AUSTRALIAN cycling star Simon Gerrans’ bid for back-to-back titles in Buninyong is over.
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Gerrans had surgery on Monday afternoon for a broken left collarbone he sustained while training near his home town of Mansfield a day earlier.
The Orica-GreenEDGE rider has been ruled out of defending his title in the Cycling Australia Road National Championships men’s elite road race on January 11. He is also scratched from defending his Tour Down Under crown in South Australia later next month.
In both races he had been set to go head-to-head with retiring Australian legend Cadel Evans, who Gerrans edged out in a sprint finish to claim the green and gold jersey last summer.
It opens the field for Evans to try to win a maiden national title in his farewell races.
Winning in Buninyong, then the Tour Down Under sparked what Gerrans has labelled his best year in competition.
He said those wins created fantastic momentum on which he could build to become the first Australian to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and then the Cycliste de Quebec and GP Cycliste de Montreal races in Canada and silver in the men’s elite road race at the world championships.
Speaking toThe Courier a fortnight ago, Gerrans reiterated the importance of nationals.
“Buninyong is going to be massive,” Gerrans had said.
“Every Orica-GreenEDGE rider wants the title. The main thing is that someone from the team wins – something we’ve achieved since
2012.”
Instead, it looks like the 34-year-old’s focus will shift to the European spring classics, which start in March.
He will first have a 10-day rest post-surgery to heal before working his way back onto the bike.
Gerrans had crashed on Sunday afternoon while riding a mountain bike, a common cross-training activity in the off-season, after completing an interval session on his road bike from Mansfield to Mount Buller.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how well the recovery goes from here, I don’t think I am going to be in any condition to be racing at a high level in January,” Gerrans said.
“With that in mind, I think it is better to take my time, make sure the recovery goes well and get all the rehab done so I don’t have any ongoing issues. It’s a big blow not to be able to line up in the national championships and Tour Down Under and defend my titles. They are races that I really enjoy and I know how important they are to the team.”
Orica-GreenEDGE will now be without its number one rider for the big Australian races.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au
