Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans says he will compete at next month's Olympics, scotching rumours his Games bid was in doubt because of injury.
Speculation was rife in his native Australia that he might not be able to compete in Beijing after hurting his knee at a post-race party in Paris.
"It's just a rumour, that's all it is - I'm still going to Beijing," said Evans, who finished runner-up for a second straight year when cycling's biggest race ended here yesterday.
"Obviously I'm a bit tired."
Melbourne radio station SEN quoted a witness who claimed to have seen Evans "hobbling" at the party.
Evans apparently stumbled on a wet floor at his Silence-Lotto team's official function at the Hard Rock Cafe in Paris but did not fall over.
He was walking gingerly today as a result of finishing the 3,559km Tour yesterday.
"I've got a sore backside, but that's from 3,500km," Evans said.
He suffered a nasty crash on stage nine of the 21-stage Tour and said he was still feeling the effects when he crossed the finish line on the Champs Elysees.
But he planned to go for a training ride later today and was confident of being fit in China.
"I actually think the riders who didn't do the Tour will find it harder in Beijing than the riders who did," he said.
Evans finished behind Spaniard Carlos Sastre of Team CSC yesterday, a year after being runner-up to another Spanish rider, Alberto Contador.
The Australian is expected to join compatriots Stuart O'Grady, who was member of Sastre's winning Tour de France team, Simon Gerrans, who won stage 15 of this year's race, Michael Rogers and Matthew Lloyd for the Olympic men's road race on August 9.
Evans is also the favourite to contest the time trial four days later, although Rogers could take his place if his exertions at the Tour de France prove to have taken too big a toll.
