The top three finishers from the 2011 Tour de France will later this month in Colorado. Tour winner Cadel Evans and brothers Andy and Franck Schleck, who finished second and third, will skip the Vuelta a España, the third of cycling’s three grand tours, in what is a major coup for the American race organizers. “I’ve heard good things about the race in Colorado and I know it won’t be easy. But I’m up for one more challenge,” Evans said in a . Evans reportedly decided to skip the Vuelta so he could finish his season and return to Australia early. Race organizers had initially announced that the Schleck brothers would compete in March, but had recently backed down from guaranteeing their participation. Last month, Evans and the Schlecks each finished among the top five in the Tour de France’s ranking of climbers, which could help them on the hilly Colorado course. Other riders competing include Tom Danielson, the top American in this year’s tour, and Ivan Basso, the two-time winner of the Giro d’Italia.
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