Cadel Evans will have the support of a “well-balanced” squad when the Australian challenges for the Tour de France yellow jersey, his BMC team have announced.

Evans, a former two-time runner-up in the race who has missed the podium the past two years, deliberately started his 2011 campaign later than usual in a bid to boost his yellow jersey chances.

The 2009 world champion has since claimed overall wins at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour de Romandie, and last week finished runner-up for a fourth time at the Criterium du Dauphine in France.

Joining Evans for the July 2-25 race will be Brent Bookwalter, Marcus Burghardt, George Hincapie, Amael Moinard, Steve Morabito, Ivan Santaromita, Manuel Quinziato and Michael Schar.

Sporting director John Lelangue said Evans will have fresh legs around him, as no one on the squad competed at the Giro d’Italia.

“We have a well-balanced team – between the experienced classics riders, who will help keep Cadel out of trouble – as well as the riders who are there for the middle and high-mountain stages,” Lelan-gue said.

“We also have a good squad for the team time trial, even if it is a short one (22 km on stage two of the race).”

Evans took the yellow jersey at last year’s race only to crash and suffer a broken elbow. He battled through the pain to go on and finish 26th overall.

“Last year versus this year, we are in a better position to take on the Tour de France,” team manager Jim Ochowicz said.

“We recognised we needed to get a little bit more support for Cadel in the mountains. But we still have guys with lots of experience like George (Hincapie) and (Marcus) Burghardt to help him, too.”

Hincapie will be making his 16th Tour de France start, tying Joop Zoetemelk’s participation record.

Among Evans’s rivals will be three-time and defending champion Alberto Contador, of Spain, and Andy Schleck, of Luxembourg, the runner-up the past two years.

Britain’s Bradley Wiggins, Belgium’s Jurgen van den Broeck, Dutchman Robert Gesink and Italian Ivan Basso, a former Tour de France runner-up and Giro d’Italia champion, are also hoping to be in contention.