SYDNEY - Cadel Evans was on the threshold of claiming one of Australia's biggest sporting achievements by winning the Tour de France, newspapers in his home country said on Sunday.

Evans, 34, was on the brink of making history as Australia's first winner of the world's greatest cycling race in Paris later on Sunday, and an expectant sports-mad nation was waiting to join in the acclaim.

The Australian, a two-time runner-up in the gruelling event, seized the leader's yellow jersey for the first time in this year's race when he overhauled overnight leader Andy Schleck in the penultimate stage time trial on Saturday.

BMC leader Evans finished second behind stage winner Tony Martin of Germany but importantly will go into Sunday's final stage, a 95-km run from Creteil to Paris - which is traditionally not disputed by the overall contenders - as the new race champion.

"It's going to be one of the biggest sporting achievements that an Australian has ever (done). It's humungous," Matt White, Australia's national road cycling co-ordinator, told the Sun-Herald.

Evans' father, Paul Evans, said his son had gone through a great deal in his life to win the Tour de France.

"I don't think it has really sunk in. It's been seven years he's been trying to do it and it's finally happened," Evans senior told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"He's gone through a lot. He was telling me the last time he was here that it's not the physical pain and the training, it's the time away from your family.

"It's a big sacrifice. He's basically lived out of a suitcase for about 20 years now, just from one hotel to the other."

Evans, who finished second in the tour by 23 sec in 2007 and 58 sec in 2008, also defied race history, as only four times in the past 50 years had anyone come from behind to take the tour lead in the final time trial, the newspaper said.

Evans was set to elevate himself into Australian sporting immortality by being crowned Tour de France champion, Australian Associated Press said.

AAP compared his imminent triumph with Australia's biggest sporting moments, such as Australia II winning the 1983 America's Cup off Rhode Island, which prompted a public holiday.

Evans was asked for his thoughts about the possibility of Prime Minister Julia Gillard declaring a public holiday in honour of his victory, and told AAP: "If it doesn't hurt the economy, that's fine by me. Thanks, Julia."

With victory, 34-year-old Cadel would become the oldest winner of the Tour in the 88 years since Henri Pelissier finished on top in 1923 and only the third non-European winner - following Americans Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond - since the race began in 1903, AAP said.

The Sun-Herald said Evans was inspired by the memory of his late Italian mentor and trainer, Aldo Sassi, who died last December from a brain tumour.

The first Australian competed in the Tour de France in 1914, but it wasn't until 1981 that an Australian, Phil Anderson, wore the yellow jersey for the first time.

Agence France-Presse