BMC Racing Team's Cadel Evans of Australia descends the Col du Galibier during the 19th stage of the Tour de France cycling race, from Modane to Alpe d' Huez, July 22, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

A factbox on Cadel Evans, who became the first Australian winner of the Tour de France on Sunday:

* Born Feb. 14, 1977, in Katherine, Northern Territory

* Started competitive cycling aged 14, and rode at the 1994 world junior mountain bike championships.

* Won six junior and under-23 medals (none gold) in mountain bike cross country and individual road time trial world titles from 1995-99.

* Finished ninth in the mountain bike cross country race at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and seventh four years later in Sydney.

* Won the mountain bike cross-country overall World Cup title in 1998 and 1999.

* Became the first Australian to have the overall lead in the Giro d'Italia in 2002.

* Finished eighth overall in the 2002 Tour de France, fourth in 2006, and second in 2007 and 2008.

* Became the first Australian to win an elite road race gold medal since Jack Hoobin won the amateur road race title in 1950 when he won at the 2009 world road cycling championships.

* Became the first Australian and southern hemisphere rider to win the Tour de France in 2011, beating Luxembourg brothers Andy and Frank Schleck to the yellow jersey.