by Justin Davis

MARTIGNY, Switzerland, July 20, 2009 (AFP) – Cadel Evans said Monday he expects the race to finish first in this year’s Tour de France to go right to the wire.

Unfortunately for Australia’s two-time runner-up, he does not believe he will even be in the running for a podium place.

Evans suffered his “worst ever day” on the world’s biggest bike race on Sunday when an unexplainable loss of power left him battling to keep pace with the favourites on the summit finish to Verbier on the 15th stage.

After finishing seventh at 1:26 behind stage winner and new race leader Alberto Contador, Evans is now 14th place overall at 4:27 behind the Spaniard.

For Evans, who has finished no lower than eighth place in all four previous participation’s, the chance of even a podium place looks out of the question.

“I’m so far behind in the GC (general classification) that I didn’t think anyone would show up today,” Evans told reporters here on the race’s final rest day.

With three climbing stages and a time trial have yet to come, Evans’ is trying to remain positive.

But the 32-year-old is under no illusions. He even believes Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, third overall at 1:46 behind Contador, has a chance of winning the Tour.

“At the moment I will just try to salvage what I can. Normally the third week is when I’m strongest,” said Evans.

“But I have to be realistic, I’m four minutes down and each day I lose a little more time I’m getting further away.

“All I can do is claw back some places on GC (general classification). But from third to first is not easy, so from 14th …”

The Tour resumes Tuesday with the 16th stage from Martigny to Bourg Saint Maurice, but it is Wednesday’s 17th stage that is likely to stage the biggest battle for command of the race prior to the potential decider at Mont Ventoux on the penultimate stage on Saturday.

The 169.5km ride from Bourg Saint Maurice to Le Grand Bornand on the 17th stage includes five climbs and comes before Thursday’s individual time trial in Annecy.

Evans said it was “possible” he will be tempted to try and claw back some of his lost time on Wednesday, although he hinted that may not be an option if he is then to produce the time trial of his life 24 hours later.

“Whoever wants to be on the podium in Paris will have to do a great time trial. That means I will have to be phenomenal,” added Evans.

With Lance Armstrong still expected to finish on the podium and Andy Schleck two minutes ahead of him, Evans said he might expect to be pipped by Wiggins.

“I will be interested to see what he does in the final time trial,” said Evans.

Having lost two and a half minutes of his current deficit during stage four’s team time trial, when a disastrous performance by his Silence team left them in 13th place behind Astana, the mountains and the time trial are now Evans’ only chance to move back up the overall standings.

But after Sunday’s nightmare ride through Switzerland, where Evans lives, the Australian is not exactly bubbling with optimism.

“They say on the Tour that you always have one bad day, and I wasn’t feeling good at all,” said Evans.

“You know when you start breaking down the (kilometres) down into 100-metre segments that you’re having a bad day.

“But given the way I was feeling (Sunday) it wasn’t a great deal of time differences (between the favourites).

“I’ve since heard the data from Alberto Contador’s climb and it’s really quite spectacular. The fact I finished just over a minute behind him is not so bad.”