The knee injury that almost forced Cadel Evans out of the Olympics would not be used as an excuse if the Australian road cycling team left Beijing empty-handed.
The head of the cycling contingent, Shayne Bannan, said yesterday that the condition of the two-time Tour de France runner-up had steadily improved since his mishap in the post-Tour celebrations, and that there was an expectation that Evans or Michael Rogers possibly both would win medals in today's 47km event.
''[Evans' knee] is in better condition now than it was at the start of the road race, so there is absolutely no concern about his knee. None whatsoever,'' Bannan said yesterday.
''After just doing the Tour de France he may or may not have done some specialist work on a time trial bike before coming here [If he hadn't got injured], though I'm of the belief that after you finish a three-week stage race such as the Tour your body does need rest more than anything else. He actually got that rest. But what's happened I don't believe will play a part at all in what's going to happen tomorrow.''
In the race against the clock Evans will race third last in the field of 39. Rogers, a three-time world time trial champion (2003-05) and confident after placing sixth in the road race on Saturday, will be the 10th-last cyclist to set off.
''The thing about the time trial is it's completely in your control, the only thing that may make a difference would be the weather, but hopefully that's going to be fair for everybody out there and if the guys go out there and they both ride to their potential then they are a definite medal chance,'' Bannan said.
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, the reigning world time trial champion who will race last today, is the hot favourite to take gold after his blistering attacks late in Saturday's road race that won him an unexpected bronze medal.
German Stefan Schumacher did not complete the Olympic road race, citing headaches as the reason for his withdrawal, but is also expected to challenge for gold after winning the two time trials in the Tour de France last month.
Evans and Rogers placed first and second in the Olympic test event last year, though not against the same calibre of competition and on a shorter course.
While Rogers had a two-hour ride on the Beijing triathlon course yesterday, meeting up with compatriot track endurance rider Cameron Meyer, Evans opted to stay in the athletes' village.
He rode for about 40 minutes before completing another 30 minutes on a turbo trainer.