News: Cadel Evans likes route For 2014 Giro d’Italia

Former Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans (BMC) likes what he sees of the route for the 2014 Giro d’Italia. The past world road and Tour de France champion and Giro d’Italia stage winner attended Monday’s presentation in Milan.

Nine uphill finishes, 94.9 kilometers of time trials and six flat finishes are among the 21 stages in the 3,449.9-km route that starts in Belfast, Ireland, on May 9 and finishes June 1 in Trieste, Italy. Evans said he likes the balance of the three-week race. “An interesting start in Ireland â€“ which will be something new for most of us â€“ transitions nicely into some pretty hard stages for the final,” Evans said.

“While the mountain stages are not excessively long ones like we have seen in past years, the climbs are still solid. I think those stages will be really important to the overall, like they are in most three-week races.” Evans said he has yet to sit down with team management to decide his racing program for the 2014 season, but it is likely the Giro will be part of it.

Evans earned his fifth career podium finish at a grand tour in May when he finished third overall at this year’s Giro, 5:52 behind winner Vincenzo Nibali. He went on to win a stage at the inaugural Tour of Alberta in Canada in September. BMC Racing Team Chief Medical Officer Dr. Max Testa said it was a shame Evans was unable to compete in Sunday’s edition of Il Lombardia, due to a severe calf muscle injury suffered in a crash in rainy conditions at last Sunday’s world road championship.

“Cadel was showing good form in the Canadian races (Quebec City and Montreal) but even with intensive treatment, he was not able to start,” Dr. Testa said. “He had good sensations and his numbers were really good leading into the worlds. So it was really disappointing.”