Australian cycling star Cadel Evans will watch Lance Armstrong's progress this month with interest, but his main Tour de France threat remains Alberto Contador.

Armstrong will compete in the three-week Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) from this weekend, having recovered from the broken collarbone he suffered in March. The record seven-time Tour de France champion is making a comeback this year as part of the strong Astana team, which also features Contador.

The Spaniard beat Evans to win the Tour in 2007, but did not race last year, when the Australian was runner-up again behind Contador's compatriot Carlos Sastre.

"I won't be the only person in the world watching with interest," Evans said of Armstrong's Giro progress.

"Contador will probably be one other, to say the least.

"For me, Contador is still the guy to beat, but most of all my focus is me getting me and my team to the start line in Monaco (for the Tour start on July 4) as best we can."

The Australian also cheekily suggested that Armstrong was yet to confirm his Tour start.

"Let's see if he's on the start line, that would be the first thing," Evans said. "Having a guy like Contador in your team, it's a completely different situation for him as well."

Armstrong retired immediately after winning the Tour for the seventh-straight time in 2005. While the American was the No.1 rider in his team for all his Tour wins, it is a much different dynamic at Astana, with American Levi Leipheimer and German Andreas Kloden also potential team leaders.

Evans was speaking in a media teleconference from his home in Switzerland, where he is resting for 10 days before starting his buildup to the Tour de France.

The Australian has not enjoyed as strong a start to this season as he did last year, but that is partly by design. He wants to be in top form for the September world road championships in Switzerland, a race Evans thinks will suit his strengths.

Evans also spent the end of last year recovering from the knee injury that he suffered in an accident at a party on the last night of the Tour de France.

"It's coming along, I'm not quite where I was last year, but that's not a problem," Evans said of his form. "Last year, a lot of people came and told me I was going too good at the start of the year.

Evans' knee is now trouble-free, but he says he will need plenty of work on his time trialling form before the Tour. He is also happy with the state of his Silence-Lotto team, despite rumours of problems this month during the spring classics.

Meanwhile, Evans has expressed disappointment about Italian Davide Rebellin, who has returned a positive test from the Beijing Olympics.

"Like most cycling fans, I'm a bit disillusioned, I was a Davide Rebellin fan as well," he said. "It's very disappointing, but oh well, at least the tests are working and the cheats are getting caught."

Roger Vaughan
AAP