Yellow-clad fans in their thousands thronged Melbourne's city centre on Friday to hail Cadel Evans as Australia's first Tour de France champion took a ceremonial ride into town after returning from Europe. Three weeks after his champagne-soaked ride to the finish line along the Champs-Elysees, the slender 34-year-old once again donned the yellow jersey, grinning as he shook hands with applauding fans banked five-and-six deep along the roadside.
Evans is the only Australian to win the Tour since the first edition in 1903 and his victory has been feted as one of the country's greatest all-time sporting achievements by local media. For the steely BMC Racing Team rider, who calls the Swiss Alps town of Stabio home for most of the year and fiercely guards his privacy, the attention has been a happy, if somewhat overwhelming, surprise. "I can say overwhelmed but that would be understatement for this month at least," an emotional Evans told a crowd of thousands gathered at a public reception at Melbourne's Federation Square.
"It's an honour just to be able to be here today, enjoying being here in yellow. It's just been a great ride and it's not over yet." After being escorted by a team of bike-riding children to the square, Evans was congratulated by Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard in a video message beamed on a big screen before fans in the crowd unveiled a huge banner emblazoned with the yellow jersey.
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