Movies of War

VIDEO: Lungs on Legs: The play based on Cadel Evans’ Tour de France winCourtney Bembridge7.30Tue 3 FebTuesday 3 FebruaryTue 3 Feb 2026 at 9:11amHas Video Duration: 5 minutes 36 seconds.Watch 5m Lungs on Legs: The play based on Cadel Evans’ Tour de France winShare optionsFacebookLinkedInX (formerly Twitter)TranscriptPHIL LIGGETT, COMMENTATOR: Cadel Evans is going into the start. There he is. What an incredible day in the Tour de France. Absolute fantastic racing here. COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE, REPORTER: It’s one of Australia’s greatest sporting achievements. PHIL LIGGETT: There is the man who has won the Tour de France. Cadel Evans, the first Australian to win the Tour de France. He’d come so close so many times that he was beginning to think it was never going to happen. Well, this time he nailed it, and it was a big moment.COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Phil Liggett has covered more than 50 Tours de France but 2011 was special.PHIL LIGGETT: It is going to be a big night in Australia tonight. The glorious ride into the Champs-Elysees, most famous road in Europe to win the Tour de France, a first for Australia, but you couldn't have written a script better, unless your name was Connor Delves, of course.COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Fifteen years on, it’s the subject of a one-man play. CONNOR DELVES, WRITER AND ACTOR: Nearly 20 years of racing has led to this stage, this moment – breath, heart rate, power, focus – win the Tour de France, come on Cadel!I could probably ride a bike for a whole show. I love Cadel Evans. He changed my life. I grew up in my parent’s bike shop and I’ve never had the opportunity to play an Australian, never had the opportunity to be or play an athlete. Of course, why didn't I think of this before? COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Performed entirely on a bike for about an hour, Connor Delves cycles more than 30 kilometres and reaches speeds of 50km/h bringing a whole new meaning to method acting.CONNOR DELVES: From day one I said the effort is the important thing for me on the stage. I want to show endurance sport as it is, the grittiness, the sweat, I sweat a lot in the show. What I drew inspiration from was Beyonce. So she trains on the treadmill, sings on the treadmill. So I said, well if Beyonce can sing on the treadmill, I can speak on the bike.COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: To do that he gave up drinking and started a strict training program.CONNOR DELVES: I had to get my body in a position, kind of like the Tour de France and the endurance sport to really be able to do it every single night at full effort.COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: And he’s not just riding any bikes – they’re all originals that Cadel rode during that winning race.CONNOR DELVES: All this stuff that's just been sitting there with 2011 on it, a lot of it has his signature. A lot of it can't be washed because he sweated in it.PHIL LIGGETT: Cadel Evans, concentration and rocks out the saddle. COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Connor also spoke to his muse to help bring the concept to life.CONNOR DELVES: He said, "Well I’m honoured that you thought of me to do a play." I’m like, "You’re honoured? What are you talking about Cadel, I’m honoured that you’re even giving me the time of day.”COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: The project debuted at Edinburgh Fringe last year to rave reviews.CONNOR DELVES: Good morning from Edinburgh, we have just sold out the rest of our run here.I see Lycra in the audience, I see men in the audience crying. Men that I've never seen in the theatre.PHIL LIGGETT: It took me about three minutes of watching him to not think he wasn't Cadel. He studied Cadel inside out. And I was looking at Cadel Evans riding the Tour de France.VICKI DELVES: That one here, this is where you first learned to ride, you were two, just in the park down the road. COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Connor grew up in his parent’s bike shop in Perth and was competing from a young age. CONNOR DELVES: Mum did a triathlon a few weeks after giving birth to me, pushing me on the pram, running down the Swan River, and going out to watch dad mountain bike. I mean I've seen them compete and the risk involved with that and the hard work.That's you racing there, right? GARY DELVES: Yep. Not my best shot. COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: And in 1996 his dad competed in the mountain biking world cup against a young Cadel Evans who was just 15 at the time.GARY DELVES: And of course, he lapped me in no time, which is fine. As a competitor, you enjoy that as well, seeing that next level. So yeah, it was great, loved it. COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Back in 2011, the whole family was huddled around the TV. CONNOR DELVES: It's kind of like Christmas, winning the tour, watching an Australian win it so struggled to sleep that night.COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: It’s a TV moment he’s now seen more than a thousand times and on Friday, he re-enacted it in front of Cadel himself.COURTNEY BEMBRIDGE: Is there anyone in the audience who's had a play made about them?CADEL EVANS: You have to understand, it's kind of a little bit strange.To be able to positively influence people and maybe young riders in Australia and athletes and people outside the sport in Australia is probably on a personal level the greatest thing.CONNOR DELVES: It's a responsibility too to tell his story truthfully, honestly, and do it well. I definitely didn't take that for granted.It's been 15 years since Cadel Evans won the Tour de France. That moment it now the subject of a new play.Courtney Bembridge reports.AustraliaTheatre