Tour de France 2011 Stage 20: Evans thrashes Andy Schleck in time trial, wins Tour

Although HTC’s Tony Martin won today’s 42.5 km time trial in Grenoble, it was the runner up who enjoyed the greatest victory. Cadel Evans turned a 57 second deficit to Andy Schleck into a commanding 1:34 gap with a masterful ride. Since by tradition no one races for GC on the final stage into Paris, Evans becomes the first Australian to win the Tour de France. Andy Schleck finishes second for the third year in a row and brother Frank rounds out the podium.

Once the Aussie and the two Luxembourgers were all under way, it was clear that Evans was running a much more powerful engine. The yellow jersey did not give Andy, a satisfactory time trial rider, the wings that it often does. By the first time check Evans had gobbled up most of that 57 seconds and by the second check was already nearly a half minute ahead. Evans motored home only a few seconds in arrears of the very strong German Martin.

It was yet another day for Thomas Voeckler to turn himself inside out, this time to stay in fourth place over the resurgent Contador, who finished third today. In other battles, Damiano Cunego held off Ivan Basso to finish top Italian, and yesterday’s victor Pierre Rolland stayed just ahead of Rein Taaramae to win the white jersey for best young rider. Ryder Hesjedal fell one spot to 18th as his teammate Christian Vande Velde pips him on GC by two seconds.