The Australian cycling community have been excited in recent years, and justifiably so, by the exploits of Simon Gerrans.
Enthusiasm reached fever pitch early on Monday morning when the doughty Victorian recorded one of the finest wins in Australian cycling history.
He hung on to the world’s best classic specialists over the hills of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic in Belgium and then out sprinted them to finish in first place.
Many Australian cyclists, some with better credentials than Gerrans, have tried their hand at the oldest classic. Yet, despite some close calls and near misses, they have failed to capture the glittering prize.
So, just where does Gerrans stand in the pantheon of great Australian cyclists? Is he in fact the best Australian to ride the roads of Europe as many are suggesting? His classic triumph on the weekend added a second monument to the Milan to San Remo which he claimed a few years ago.
It may be easy to forget, in the wake of Gerrans’ triumph, that another Australian won a significant professional road race last week.
Cadel Evans recorded a notable victory in the Giro del Trentino and his form would have sent a shudder through those competitors who will face him in the Italian Grand Tour.
So is Evans a better bike rider than Gerrans? It’s a subjective opinion of course but Evans is the best and daylight is second!
Evans’ record in the Tour de France alone, a victory and several top ten finishes, should put him at the top of the tree in any vote on Australia’s greatest cyclist. That’s before adding his podium finishes in the other two Grand Tours and victories in lesser races.
Could Evans win a race like Liege-Bastogne-Liege? Yes, and in fact he has done so, securing the Fleche Wallone classic in 2010 and winning the World Road Championship in 2009.
Could Gerrans win the Tour de France? Never.
Simon Gerrans has joined the greats of Australian cycling through his latest triumph but his ability needs to be put into perspective. While his place in Australian cycling history is assured, it is Evans who is still at the top of pyramid.
Do you agree?
conan mcguire
Guest
He broke Land's End-John o'Groats in 1934 in 2d 9h 1m and then the 1,000-mile record in 3d 1h 52m. He also took London-York in 9h 23m 0s and the 12-hour record after 243 miles. In 1935 he set the 24-hour record with 461.75 miles and broke London-Bath-London with 10h 14m 42s, Land's End-London with 14h 9m 0s, and shared the tandem record for London-Bath-London with Ern Milliken, in 8h 55m 34s. He broke London-Portsmouth-London in 1937 with 6h 33m 30s.[29] In each case he had to wear not the cycling clothes he wore elsewhere but a black jacket and black tights that reached to his shoes. They were required by the Road Records Association to make riders "inconspicuous."[32] During the 1935 trip to Europe Opperman, Milliken and Hefty Stuart went to Belgium for the 1935 UCI Road World Championships, where Opperman finished 8th.[33] In 1940 Opperman set 100 distance records in a 24-hour race at Sydney. Many were not broken until decades later. Opperman: His conquests included the 2,875 miles from Fremantle to Sydney, over long stretches of rutted tracks and through soft sand where he had to carry his bicycle in searing heat. Sometimes he fell asleep while riding, and crashed. His time of just over 13 days cut five days off the record, and other record fell by the score.[1] Opperman recalled: "At one point, by the light of the car behind me, I could see a large snake in the wheel ruts, and I couldn't stop. All I could do was land the bike on top of it, hard. I suppose I must have killed it. Then, at Nanwarra Sands, I had to pick up the bike and carry it for 10 miles in the soft sand. We learned that I could gain time by sleeping for only 10 minutes at a time, something I have never forgotten
conan mcguire
Guest
robbie mcewen ,anna meares and kathy watts must be included
Kathleen Casey
Guest
Tenacity, the ability to broker interest in cycling amongst non cyclists generates sponsorship and increases visibility of the sport, the ability to persist despite journalists writing you off, and sportsmanship . If it's more then just the ride then it is clearly Cadel. I am a 58( soon to be 59 year old runner). This guy has generated my interest in a sport I never showed an interest in before. I now have an interest that goes beyond just watching the grand tours or races Cadel is in! I now have a bike to ride in a city where riding a bike is a challenge. Who is the greatest rider? One who has inspired this.
Tony
Guest
Phil Anderson won Amstel Gold Race in 1983. Worthy of a mention?
AT
Guest
Cadel absolutely, not because of his wins, but because of the courage it took to finish the Tour with a fractured elbow in 2010 and then to come back in 2011 and win the Tour, and how many other courageous stories. Chasing Shleck when he was 6 minutes ahead in 2011. Fighting back at the Giro in 2010 when there was breakaway that was 12 minutes ahead, etc. etc. etc. Has there ever been a more resilient rider? What an inspiration.
markjohnconley
Guest
Gerrans maybe the smartest individually. Rogers the brains teamwise and definitely Evans best ever
kippa
Guest
Cadel, he has won uci title for road and cross country. Number one in two different disciplines. Add the tour de france too.
liquorbox_
Guest
Michael Rogers- Grand Tours Giro d'Italia 1 TTT stage (2009) Stage races Tour Down Under (2002)Tour of Belgium (2003)Deutschland Tour (2003)Tour of California (2010)Bayern-Rundfahrt (2012) One-day races and Classics World Time-Trial Championships (2003, 2004, 2005) National Time-Trial Championships (2009) Track Bronze 2004 Athens Road time trial Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur 20km Scratch Race Road bicycle racing World Championships Gold 2005 Madrid Elite time trial Gold 2004 Verona Elite time trial Gold 2003 Hamilton Elite time trial U-23 World Championships Silver 1999 Verona U-23 Men's Time Trial Bronze 2000 Plouay U-23 Men's Time Trial Junior World Championships Silver 1997 San Sebastian Junior Men's Time Trial Commonwealth Games Silver 2002 Manchester Individual time trial Stuart Ogrady Grand Tours Tour de France 2 individual stages (1998, 2004) + 2 TTT (2001, 2013)Vuelta a España 2 TTT (2006, 2011) Stage races Tour Down Under (1999, 2001) One-day races and Classics National Road Race Championships (2003)HEW Cyclassics (2004)Paris–Roubaix (2007) Track Gold 2004 Athens Madison Silver 1992 Barcelona 4000m Team Pursuit Bronze 1996 Atlanta 4000m Team Pursuit Bronze 1996 Atlanta Points Race Commonwealth Games Gold 1994 Victoria, BC Team Pursuit Gold 1994 Victoria, BC 10 Miles Scratch Gold 2002 Manchester Team Pursuit Gold 2002 Manchester Road Race Silver 1994 Victoria, BC Points Race Silver 1998 Kuala Lumpur Individual Time Trial Bronze 1994 Victoria, BC Individual Pursuit World Championships Gold 1993 Bogotá Team Pursuit Gold 1995 Bogotá Team Pursuit Bronze 1994 Palermo Team Pursuit Bronze 1995 Bogotá Individual Pursuit
Justin Curran
Roar Rookie
It is a difficult argument to settle because they are different types of rider. I think it is unfair on Gerrans to say he is not as good as Evans because he could never win the Tour. Evans is an excellent stage racer and Gerrans an excellent classics rider. In terms of pure ability, I would agree that Evans is by far the best. But in terms of pure results I would place them a lot closer than you do. And a win in the Giro del Trentino does not come close to a victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Hutchoman
Roar Pro
I agree that Evans is a stand out at the top of the tree. Winning the Tour, plus four other Grand Tour podiums and a world championship gives him that honour. In terms of all around performance, we should never forget Phil Anderson. Four times in the top 10 at the Tour (including a white jersey win), six times on the podium at Monuments. Never quite cracked it for a "big" win, but there at the pointy end for a lot of years. Equally, in the spinters' ranks, Robbie McEwen's three green jerseys at the Tour with 12 stage wins at both the Tour and the Giro puts him up there with the best in the world for his time and specialisation.
Sean Lee
Expert
Hi Omega. I agree that Evans has earned the right to be considered our greatest ever road cyclist, but Gerrans is right up there, especially after this latest victory. If you are interested, here is an article I wrote earlier in the year on this very topic - http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/01/31/could-gerrans-become-our-best-yet/