LONDON - Cadel Evans warns the advantage of having Alberto Contador absent from this year's Tour de France may be offset by added attention paid to his own team.

The Australian's bid to claim cycling's greatest prize for a second straight year received a major boost when Contador's two-year doping suspension was upheld on Monday after a protracted legal process.

The retrospective punishment dished out by the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped the Spaniard of his 2010 Tour de France title and awarded it to runner-up Andy Schleck.

Contador's suspension ends on August 6, ruling the early favourite out of the Tour de France and also the London Olympics.

``In 2012, in some ways it is one less GC (general classification) rider,'' Evans said after attending the Laureus awards in London.

``Whether that is an advantage or a disadvantage, it depends.

``Certainly at any grand tour that he lines up in, he (Contador) is normally the man to beat and that is what his record shows.

``So in that regard maybe . . . (it helps).''

With this year's Tour de France course leaning in favour of strong time trialists, Contador and Evans were considered the main contenders alongside the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Schleck and Denis Menchov.

Bookmakers reacted to Contador's ban by installing Evans as hot favourite to win the 2012 race, with one Australian bookie slashing his odds to $2.50.

Evans said not having Contador around would ensure more of the focus in the peloton shifted onto his BMC team, making their task tougher.

``Sometimes it can be to your advantage to have another good, strong rider because it is also another favourite,'' he said. ``It is someone else that the other teams are controlling.''