Cadel Evans to end career at BMC

Cadel Evans

The 2011 Tour de France winner, 37, has remained competitive in grand tours, although he is absent from Le Tour in 2014.

Evans finished eighth in the Giro d'Italia, 11 minutes 51 seconds behind eventual winner Nairo Quintana.

The Katherine-born star's agent Jason Bakker said Evans would finish up at BMC.

"Personally I can't see him riding for another team. I think BMC is his final team. That's my honest opinion. He has great respect for Andy Rhys and that's mutual. I think when he finishes at BMC that will be the end of career," Bakker told cyclingnews.com.

BMC preferred Tejay van Garderen to lead their tilt at the French grand tour, with the 25-year-old American considered a future yellow jersey winner.

Van Garderen, who won the Tour's young rider classification in 2012, is seventh at the Tour after 10 stages - three minutes and 56 seconds behind overall leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

Bakker added, on whether Evans would ride on in 2015: "A lot will depend on how he rides for the rest of the year, his motivation and his role within the team.

"I don't think he has a time frame on making a decision. He's a highly motivated rider and he loves his cycling. He doesn't do it for fame or fortune; he does it because he loves the sport. 

"I think he'll know when the time is right to stop but at this point I think he wants to keep on riding."

Bakker said there was no foundation to the rumours linking Evans to Australian start-up Orica Green-EDGE.

"There's always speculation with Orica because of the Australian link and there's very strong mutual respect between Cadel and (Orica owner) Gerry Ryan but I think that's just obvious speculation," he said. 

"He's contracted to BMC this year so I don't think he's the type to talking to others. He's getting ready for Utah, Colorado, the Vuelta and then Worlds."

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