Hulsmans tips Floyd vs Evans showdown

Quick.Step's Kevin Hulsmans had some guarded praise for rival team sprinter Robbie McEwen on the rest day. "If you look at the first week; McEwen is definitely the man of the sprints," said Hulsmans. "But the tour is another two weeks long, so I prefer to wait and see what happens next before I pass comments on who is the best sprinter there."

But Hulsmans, whose team is focused solely on assisting Boonen to stage wins and isn't thinking about the general classification at all, was less cautious about his tips for the yellow jersey in Paris. "As far as the overall classification is concerned, realistically; I think Floyd and Evans are the two big favourites," he said.