BMC Racing Team’s Cadel Evans has made it clear that he will focus his 2014 season entirely on the Giro d'Italia, thus putting an end to speculations that he might ride another Tour de France next year.

Evans acknowledged that he has come to grips with the team's decision to concentrate its Tour de France squad on younger riders like American Tejay van Garderen who finished fifth overall and was the best young rider in the 2012 edition of La Grande Boucle.

Evans nearly went as far as stating that this year's Tour de France was his swansong at the French Grand Tour, saying that it was improbable that he would race it again now that his team has decided to have him focus on the Giro instead, citing his less than successful Tour de France this year, which came in the wake of his 3rd place finish overall at the Giro. Evans explained that he would have loved to have another shot at Tour de France glory and to bid farewell to the race in a more dignified manner.

"Initially it was disappointing to not be doing the Tour. Realistically this year is going to be my last Tour de France and I didn't want to leave it in such a bad state. I would have liked to have gone back and given it one more shot and done a good result. That was disappointing for me personally, initially, to not be doing the Tour.”

Despite his unfulfilled desire to have another crack at the Tour, Evans said he relished the opportunity to participate in La Corsa Rosa.

“After getting over the initial disappointment, the Giro is a race that I love, it's the race I started the Grand Tours in, and it's a race I want to do and a different challenge, which is refreshing in a lot of ways. I've committed 10 years of my life to the Tour de France, to commit one year or a few months to something else is refreshing."

Having come to terms with the Giro substituting the Tour as his main focal point of the coming season, Evans will be planning his entire 2014 season around the Italian Grand Tour.  Initial speculations that Evans might appear at the Tour Down Under in his native Australia were rife and even though Evans was non-committal when quizzed about the possibility of him making a return to the Australian stage race in which he last competed in 2010 at the BMC team presentation for 2014 earlier this month, those speculations were confirmed earlier this week when the team announced Evans’ return to the Tour Down Under.

"I haven't been able to race there since 2010 because I've always been working toward the Tour de France," he said. "But with me going for the Giro, it gives me the opportunity to race in Australia and the race which has become the real season start and the meeting point for the world of cycling at the beginning of the year. So it will be something special, especially racing in front of a home crowd."

No Ardennes Classics

Elaborating on his plans for his build-up towards the Giro, Evans all but excluded his participation in the Ardennes Classics even though he has sweet memories from these races, having won the 2010 Fleche Wallonne.  Instead, Evans will use the Giro del Trentino to fine-tune and finalize his preparations for the Giro.

"It's not that I don't want to race the Ardennes [Classics], but leading to the Giro at the same time. I'll be gearing everything toward that, so most likely Trentino for the training benefits, and looking toward the Giro. If you aim to reach your peak level for the Ardennes, it’s difficult to maintain that level over such a prolonged time."

Evans said he is hopeful that he can improve upon this year's third place finish in the Giro and that he liked the parcours of next year’s Giro.

"I wasn't too far off second, so I'd like to improve upon that. I think the route is very well balanced. Of course there are difficult mountain stages but that is always going to be the case in a Grand Tour. I believe the organisers have done a good job of establishing a reasonable balance. The climbs are tough, as they should be, but they are not excessive. I want to improve on my result from this year’s Giro, and I fancy my chances.”

Evans also indicated that the Giro d’Italia would be the sole Grand Tour on his 2014 race calendar, opting to forgo the Giro-Vuelta double and to participate once again in the upcoming stage races in Northern America. Evans took part in these races this year and liked the atmosphere and the potential of the emerging races.

"I like to support some of the newer, emerging races that have the potential to be a big part of cycling," he said.