Evans to launch Perth races on Friday

Cadel Evans will continue his whirlwind tour of Australia in Perth, Western Australia on Friday where he is the honorary guest at the launch of two local International Cycling Union (UCI) ranked races. Evans, who became the nation’s first UCI World Road Champion last month in Switzerland, has been visiting his homeland’s capital cities to promote his new book Cadel Evans: Close to flying since arriving in the nation last week.

Evans will speak at the official launch of the Scody Tour de Perth and Perth Track Cycling Grand Prix at the Novotel Perth Langley Hotel on Friday morning. He will be joined by Tour de Perth organizing committee chairman Julian Atkinson and local councilor John Tognolini as speakers at the breakfast launch.

The Perth races commence this weekend with the Perth International Track Cycling Grand Prix, to be held on the city’s 250 metre indoor SpeedDome. The annual race will feature local stars like World Track Champions Cameron Meyer and Josephine Tomic as well as South Australian Olympic gold and silver medallist Anna Meares.

The racing continues a week later with the Scody Tour de Perth, a round of Cycling Australia’s National Racing Series. The four stage race includes a criterium, individual time trial and two circuit races, held between November 13-15. Confirmed starters for the event include Fly V Australia’s Ben King and Jayco-AIS rider Adam Semple.

Evans revealed earlier this week he would join Professional Continental team BMC Racing Team in 2010, in a surprise announcement. The news come following an equally unexpected announcement from his former ProTour squad Silence-Lotto that it would release the two time Tour de France runner-up from his existing contract, that went through to the end of next season.

Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed