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.
Matthew Maguire
Roar Pro
Thanks for those details Grumpy. Had tried but failed to find the riders who had won stages in all three tours when writing the piece. Gerrans joining just 8 others is a great effort.
Mr Grumpy
Guest
There are nine current riders, including Gerrans, who have won a stage at all three grand tours. The others are Italians Alessandro Petacchi, Gilberto Simoni and Danielle Bennati, Spaniards Pablo Lastras and Juan Manel Garate, Thor Hushovd from Norway, Russia's Denis Menchov and David Zabriskie (USA). Alberto Contador won the 2008 Giro D'Italia without winning a stage. To run an Australian team would need sponsors who are prepared to cover the base cost around $A15million a year. Not cheap. Great effort by Gerrans to win at Murcia and it was a riposte to his team, Cervelo, for his absence at this year's Tour de France. Hopefully he can keep this form for the road world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland on September 27.
Craig
Guest
He's a freak. I think he only started cycling as recovery from an accident when he was a kid, a bit like Keiren Perkins taking up swimming to recover after his legs were cut up by running into a glass door as a teenager. Any idea how many people have achieved that? A stage win in all three tours....Aussie and non Aussie I mean. Great achievement. Not sure about the Oz team in the TDF though. Would like to see it but, while they have talked about doing it in the past, I dunno how much enthusiasm for it there was.