Simon Gerrans stands just 170cm tall and at 64kg weighs in at not much more than a jockey. Yet this week he proved even his mentor Phil Anderson wrong when taking out stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana to become the first Australian to win a stage in all three of cycling’s Grand Tours.
Having tasted success in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year and with his epic stage 15 victory in the 2008 Tour de France still his career highlight, this week’s win in the 162km stage from Alicante to Murcia places Gerrans in elite company.
Anderson had doubts Gerrans would even crack the ranks of professional cycling, let alone forge a career admired throughout the riding fraternity.
To add to this week’s efforts, Gerrans has already twice won the Herald Sun Tour (2005, 2006) and the Tour Down Under title (2006).
With Cadel Evans sitting second in the overall classification and just 7 seconds adrift of leader Alejandro Valverde, the success of the Australians on tour gives further optimism the Tour de France will take another look at the possibility of conducting the race based on nationality.
Any change to the Tour is unlikely before 2013, which will be too late for the likes of Evans and tour veteran’s Stuart O’Grady and Robbie McEwen to compete together in Australian colours.
The albeit slight possibility the Tour may make the change would see Gerrans, Alan Davis, Michael Rogers, Mark Renshaw, Brett Lancaster, Matthew Lloyd, young track star Cameron Meyer and soon to be Aussie and already Tour stage winner Heinrich Haussler, form a genuinely competitive international outfit.
A pipe dream perhaps but it illustrates the strength and depth of both track and road cycling in this country.
Gerrans, controversially omitted from this year’s Tour de France by his own team, has responded in great style and a move next year to the new British Sky racing team will provide countless opportunities to further entrench his reputation as one of the toughest riders in the business.
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