Simon Gerrans to retire from professional cycling as one of Australia’s greatest ever athletes
SIMON Gerrans - one of Australia’s greatest ever cyclists - has announced his retirement after a 15-year professional career which he says closes an “unforgettable chapter of my life”.
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SIMON Gerrans - one of Australia’s greatest ever cyclists - has announced his retirement after a 15-year professional career which he says closes an “unforgettable chapter of my life”.
The 38-year-old who last month rode the Tour de France for the 12th and final time will retire from racing at the end of the season. It’s understood his final race will be in October.
Gerrans won two stages of the Tour de France in 2008 and 2013 which was the year he also wore the yellow jersey.
He will be best remembered as one of the nation’s finest all-rounders who showed tactical nous and gritty determination to get his big break in the sport at 24 and go on to win some of the biggest races in the world.
Gerrans had a brilliant sprint but could also climb with some of the best riders in the peloton before turning his attention to domestique in the twilight of his career.
A meticulous trainer and consumante professional, he won two classics - Milan-San Remo in 2012 and Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2014 while was virtually unstoppable on Australian soil in his prime, winning the Tour Down Under four times and the national road championship twice.
During that time he put Australian team Orica-GreenEDGE on the map and gave it a dream start to its foray into the WorldTour.
Gerrans said cycling had been a huge part of his life but he had lost the passion to continue racing at the highest level.
“Although I feel that I am still performing at a good level physically, my passion for the sport is not what it used to be,” he said.
“Professional cycling is too hard unless you are able to commit wholeheartedly. I am really happy to be able to walk away on my own terms and feel that the end of this season is the right time to transition to a new phase in my life.
“When I look back over my racing career, my fondest memories don’t come from winning classics or grand tour stages, but the happiness and joy my victories created for the team and the people close to me. I also cherish the times when I was able to contribute to the personal success of my teammates.
“The process of meticulously preparing for my objectives and working hard in training is what I loved about being a professional cyclist. What made the biggest victories of my career the most rewarding was knowing that I perfected the preparation.”
Gerrans said he plans to spend more time with his wife Rahna and children Oscar and Isla but hoped to stay involved in the sport.
reece.homfray@news.com.au