Two-time Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans appears fit to compete at the Beijing Games after an injury scare, Australia's Olympic supremo John Coates said on Sunday, dpa reported.
"Cadel is hoping to compete in the time trial and the road race," Coates told a news conference five days ahead of the opening ceremony. "There is no doubt he will be coming."
Evans finished second behind Spain's Carlos Sastre at the 2008 Tour last week Sunday. He was fancied to win the title but failed to turn around a deficit on Sastre on a time trial on the penultimate day of the race.
It was then announced that he injured his knee. Evans crashed in the ninth stage of the Tour and then fell on a wet dance floor in a Paris club during a post-Tour party.
Coates said that Evans was "responding especially well to treatment" and that the racer was "very keen to compete."
The Australian HeraldSun paper quoted Evans on its website as saying that his knee "is improving every day, hour by hour" at the Australian training camp in Varese, Italy.
"Absolutely, I give myself a chance of riding at the Olympics," said Evans.
Evans withdrew from the Olympic time trial and replaced by Michael Rogers, but Australia have now earned a wildcard. Evans said he will decide on the time trial after the road race set for the first day of Olympic competition Saturday.