As everybody knows by know, the Team GB Reach For The Sky+ Box road team will be winning the Tour de France within a few years. Dave Brailsford has promised it so it must be true. But it seems that the Brits could face competition from an unexpected quarter ... or rather hemisphere. The Aussies want their own Tour team too. And Cadel Evans could be leading them, especially with it already looking likely that Silence-Lotto will fail to support his Grand Tour ambitions. Again.

The story comes courtesy of the Herald Sun newspaper. It reports that a Melbourne-based consortium - Australian Road Cycling - has been working for more than a year on the Tour de France project and wants to put a team on the road in 2010. And ARC consultant Paul McNamee says he wants Evans to lead it:

"Cadel has been very supportive. If the opportunity arises, he would be our No. 1 target. We would love to think he could ride in our team eventually."

Evans is reported to be very interested in the project:

"Getting an Australian team up is what I am keeping busy doing. I had a meeting this week and that is something we are really working towards. It has become a real interest for me. We are well placed on the talent side of riders, team staff and even equipment manufacturers. We have all the experts in that regard. And now the interest is coming from the corporate side. You obviously need a lot of money to run a team. It's certainly a possibility. When, I am not exactly sure, but I am working on it as well. I hope it is while I am still competing but time is running out a bit for me. To build a really good team takes a couple of years, but I hope so. My ultimate dream would be to finish my last couple of years riding on an Australian team."

A 'significant announcement' is expected at next month's Tour Down Under. Says McNamee:

"I think there is momentum, but we'll be in a better position to say more at the Tour Down Under, which will be a massive fillip for the sport with cycling front and centre for a week."