Evans waiting for mountains to judge time loss

Australia’s Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) is waiting for the Giro d’Italia to reach the mountain stages before judging the time he’s lost on general classification's impact on his maglia rosa ambitions. With his Swiss squad not fielding as strong a time trial line-up as his general classification rivals, the UCI World Road Champion shed more than a minute on yesterday’s team time trial stage four.

“Now I look forward to a slightly more 'normal' Giro, whatever that is,” Evans wrote on cadelevans.com.au after the stage. “Until we get to the more selective stages, we won't know if my minute or so behind some of the other contenders will be of importance.”

Despite losing time Evans believes his Swiss Professional Continental squad performed as well as could be expected, given its composition. His thoughts were re-iterated by BMC Racing Team director sportif John Lelangue.

"With the team we have here and in those conditions, the guys were really working hard to make it happen," Lelangue said. "Liquigas made a really good time, but there are a lot of mountains still to come."

BMC Racing Team finished the team time trial mid-field, 12th from the 22 teams that started. The 1:21 minutes it finished behind Liquigas added to the 25 seconds Evans already trailed Ivan Basso after being held up in a crash near the end of the previous stage. Italy’s Basso is the highest general classification rider in second place, 1:46 minutes ahead of Evans.

Today’s fifth stage is expected to be one for the sprinters before the race starts to get bumpy on the sixth stage, a 172 kilometre journey from Fidenza to Marina di Carrara. Like the sixth stage the seventh should further shake out the overall classification, before the general classification riders get their first chance to show their cards on the 189 kilometre stage that finishes atop Monte Terminillo.