Could Gerrans become our best yet?

Simon Gerrans is fast becoming a contender for the title of Australia’s greatest ever road cyclist.

The boy from Mansfield who took up cycling at the urging of then neighbour Phil Anderson after being injured in a motorcycling accident may not be at the top of the tree yet, but he is not far from it.

To my mind only three other Aussies sit above him; Tour de France winner and world champion Cadel Evans, multiple Grand Tour stage winner Robbie McEwen and Anderson who, as well as being our first yellow jersey wearer, was a true pioneer of the modern day Aussie assault on professional road cycling.

Those three represent the best of the best, a triumvirate that are hailed as heroes, not just in Australia, but the world over.

Gerrans now sits only one rung behind them, having surpassed the achievements of Stuart O’Grady and Michael Rogers even before their careers were brought to grinding halts due to drug confessions and failed tests.

Of course others may challenge and eventually surpass Gerrans and the ‘Big Three’, with Sky’s Richie Porte already knocking on the door of greatness and up and comers such as Rohan Dennis and Caleb Ewan touted for future success, but for the time being Gerrans deserves his position near the top of the talent tree.

Even the most cursory of glances at Gerrans’ palmares tells the tale.

His big wins are just that – big! To use a Mark Cavendish-ism, there are no ‘sh*t small’ races here!

Stage wins in all three of the Grand Tours including three at the Tour de France (2 x individual, 1 x TTT) and victory at Milan-Sanremo head the list.

Add to it three Tours Down Under, two national road race championships, numerous top ten finishes in the spring classics including two podiums at Amstel Gold and a couple of days spent wearing yellow in France last July and you have a list of race wins and achievements that most pros can only dream of.

His performances are all the more remarkable when you consider the type of rider he is – a solid all rounder who at first glance appears to lack a killer punch. He can’t climb like Evans or sprint like McEwen or pump out a time trial like Luke Durbridge.

But he is smart and picks his moments perfectly.

His best chances come with a small group finish, whether from a breakaway or a whittled down peloton, and when he is in that situation the odds fall heavily in his favour. Just look at some of the riders he has beaten over the past couple of years.

Cadel Evans and Richie Porte at this year’s nationals. Peter Sagan in stage three of last year’s Tour de France. Fabian Cancellara and Vincenzo Nibali at Sanremo in 2012.

They are some of the biggest and most talented names in the sport who, on their own terms, would easily account for Gerrans under most circumstances.

But few have the finishing kick that Gerrans seems to be able to produce at the end of a long, gruelling day in the saddle, making him a formidable foe should he still be with the lead group at the finish.

Kapow!

But he is more than just an opportunist. He works hard and makes the most of the chances that come his way.

His preparation and professionalism allow him to adapt on the fly and strike when others are barely managing to hold on.

He is not a pure climber, yet he went head to head with Alejandro Valverde on the short but significant climbs of 2012′s Tour Down Under (Willunga Hill) and Paris-Nice (stage 3). He is not a sprinter and yet he has gone head to head with Peter Sagan and won (stage 3, 2013 Tour de France).

He is not renown against the clock, and yet he was a contributing member of Orica-GreenEDGE’s historic Tour de France team time trial victory last year.

Simon Gerrans is not a lot of things. He is however a very, very good rider and his achievements should not be undervalued.

Another victory in the northern spring, or another couple of Grand Tour stages are well within the grasp of the 33-year-old Gerrans.

Should that happen, Evans, McEwen and Anderson will need to think about making room for Gerrans on the top branch of the tree, as he will certainly be pushing for a place alongside them.