In the wake of the controversial Crawford Report, Evans said it was important that government funding for sport continued.

One of the major debating points of the Crawford Report is the link between elite sport and competition at lower levels.

While touring the country to promote his book Evans said it was obvious to him that elite athletes have a major effect at the grass-roots level.

''At the book launches, I don't know how many people have come up to me and said 'only because of you and thanks to you I've taken up riding my bike','' Evans said.

''Whether they're 40 or 50 or 60 or 20, it's been really quite overwhelming, I'm quite surprised.''

Two-time Tour de France runner-up is now a cycling millionaire but he relied on extensive Australian Institute of Sport support early in his career while he was a mountain bike competitor.

''If Australia has any hopes to perform at the Olympics, not just in London but beyond, unfortunately we have to invest in young talent,'' Evans said.

''I don't know if I would have made it as a professional athlete if I hadn't had the help from the AIS and Cycling Australia earlier in my career.''

Top Australian track rider Anna Meares has also urged the government not to reduce funding ahead of the London Olympics.

''We have business to do in London, we have a lot of business to take to the Poms in the Olympic Games,'' she said.

''We do need the funding to get us there.''

Cycling Australia's board will go over the report at its meeting in Melbourne this weekend.

Kayaker Ken Wallace said when he returned home with a gold medal from the Beijing Olympics what he noticed most was the legion of kids who swarmed to the water attempting to emulate his feats following his success in the K1 500m.

''I was amazed at how many kids started kayaking after the Olympics,'' Wallace said.