24 Jul 2011

Evans set to become first Australian to win Tour

8:31 am on 24 July 2011

Cadel Evans is set to become the first Australian rider to win the Tour de France after leapfrogging the Schleck brothers in a final time trial won by Germany's Tony Martin.

Evans snatched the overall lead when he finished second on the 20th stage, a 42 and a half-kilometre time trial.

Evans was trailing Andy Schleck by 57 seconds before the start but beat the Luxembourg rider by two minutes and 31 seconds to go ahead by a minute and 34 seconds heading into tonight's final parade to the Champs Elysees in Paris.

Frank Schleck's in third place overall, two and a half minutes off the pace.

It will be the first time that two brothers finish together on the Tour de France podium.

Three-times champion Alberto Contador of Spain finished the time trial with the third best time, 1:09 off the pace, and will finish fifth overall.