Simon Gerrans discussion thread

[TMP402]

Further to the Gerrans as secret pro theory, the author of the latest one mentions doing the Tour of Britain, which OGE aren't going to.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

Hmm you really think its gerro?

Well I certainly think he's one of the writers on the blog, all - or atleast a lot - of the information the author has given points towards it. Though whether or not he's the sole penman I do not know and do not believe to be true.

It may have been for previous editions, but not the last few - at least the ones this year. He is friendly with Wade Wallace, the owner of Cyclingtips, so anything is possible.

 

[haccue]

Re:

Is Gerrans racing the Vuelta? He's going to need kms in the legs for a realistic shot at Worlds

There isn't any official news or statements about that. I expect him to ride GPC Québec/Montreal before the worlds though.

 

[Tragic]

Re: Re:

Is Gerrans racing the Vuelta? He's going to need kms in the legs for a realistic shot at Worlds

There isn't any official news or statements about that. I expect him to ride GPC Québec/Montreal before the worlds though.

Confirmed to ride the Vuelta, which ends the weekend of Quebec/Montreal (which he has already won). Makes me think he has his eye on Richmond? (beware The Sniper). Have had a brief look at the Richmond profile, looks on paper like it could suit a puncheur - Gerro, Valverde, Gilbert etc. but also Sagan.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Simon's Season of Fractures. He would want to forget this season. Hopefully doesn't crash & break something in the Vuelta

 

[yaco]

Surprised that he is riding the VUELTA - Stephens pointed out that GerranS will need a week to ride himself in - The OGE team is meh !

Surprised there is no Clarke in their squad.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Surprised that he is riding the Giro - Stephens pointed out that Gerrand will need a week to ride himself in - The OGE team is meh !

Surprised there is no Clarke in their squad.

Well if he is riding the Giro, he'll have months to ride himself into form.

Isn't Clarke moving to a different team? Perhaps that has something to do with it.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

Is Gerrans racing the Vuelta? He's going to need kms in the legs for a realistic shot at Worlds

There isn't any official news or statements about that. I expect him to ride GPC Québec/Montreal before the worlds though.

Confirmed to ride the Vuelta, which ends the weekend of Quebec/Montreal (which he has already won). Makes me think he has his eye on Richmond? (beware The Sniper). Have had a brief look at the Richmond profile, looks on paper like it could suit a puncheur - Gerro, Valverde, Gilbert etc. but also Sagan.

Well some big names riding the Laurentians are also aiming at the worlds. The case for the Vuelta could be more race days to build some form. Rainbow Gerro would be an interesting sight, for the site's loss.

 

[42x16ss]

Re: Re:

Is Gerrans racing the Vuelta? He's going to need kms in the legs for a realistic shot at Worlds

There isn't any official news or statements about that. I expect him to ride GPC Québec/Montreal before the worlds though.

Confirmed to ride the Vuelta, which ends the weekend of Quebec/Montreal (which he has already won). Makes me think he has his eye on Richmond? (beware The Sniper). Have had a brief look at the Richmond profile, looks on paper like it could suit a puncheur - Gerro, Valverde, Gilbert etc. but also Sagan.

Well some big names riding the Laurentians are also aiming at the worlds. The case for the Vuelta could be more race days to build some form. Rainbow Gerro would be an interesting sight, for the site's loss.

He'll definitely need race days to build form. You don't win a 262km road race of 6 months of no racing, no matter how fit you are. Gerrans will do very little this Vuelta, his goals will be Worlds and the Autumn classics.

 

[Afrank]

I like Simon Gerrans and am often bewildered by why he gets such a hard time on here.

He is not the most exciting rider, but he rides with his head and his legs. He works when he needs to work. His job is to try to win, and he is very good at winning.

Caleb Ewan is really, really surprising me. That was a very impressive win yesterday.

But he does it by wheelsucking to the end. To make matters worse he has the ability and correct skill-set to win races like LBL or MSR where we really want attacking and exciting finales. If Gerrans is in contention at the end we often won't get one.

Valverde has been doing the same thing as Gerrans for even longer. As for Gerrans having the ability to win LBL or MSR well the only way he could win them is in a sprint which is what he did ! Name a rider that does not play to his strengths ? Does Froome try and win bunch sprints ? Does Cavendish try and win in a break ? The reason people don't like Gerrans is because he is successful, more successful than the some of the fans favourites. Gerrans used to win races in breakaways but once you start winning you are marked much closer. He always had a good sprint and now is just smart enough to know when to use it successfully. He also rides well in the TTT and often leads out sprints for other riders on his team. He is a more versatile rider than many others but tends to win in sprints and if other riders are willing to tow him to the finish instead of attacking him then that just shows how tactically naive some other riders are.

I'm not saying that there is something wrong with him playing to his strengths, I just find those strengths incredibly dull. That's also the primary reason that I think most people don't like him. Not because of his success, but because the tactics he uses to win often make the race a boring one.

Also, I think there are and have been in the past cases where he could take a little more liberty and not wheelsuck others as much.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I like Simon Gerrans and am often bewildered by why he gets such a hard time on here.

He is not the most exciting rider, but he rides with his head and his legs. He works when he needs to work. His job is to try to win, and he is very good at winning.

Caleb Ewan is really, really surprising me. That was a very impressive win yesterday.

But he does it by wheelsucking to the end. To make matters worse he has the ability and correct skill-set to win races like LBL or MSR where we really want attacking and exciting finales. If Gerrans is in contention at the end we often won't get one.

Valverde has been doing the same thing as Gerrans for even longer. As for Gerrans having the ability to win LBL or MSR well the only way he could win them is in a sprint which is what he did ! Name a rider that does not play to his strengths ? Does Froome try and win bunch sprints ? Does Cavendish try and win in a break ? The reason people don't like Gerrans is because he is successful, more successful than the some of the fans favourites. Gerrans used to win races in breakaways but once you start winning you are marked much closer. He always had a good sprint and now is just smart enough to know when to use it successfully. He also rides well in the TTT and often leads out sprints for other riders on his team. He is a more versatile rider than many others but tends to win in sprints and if other riders are willing to tow him to the finish instead of attacking him then that just shows how tactically naive some other riders are.

I'm not saying that there is something wrong with him playing to his strengths, I just find those strengths incredibly dull. That's also the primary reason that I think most people don't like him. Not because of his success, but because the tactics he uses to win often make the race a boring one.

Also, I think there are and have been in the past cases where he could take a little more liberty and not wheelsuck others as much.

That and his post race interviews, his voice annoys me as much as Cadel's. Its so girly and gringy

 

[IndianCyclist]

Gerrans uses his team such that a hilly stage/race is reduced to a sprint stage by pulling back every breakaway/attack. Ok that is typically tactics due to his strengths and anyway nowadays most of them are attrition sprints only. The major problem comes when there is no team, he just follows the some attacks and expects others to do all the work which is what I donot like. Just see MSR which he won from Cance's work and World's where he didn't chase Kwia to get silver but expected to win.

 

[yaco]

Gerrans is slowly riding himself into form - Will be opportunities in week 2 and 3.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Gerrans uses his team such that a hilly stage/race is reduced to a sprint stage by pulling back every breakaway/attack. Ok that is typically tactics due to his strengths and anyway nowadays most of them are attrition sprints only. The major problem comes when there is no team, he just follows the some attacks and expects others to do all the work which is what I donot like. Just see MSR which he won from Cance's work and World's where he didn't chase Kwia to get silver but expected to win.

To me one of the biggest disappointments in all of cycling is when Simon Gerrans wins a race. I know that sounds bad but it's how I feel when he wheelsucks to a victory that someone else earned the hard way. A win is a win, so we can't take it away from him.

 

[42x16ss]

Re:

Gerrans uses his team such that a hilly stage/race is reduced to a sprint stage by pulling back every breakaway/attack. Ok that is typically tactics due to his strengths and anyway nowadays most of them are attrition sprints only. The major problem comes when there is no team, he just follows the some attacks and expects others to do all the work which is what I donot like. Just see MSR which he won from Cance's work and World's where he didn't chase Kwia to get silver but expected to win.

To be fair, Cancellara lost that MSR with the way he was towing. Even Nibali didn't have enough left to help. Gerrans also had Goss (defending champ) riding well in the chase group too.

The Worlds though, was one of the most cowardly rides I've seen.

At least his wins in Canada were earned a bit more.

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

Gerrans uses his team such that a hilly stage/race is reduced to a sprint stage by pulling back every breakaway/attack. Ok that is typically tactics due to his strengths and anyway nowadays most of them are attrition sprints only. The major problem comes when there is no team, he just follows the some attacks and expects others to do all the work which is what I donot like. Just see MSR which he won from Cance's work and World's where he didn't chase Kwia to get silver but expected to win.

To be fair, Cancellara lost that MSR with the way he was towing. Even Nibali didn't have enough left to help. Gerrans also had Goss (defending champ) riding well in the chase group too.

The Worlds though, was one of the most cowardly rides I've seen.

At least his wins in Canada were earned a bit more.

Meh, Montréal was mostly massive team work done by Orica, then he just killed everybody with a punch (to be fair though, he had to bridge to the attackers on Camillien-Houde by himself),Costa and Galloping Foxley came miles back. His first Québec win was probably his most deserved, where he did a fair share of pulling with Van Avarmaet to keep the chasers away. Could have gone to either, he was the strongest that day.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Gerrans uses his team such that a hilly stage/race is reduced to a sprint stage by pulling back every breakaway/attack. Ok that is typically tactics due to his strengths and anyway nowadays most of them are attrition sprints only. The major problem comes when there is no team, he just follows the some attacks and expects others to do all the work which is what I donot like. Just see MSR which he won from Cance's work and World's where he didn't chase Kwia to get silver but expected to win.

To be fair, Cancellara lost that MSR with the way he was towing. Even Nibali didn't have enough left to help. Gerrans also had Goss (defending champ) riding well in the chase group too.

The Worlds though, was one of the most cowardly rides I've seen.

At least his wins in Canada were earned a bit more.

By riding well, you mean hanging on right at the back of the peloton on the poggio and finishing in the 4th group?

Nibali wasn't strong enough and had Sagan in the group behind anyway. Cancellara gave it his all, and when he asked for a pull, Gerrans refused, as usual.

PS Isn't Goss pretty much the same age as Kittel? Feels so weird to think about what happened to him post-2011