Cadel Evans
The tenacious Aussie climber who endured years of near-misses to finally conquer the Tour de France in 2011.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Australian road bicycle racer·Birthday: February 14·Generation X
Biography
Cadel Evans began his athletic life on a mountain bike, winning a World Cup title and finishing seventh at the 2000 Olympics. But the road called, and he reinvented himself with a meticulous, almost scientific approach to training. For years, he was the nearly man of grand tours—twice finishing second in the Tour de France, his slight frame and fierce determination making him a brilliant climber but leaving him vulnerable in time trials and tactical warfare. The 2011 Tour became his masterpiece. At 34, considered past his prime, he executed a flawless race, seizing the yellow jersey in the penultimate stage time trial. His victory, Australia's first, cracked a century of European dominance and validated a career built on relentless perseverance. Evans's win was not a display of sheer dominance, but a hard-earned triumph of planning, patience, and grit.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Cadel was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cadel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Cadel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Australian to win the Tour de France in 2011.
- Won the UCI Road World Championships in 2009.
- Achieved multiple podium finishes in Grand Tours, including second place in the 2007 and 2008 Tours de France.
- Won the Tour de Romandie and the Critérium International in 2011, building momentum for his Tour victory.
Did You Know?
He originally pursued a career in mountain biking, winning the 1998–1999 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.
He is an avid reader and has a degree in sports mechanics.
After retirement, he competed in and won the 2017 Australian national championships in mountain bike marathon.
“I've had a lot of second places. Now I have a first place.”
