CADEL Evans has played down his prospects of going out of road cycling as national champion.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Evans will ride in the Cycling Australia National Road Championships road race at Buninyong in January as part of a farewell tour.
He is retiring from the sport and will use three events in Australia to close out his professional career the nationals on January 11, Tour Down Under in Adelaide on January 17-25 and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on February 1.
He confirmed his program on Wednesday.
The 2011 Tour de France winner and 2009 world road champion finished second to Orica GreenEDGE leader Simon Gerrans in this year's national road race.
Evans, who rides for BMC, believes the might of the Australian-owned GreenEDGE outfit will again be too powerful.
"Certainly on paper (the Buninyong course suits me), but if you look at the start sheet we have an Orica GreenEDGE team which start about 15 riders," Evans said.
"With BMC, we're going to have our biggest team ever of three.
""I'm pretty sure Orica GreenEDGE are racing to make us lose."
Evans was the sole BMC rider in this year's national championships.
He will be joined by Rohan Dennis and reigning world under-23 time trial champion Campbell Flakemore .
Cycling Australia will launch the national road championships next month, when the program taking in time trials, criteriums and road races will be announced.
Xx