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Is Simon Gerrans the best ever Australian roadie?

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trevim said:
As good? Evans's is definitely better.

I agree with you, but I felt someone was saying that Purito had a better record, which I disagree with.

Anyway, don't really understand why everyone has such a downer on Gerrans, seems to be a guy who makes the most of his ability and has a team that are willing workers for him.
 
del1962 said:
Anyway, don't really understand why everyone has such a downer on Gerrans, seems to be a guy who makes the most of his ability and has a team that are willing workers for him.

Gerrans is definitely talented, the problem is he's just not an exciting or aggressive ride watch.

He might have won some important races but he never made them. It makes him successful but doesn't win a huge amount of fans.

If you find out Gerrans has won a race or stage you can usually guarantee it was pretty dull and that somebody screwed up and/or missed an opportunity.
 
Milan-Sanremo is Gerrans' biggest victory and it was neither dull nor did anybody miss an opportunity.

Gerro worked along Cancellara that day, even if Cancellara was the driving force behind the breakaway's success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVHhtp-uWKY

At 0.07 Gerrans counters Nibali on the Poggio (with the strength of the hock)

At 0.55 Gerrans is in the lead, while Cancellara gets back

At 4.48 Cancellara attacks in the final part of the descent. Gerrans had to bridge the gap (with the strength of the hock, again), not "descent master" Nibali.

At 6.33 Gerrans takes the lead

At 7.00 Cancellara takes it back.

The rest is just Cancellara preventing the chase group from coming back. Cancellara made no mistake, it was his only tactic but it was not sufficient to exhaust Gerrans. Such edition shows that Milan-Sanremo is a true major classic and one of the hardest. It has the potential for it but actually if only Cancellara as power man is interested in it, no wonder that it can end up in the sprint someday.

Gerrans haters probably had rather Degenkolb or Sagan winning it while these two truly were wheelsuckers that day (or any day in Degenkolb's case). :rolleyes:
 
Echoes said:
Milan-Sanremo is Gerrans' biggest victory and it was neither dull nor did anybody miss an opportunity.

Gerro worked along Cancellara that day, even if Cancellara was the driving force behind the breakaway's success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVHhtp-uWKY

At 0.07 Gerrans counters Nibali on the Poggio (with the strength of the hock)

At 0.55 Gerrans is in the lead, while Cancellara gets back

At 4.48 Cancellara attacks in the final part of the descent. Gerrans had to bridge the gap (with the strength of the hock, again), not "descent master" Nibali.

At 6.33 Gerrans takes the lead

At 7.00 Cancellara takes it back.

The rest is just Cancellara preventing the chase group from coming back. Cancellara made no mistake, it was his only tactic but it was not sufficient to exhaust Gerrans. Such edition shows that Milan-Sanremo is a true major classic and one of the hardest. It has the potential for it but actually if only Cancellara as power man is interested in it, no wonder that it can end up in the sprint someday.

Gerrans haters probably had rather Degenkolb or Sagan winning it while these two truly were wheelsuckers that day (or any day in Degenkolb's case). :rolleyes:

... I have seen that race over and over again. Each time I watch Gerrans marginally coming past Cancellara at the finish, it makes me so sad and depressed. Gerrans was on the front for 22 seconds during the last 7km's (between 1.7 and 1.4 to go) and that one single turn at the front came, as they approached a 90 degree corner...
I have learnt to accept Gerrans' victory, but to say that he did his share of the work, IS A LIE.

I hope he will never win a monument again. The fact that he has actually won 2 bothers me quite a big deal :(
 
May 19, 2010
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I don't mind gerrans as a rider. Might be biased as an Australian but I look at gerrans as the type of rider that others have to drop. If your fastest in a reduced bunch sprint you ain't going to risk attacking. If gerrans wins a race it's because OTHERS in the race did not make it hard enough, not gerrans. It's like complaining about cav not attacking on a flat stage or valverde sprinting for bonus seconds in the veulta. If you are the strongest in a certain type of finish you are going to ride to that strength, no matter how boring it may be to the fans. However In saying that I loved gerrans MSR win. That was an awesome race.

However in terms of Aussie cycling in order I feel it has to be
1. Evans. As much as we all have other favourite races, MSR PR Flanders etc the tour is the pinnacle of the sport. You could argue cadel would of won a lot more races if he didn't target the tour pretty much every year. Also worlds. That is 2 amazing races to win that no other Aussie has won.

2. Gerrans. 2 classics, lots of other results. Just not enough tho to beat Evans. If he wins worlds or another classic I will have to reconsider this

3. Mcewen. Great sprinter. 3 green jerseys. Lots of wins but I can't see the wins he has outweighing what the above have achieved. It's close, as in I don't think there is much between the gerrans and mcewen but I rate 2 different classics over 3 green jerseys.

4. (Leaving it blank as there is no one close to the above 3)
 
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Buffalo Soldier said:
Why the blank? Phil Anderson fits exactly the same description you put for Gerrans?

Just to be clear, are you arguing anderson for forth or as good/better then gerrans?

Anderson is 4th In my opinion I was more highlighting what I feel is a major gap between 3rd to 4th (little like the gap from 4th to 5th as best gt rider in the peloton at the moment). Only reason I would have anderson closer is he was a pioneer for Aussies.

Unless I'm missing something from his results but he doesn't have a win or wins that are as good as a MSR and lbl or isn't as good as 3 green jerseys and multiple stages at tour/giro.
 
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thrawn said:
I think Adam Scott & Cadel are well behind the Thorpe's, Laver's & Bradman's. Class sportsmen in their own right, but with those 3, not even in the conversation.

Agreed. It was a quick mention of a few guys who had pushed the boundaries in their respective sports and put the Aussies on the map, clearly in terms of career achievements there is a distinction there.
 
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richo36 said:
Just to be clear, are you arguing anderson for forth or as good/better then gerrans?

Anderson is 4th In my opinion I was more highlighting what I feel is a major gap between 3rd to 4th (little like the gap from 4th to 5th as best gt rider in the peloton at the moment). Only reason I would have anderson closer is he was a pioneer for Aussies.

Unless I'm missing something from his results but he doesn't have a win or wins that are as good as a MSR and lbl or isn't as good as 3 green jerseys and multiple stages at tour/giro.
4th, but close to Gerrans. The same amount of stage wins, 2 classics, but both not "top classics" like LBL and MS, but more 2nds and 3ths in those classics, proving that he was a top tier rider for a longer time.

To be clear, I'd say
1)McEwen
2)Evans
3)Gerrans
4)Anderson
GAP
 
Buffalo Soldier said:
OK, My memory might be a bit clouded. If I remember correctly, his team might have brought him back, but for sure he had 0.0 lead out?

EDIT: I watched it again, and I did remember it correctly: perfect lead outs of both Quick Step and Milram, and the only Lotto guy to be seen at 1km from the line somewhere around spot 40. Only Lotto guy at 200m from the line, somewhere around 20th. Only lotto guy at the line? Robbie, who just passed them all.
He had not even 1 team mate to help him there (since they used all their powers to bring him back to the midddle of the peloton), while all the other teams (except for T-Mobile, who were lacking Cav) were at full strength.

One of the most impressive solo sprints I've witnessed.

I thought this was about winning without a team - Canterbury would be nothing without his team.
Don't get me wrong, Robbie's knack for surfing other team's trains for lead outs or just simply appearing from nowhere was brilliant.
Probably just the wrong example. I can't say I've re-watched it, but I'm sure in his description in One Way Road he talks of the team burying themselves to get him back, then having one team mate leading him through the peloton towards the front til only a couple of K's left... IIRC

Netserk said:
No love for O'Grady?

Or Mick it seems - several tour stage wins, multiple world TT champ and a stellar Japan Cup win to boot
 
Netserk said:
No love for O'Grady?

He won PR, was once on the podium of MSR. And of course his two TDU's. Other than that he only had lots of top 10 results. Far from McEwen, Gerrans or Evans. I would rate those three:

1.) Evans
2.) McEwen
3.) Gerrans

With that said, I think Gerrans could very well overtake Robbie in the next 2 years. Maybe even this year with winning the Worlds.
 
thrawn said:
I think Adam Scott & Cadel are well behind the Thorpe's, Laver's & Bradman's. Class sportsmen in their own right, but with those 3, not even in the conversation.

Evans owns the greatest ever acheivement by an Australian sportsperson but he is not the greatest Australian sportsperson of all time.
 
The Hegelian said:
Phil Anderson's palmares include: A tour of Switzerland, Romandy, and a Dauphine + an Amstel + classics podiums (LBL, Lombardy, Flanders) + some quality semi-classics (Paris-Tours, E3).


I reckon number two behind Evans.

Paris-Tours was a classic then, not a semi-classic. It was Creteil-Chaville when Anderson won it. He also won 2 x GP Frankfurts, a Championship of Zurich and Milan-Turin which were big races back then. At least equivalent to a win in Hamburg now.

Add Tours of Sweden, Sicily, Britain, Ireland.... he used to win a lot.

I'd go:

Evans (doesn't get bigger than a Tour and a Worlds, plus multiple podiums, plus week long stage races and a Fleche Wallonne)
McEwen (all his GT stages and green jerseys and 5 x Paris-Brussels - even though it isn't quite as prestigious now - count IMO)
Anderson
Gerrans (stages in each GT, two Monuments, yellow jersey for a couple of days)
 
classic1 said:
Evans owns the greatest ever acheivement by an Australian sportsperson but he is not the greatest Australian sportsperson of all time.

big statement, but I'll bite...
Winning the Tour isn't the greatest ever achievement by an Australian sportsperson - the Tour can be won by another Australian rider (could have been by Richie this year ;) ), but no one will match or even come close to Bradman's average for a long time, if ever.
(and yes, I'm aware that cricket is "restricted" with regard to its international size as a sport)
Likewise, Dawn Fraser's acheivement of 3 olympic golds in the same event for 3 consecutive olympics still hasn't been topped - meanwhile the Tour could be won by another Australian rider in far less time than Dawn's record has stood (or stands) for almost 60 years...
Rod Laver as the only player to complete 2 tennis grand slams?

Here's a question; Which race will be won first (by an Australian), the Tour or Paris-Roubaix?
O'Grady's 2007 PR (Biggest 1 day race)
vs
Evans 2011 leTour (Biggest stage race)
Which win will stand the longest before it's matched by another Australian rider?
 
Archibald said:
big statement, but I'll bite...
Winning the Tour isn't the greatest ever achievement by an Australian sportsperson - the Tour can be won by another Australian rider (could have been by Richie this year ;) ), but no one will match or even come close to Bradman's average for a long time, if ever.
(and yes, I'm aware that cricket is "restricted" with regard to its international size as a sport)
Likewise, Dawn Fraser's acheivement of 3 olympic golds in the same event for 3 consecutive olympics still hasn't been topped - meanwhile the Tour could be won by another Australian rider in far less time than Dawn's record has stood (or stands) for almost 60 years...
Rod Laver as the only player to complete 2 tennis grand slams?

I should have chosen the word 'victory', not 'achievement'.

Bradman will never be matched, but he had who, the poms and not much else to compete against?

Fraser probably could have won 4 if they didn't ban her.

I rate Bradman and Fraser above Laver. Thorpe is up there. Heather McKay is getting there but squash is too small a sport.
 
Archibald said:
Here's a question; Which race will be won first (by an Australian), the Tour or Paris-Roubaix?
O'Grady's 2007 PR (Biggest 1 day race)
vs
Evans 2011 leTour (Biggest stage race)
Which win will stand the longest before it's matched by another Australian rider?

P-R is very hard, but no Australian has yet won RVV or GDL yet either, maybe they should also be factored in.

I think that P-R will be won first, Matthews, Durbridge and Hepburn I think all have great chances there if they focus on it.
 
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classic1 said:
I should have chosen the word 'victory', not 'achievement'.

Bradman will never be matched, but he had who, the poms and not much else to compete against?

Fraser probably could have won 4 if they didn't ban her.

I rate Bradman and Fraser above Laver. Thorpe is up there. Heather McKay is getting there but squash is too small a sport.

Depends on your definition of a victory. If you consider winning a Forumla one championship as a victory, I'd say Jack Brabham's victory would be better than Cadel's.

Cadel is a class sportsman and will deservedly be inducted into the Hall of Fame etc. His win is definitely in the conversation, but to say it's the greatest victory ever? As an achievement, no. Laver 2x Slam, Bradman's average and Dawn Fraser's Olympics are probably the top.
 

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