Cadel Evans ready for Tour team time trial

The Tour de France roster of Silence-Lotto, including Grand Tour leader Cadel Evans, has completed a training session for the team time trial in Zolder, Belgium, on Monday. The 2008 Tour de France runner-up prepared specifically for the team time trial stage four of this year's Tour on the Zolder racing circuit, especially rented by the ProTour team.

"It was excellent training and fast! This was the ideal moment and the ideal place to prepare for the team time trial we’ll face at Tour de France," said Evans before flying back home to his European home in Switzerland.

"Whoever aims at a podium must consider this stage [stage four around Montpellier - ed.], and a good preparation and training are vital," said Evans. "One problem is that in May and June, the riders are all over Europe: Giro, Tour of Belgium, Dauphiné starting next Sunday, to be followed by Tour de Suisse." said the Australian, who will be the designated leader of the team going for the overall win.

Apart from Evans, Silence-Lotto had called ten other candidates to the training session, those riders who are also running for Tour participation in one month: Sebastian Lang, Charles Wegelius, Mickael Delage, Thomas Dekker, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Roy Sentjens, Greg Van Avermaet, Staf Scheirlinckx, Johan Vansummeren and Mario Aerts.

While most teammates were having a shower, Evans and Lang added one more hour of training on the circuit. The Australian will fine-tune his form at the Dauphiné Libéré, starting this Sunday - his last race before the Tour begins on July 4 in Monaco.