Cadel Evans: Tour de France favourite

Anyone who plans on giving the Tour de France a miss because they can't see the entertainment value in watching when the winner will emerge as a drugs cheat a few months later would do well to watch this video. Now that you're hooked, here's our analysis of the key contenders:

 

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Cadel Evans
The thirty one year old Australian was the runner up in the 2007 Tour de France and in the absence of last year's winner, Alberto Contador, is favourite to take the 2008 title. History however does not favour Evans. You have to go back to 1997 to find the last winner –Jan Ulrich– who had finished second in the previous year and there has never been an Australian winner of the tour.

Denis Menchov
Menchov finished fifth in the 2006 Tour de France and withdrew last year after a doping controversy involving team mate Michael Rasmussen. The Russian rider won his second Tour of Spain (Vuelta a España) in 2007, having previously won the twenty three day road race in 2005.

Carlos Sastre
Spaniard Sastre earned a podium finish in the 2006 Tour de France, sealing third place in the overall standings. The thirty three year old finished fourth in last year's Tour and was runner up to Menchov in the 2007 Vuelta a España. The last two winners of the Tour de France have both been Spanish.

Alejandro Valverde
Valverde finished sixth at last year's Tour de France and his impressive win in the Dauphiné Libéré in June confirmed his place among the favourites for the Tour. Lance Armstrong won the Dauphiné Libéré in successive years (2002, 2003) and on both occasions went on to triumph in the Tour de France.

Andy Schleck
The twenty three year old from Luxembourg finished second in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, winning the young rider classification in the process. An exciting prospect no doubt, but not since Jan Ulrich's win in 1997 has anyone younger than twenty four won the Tour.

Damiano Cunego
Cunego was a surprise winner of the 2004 Giro d'Italia and the climbing specialist has built steadily on his early success. The twenty six year old was the best-placed young rider at the 2006 Tour de France, finishing eleventh in the overall standings.

Mauricio Soler
Soler was King of the Mountains in his first ever Tour de France last year, but otherwise has a relatively modest record. The twenty five year old Colombian was the overall winner of the 2007 'Vuelta a Burgos' and will figure in the contest for the polka dot jersey once more.