Image 1 of 3 Cadel Evans (BMC). (Image credit: Bettini Photo) Image 2 of 3 Cadel Evans (BMC) (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com) Image 3 of 3 Cadel Evans (BMC) sitting in the bunch (Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Tour de France winner Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) will retire early next year according to Gazzetto dello Sport. The Australian will reportedly put an end to his racing career shortly after the Tour Down Under in early 2015.

The highlight of the 37-year-old's career was his Tour de France victory in 2011. Evans also won the world championships in 2009, Fleche Wallonne in 2010 and finished on the podium of both the Vuelta a Espana (2009) and Giro d'Italia (2013).

Evans will wrap up his competitive career at the Tour Down Under - his home WorldTour race on January 17-25 - and will then make an appearance at the Great Ocean Road Race, a UCI-categorized race also in Australia on February 1. Following his retirement, Gazzetta reports, Evans is expected to serve as an ambassador for BMC.

Evans joined his current team after winning the 2009 Worlds. He is part of a strong Australian selection for the forthcoming world championships in Ponferrada, Spain.