Evans begins title defense at 99th Tour de France

Associated Press

LIEGE, Belgium

Cadel Evans thinks one Tour de France title will make it easier to win another one. And he’s ready to add that second championship right now.

Evans opens his title defense when the 99th edition of cycling’s marquee race begins today with a quick, 4-mile prologue in Liege, Belgium — an individual time trial expected to be dominated by specialists such as Fabien Cancellara of Switzerland and Tony Martin of Germany, or contender Bradley Wiggins of Britain.

The beginning of the Tour offers the cycling world a welcome return to racing after the sport’s doping ghosts returned this month, with charges by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs en route to his seven Tour victories.

For a race covering 2,100 miles over three weeks, the prologue is just the very beginning for the rider who will cycle down Paris’ Champs-Elysees in the yellow jersey on July 22.