only Tour de winner will call it a day on his professional career in February 2015 when he unclips his pedals for a final time at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, however the Aussie champion will first take on his final European race, the Tour of Lombardy, LIVE on Eurosport Australia.

In a career that has spanned 20 years, Evans highlights include two runner-up places at the , as well as the 2009 road World Championship title, before securing his Tour victory in 2011.

Evans said that with his competitiveness at grand tours fading, it was time to reassess his future in the sport.

“The chance of winning another is probably past me, something I have to accept. Now is a good time to say ‘stop’,” Evans said.

However, with a handful of notable races still on his agenda prior to his retirement, including the Tour of Lombardy, which is the fifth of the UCI World Tour’s five ‘monument’ events, Fairfax media journalist and cycling expert Rupert Guinness told Eurosport that Evans won’t take a relaxed approach in the twilight of his career.

“When Cadel targets a race, he means it. He doesn’t go in to just train and with this being his last roll of the dice, he won’t leave anything on the table,” Guinness said.

Guinness further said that Lombardy, often referred to as the ‘race of the falling leaves’ due to its autumn schedule, is one that favours a thinking rider.

“If there isn’t a lone break away, it will be a small group at the top of the last climb. It will require a rider who is strong at the pointy end of the season, but also one that is sharp and alert and can make a move from that group at the top of the climb,” he said.

“Usually it is an exciting race and you can sense the build up to the top of the last climb. It’s akin to a chess game with everyone waiting to see who will make the first move.

“This is a great opportunity to see Evans finish his year on a high note at Lombardy and hopefully he can come up with a win.”

While Evans impending retirement will put a spotlight on Lombardy, the European cycling season continues to roll on with both the -Tours Elite and Binche-Chimay-Binche one day races also to be shown LIVE on Eurosport Australia.

While the Paris-Tours event isn’t ranked among the monuments, it is a race often targeted by the world’s best sprinters as their final hit out for the year.

In 2013, sprinter John Degenkolb took the spoils, however Guinness noted that it isn’t always the fast men that come out on top.

“It used to be a sprinters’ classic, however it isn’t always a sprinter who wins it. It’s a rider who’s got strength with a little bit of top end speed if they have it in their legs,” he said.

While no Australians have won this race in its current form, Australian cycling great Phil Anderson was a winner of an earlier incarnation of the event, the only Aussie to have his name on the winners list.

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Meanwhile the Binche-Chimay-Binche is a race that may not be packed with the big names of the sport; however this one day event often produces one of the best contests of the year, with many riders in the peloton anxious for a result before the end of the season.

While it is the last chance for a top result, Guinness also said it is an event that can act as a form guide for up and coming riders.

“At the end of the year a lot of riders haven’t got a result and they are desperate for one, and no one wants to go into the off season on a sour note. It’s a long winter without a result,” he said.

“The start list will include young riders on trial, guys that are up and coming and haven’t done a lot of racing this year, but this will be their chance to impress ahead of 2015.

“Last year Greg van Avermaet and Lars Boom, who we have seen more of this year, finished in the top 10. They are a lot more established.”

Eurosport Australia will also have LIVE coverage of the Tour of Beijing in what is expected to be its final hit out as an event on the UCI World Tour calendar.

Coverage of Evans final race for 2014, the Tour of Lombardy, will be LIVE on Eurosport Australia from 11.30pm on Sunday October 5, with coverage of the Binche-Chimay-Binche LIVE on Wednesday October 8 from 12am.

The Tour of Beijing will commence LIVE on Friday October 10 at 6pm, while the Paris-Tours LIVE broadcast will be on Monday October 13 at 12.30am.

Tour of Lombardy 11.30pm LIVE, Sunday October 5 Binche-Chimay-Binche 12am LIVE, Wednesday October 8 Tour of Beijing 6pm daily LIVE, Friday October 10 Paris-Tours 12.30am LIVE, Monday October 13

For up to date information about Eurosport’s coverage of cycling go to our website at au.eurosport.com

ENDS

* Schedules are as of September 25th and are subject to change. Times are AEDT. See here for more details http://tv.au.eurosport.com/

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