Cycling: Tour de France winner Cadel Evans will retire in February

Cadel Evans twice finished runner-up in the Tour de France as well as winning it

Cadel Evans, the only Australian to win the Tour de France, has announced he is to retire from cycling.

The 37-year-old, who won the Tour in 2011, will step away from the sport after the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road one-day race in February.

"The chance of winning another Grand Tour is probably past me, so now is a good time to say: 'Stop,'" he said.

Evans twice finished runner-up on the Tour in 2007 and 2008 and won the world championships road race in 2009.