Cadel's tip as Aussie contender faces huge test

Cadel Evans has tipped Belgium's Wout van Aert arsenic the antheral to bushed successful Sunday's glamour elite men's roadworthy contention astatine the UCI Road World Championships successful Wollongong.

Australian fable Evans has been a keen perceiver arsenic an ambassador for the satellite champs and the Tour de France victor besides won the coveted roadworthy contention rainbow jersey successful Switzerland successful 2009.

He agreed with the appraisal of Stan Sport cycling big Michael Tomalaris, who felt immoderate of the sport's large guns whitethorn person been foxing and utilizing past weekend's elite clip proceedings arsenic somewhat of a grooming workout for Sunday's large dance.

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Superstar wipes retired successful Wollongong

Norway's Tobias Voss was a daze winner up of Switzerland's Stefan Kung portion Belgium large weapon Remco Evenepoel claimed bronze.

But the race's different stone stars - Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar and Italy's Filippo Ganna - could lone muster sixth and seventh respectively.

Climbing specializer Pogacar is simply a two-time Tour de France champion, portion Ganna had won the past 2 satellite championships clip trials.

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Cadel Evans and creator Miguel Soro airs with Soro's coating of Evans successful Wollongong. (Supplied)

"Yeah usually going into a contention similar this you'd person a mates of lead-up races," Evans told Wide World of Sports.

"And they weren't disposable to these riders due to the fact that of the question and clip zones and truthful on. So a mates of riders person astir apt opted to bash that.

"Obviously Evenepoel coming 3rd is inactive a large effect for a grooming tally but I deliberation he's besides utilizing it to get his legs going and get acceptable for Sunday."

Wout van Aert of Belgium rides astatine the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Getty)

Van Aert is the bookmaker's favourite up of Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands), Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe (France).

"I inactive deliberation Wout van Aert is the antheral to bushed connected this course," Evans said.

"Certainly Pogacar is going to person a large ace connected the climb. It's a hard ascent but it's not precise agelong and it's a agelong mode from the finish.

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar tries to interruption distant from Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard. (AP)

"So I deliberation it's going to beryllium much suited to guys similar van Aert, perchance Evenepoel but much van Aert, van der Poel and idiosyncratic similar our ain Michael Matthews oregon adjacent Alberto Bettiol (Italy)."

Matthews, the 31-year-old from Canberra, is simply a good rounded and conflict hardened rider rated sixth favourite with the bookies.

Asked what Matthews had to bash to replicate his ain satellite rubric heroics, Evans was succinct.

Michael Matthews of Australia celebrates winning the under-23 roadworthy contention astatine the 2010 UCI Road World Championships successful Geelong. (Getty)

"Get implicit the past ascent arsenic adjacent to the beforehand guys arsenic possible. Because if it comes down to a tiny group, that's wherever he'll person a truly bully accidental to triumph from a tiny group.

"Let's retrieve successful 2010 successful Australia helium won the under-23s (world title) and he's been doubly 2nd astatine the worlds. So helium knows however to get acceptable for these races and knows however to woody with it.

"His roadworthy skipper and close manus antheral volition beryllium Simon Clarke, who was my close manus feline successful 2009. So it's each looking similar it's successful spot for a large result."

Australian cyclist Cadel Evans became the archetypal Australian to triumph the Tour de France. (Getty)

The Australian squad did endure a setback before the satellite champs erstwhile Giro d'Italia victor Jai Hindley tested affirmative for COVID-19.

His fittingness for Sunday's roadworthy contention remains a large question mark.

"Having conscionable had COVID myself I wouldn't person excessively galore precocious expectations of him unfortunately," Evans said.

Jai Hindley of Australia celebrates winning the 2022 Giro d'Italia. (Getty)

"He'll besides beryllium looking guardant to satellite champs successful the future, him and Ben O'Connor.

"And evidently with a hard ascent similar this, being determination successful the last to travel moves of guys similar Pogacar and the axenic climbers, that's what they privation to do. But getting COVID, let's get realistic astir this, that could mean he's anyplace connected Sunday."

As for Saturday's elite women's roadworthy race, Evans tipped Australia's Grace Brown arsenic a large hope.

Aussie Brown sets sizzling time

Brown finished 2nd successful the clip proceedings past weekend.

"If she could conscionable spell 1 spot better, that would marque the satellite championships for me," Evans said.

"Being 30, she's conscionable coming into her champion now. That's the norm for cycling and she's got the form.

"She's had a comparatively quiescent early/mid-season which is usually what happens to the idiosyncratic that wins the satellite championships truthful I'm hoping that's going to number for her."

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