Simon Gerrans wins top Cycling Australia award

SIMON Gerrans has capped his stellar season by winning Cycling Australia’s highest honour.

Launch of the 2015 Australia Road National Championships in Melbourne Australia Friday 14th November 2014. Professional Simon Gerrans. Picture:Andrew Batsch

SIMON Gerrans has capped his stellar season by winning Cycling Australia’s highest honour.

The 34-year-old was awarded the Sir Hubert Opperman medal, or “Oppy” as Australian cyclist of the year.

It is the first time Gerrans has won the award.

He also took out the men’s road cycling and people’s choice categories at CA’s annual function on Friday night in Melbourne.

In a further honour, Gerrans was named in an honorary Tour de France team to mark the 100-year anniversary of Australia’s involvement in the race.

Cycling greats (from left) Brad McGee, Simon Gerrans, Phil Anderson, Baden Cooke, Cadel Evans and Stuart O'Grady together in Melbourne. Picture: Eugene Hyland.

Cadel Evans, Phil Anderson, Robbie McEwen, Sir Hubert Opperman, Richie Porte, Michael Rogers, Brad McGee and Mark Renshaw were the other Australians selected in the one-off line-up.

Another highlight of Friday night’s black-tie dinner was a video tribute to Evans, who will end his stellar career next February.

“It’s just been an incredible adventure so far,” Evans said after receiving a standing ovation.

“It’s hard to sum up 20 years.”

Gerrans started this year by winning the Australian road race title for the second time.

He then also claimed his third overall Tour Down Under title, beating Evans by one second.

But Gerrans’s biggest prize came in late April, when he became the first Australian to win Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

It was a major scalp for the Orica-GreenEDGE team leader, who had dreamt for several years of winning one of the Ardennes classics.

Cadel Evans will end his stellar career next February. Picture: Sarah Reed

While Gerrans’ July Tour de France campaign was ruined by a crash at the end of the opening stage, he rebounded by finishing the season much the same way he had started.

Gerrans won the GP Cycliste de Quebec and GP Cycliste de Montreal races in Canada and then took silver in the men’s elite road race at the world championships.

While Evans is Australia’s greatest cyclist, Gerrans’ year showed he is also comfortably in the top echelon.

Tiffany Cromwell took out the women’s road category at the CA awards and Alex Edmondson and Amy Cure were named the top track cyclists.

Edmondson and Cure also joined Gerrans as finalists for the Oppy.

Jared Graves and Janine Jungfels won the elite mountain bike awards.

Tiffany Cromwell took out the women’s road category at the CA awards. Picture: Cycling Australia.

CYCLING AUSTRALIA AWARD WINNERS

Sir Hubert Opperman Medal, Australian cyclist of the year: Simon Gerrans

People’s choice: Gerrans

Elite road: Gerrans and Tiffany Cromwell

Elite track: Alex Edmondson and Amy Cure

Elite mountain bike: Jared Graves and Janine Jungfels

Under-23 men’s road: Caleb Ewan

Junior road: Michael Storer and Macey Stewart

Junior track: Sam Welsford and Stewart

Overall junior: Stewart

Junior mountain bike: Max Warshawsky and Tegan Molloy

Para cycling: Jayme Richardson and Alistair Donohoe

International coach: Tim Decker

Domestic coach: Warren McDonald

Masters road: Stephen Fairless and Lauralea Moss

Masters track: Gary Mandy and Jessica Laws

Masters mountain bike: Garry James and Catherine Kelaher

Overall masters: Mandy

National road series winners: Joe Cooper, Ruth Corset, Avanti Cycling and Holden Women’s cycling

Merit award: CJ Farquharson

Club Premiership: Caulfield Carnegie

Norm Galley Trophy: Victoria