Cadel Evans is looking forward to racing for one last time at the WorldTour level in front of his home crowds when the first stage of the Tour Down Under begins on Tuesday. He is racing for a result and will use the crowd for extra motivation.

"Most races I do, I race to win and get a good result and this one is no different," Evans said at the pre-race press conference. "I am a little bit more excited that I am racing in front of a home crowd and I have to appreciate the enjoyment of racing as I won't have any opportunities after the first of February.

"I come here with a focus, as always, to perform well but also to enjoy being in the peloton, being in the race, being with my colleagues' whom some have been so for 10 to 20 years. I'll be racing with them and being competitive for the last time in a stage race and last time in a WorldTour race here from Tuesday to Sunday."

Evans was second last year and won the stage to Campbelltown and he says his form is similar to what it was last year. But he is focusing on delivering a good result to end his career at the top level of cycling.

"I am here to do a good race as always and concentrate on doing a good race," he said. "I am not going to be racing with guys from second of February onwards so I want to make an emphasis of being out there with the guys, being a professional athlete for two more weeks and enjoy it, but as the same time as a professional, get the best result I am capable of and hopefully racing for the win or a good result."

Evans will be sad on the day he has to retire, but he says that it happens to all athletes and he has come to accept it and doesn’t regret anything.

"It is one day [in the career of a] sportsperson," he said of his retirement date. "Even the young ones here will have to stop, sorry to tell you that, but at the same time I am looking forward to getting some of my life back. It's my twentieth year as a full time cyclist, which is more than half my life, so I am probably going to have to make some adjustments afterwards but at that the same time I have had a great opportunity to give everything I have to the sport.”