Riding 27km onstage in a demanding solo performance, Connor Delves turns Cadel Evans’ Tour de France victory into a study of endurance and obsession

It’s been 15 years since Cadel Evans rode into Paris in the yellow jersey, becoming the first Australian to win the Tour de France and one of only three non-Europeans ever to claim cycling’s greatest prize.

Many will remember the podium finish of the 2011 race, but perhaps few know the years of near-misses, injuries and attrition that preceded it – or the way an introverted cyclist from the Northern Territory propelled himself forward through doubt, discipline and relentless self-talk.

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