Simon Gerrans Wins the Tour Down Under
So that’s it. The first World Tour event of the season has come to a close, with GreenEdge’s Simon Gerrans claiming the Ochre Jersey on Sunday in Adelaide as Andre Greipel added to his two earlier stage wins.
In a dream start for the new Australian outfit, Gerrans, the former Team Sky rider, went into the last stage in the leaders jersey did enough to hold the lead in the final sprint to win the Tour Down Under for a second time. With Greipel notching up three stage wins, plus a win in the precursory criterium his early season form showed he will be a force to be reckoned with.
However it was Alejandro Valverde returning from a two-year doping ban who will no doubt take the headlines with his win on stage five, where he sprinted to victory narrowly beating Gerrans. The Movistar rider was banned after both documentary and DNA evidence linked him to a blood bag in the Operación Puerto investigation. Valverde who still claims his innocence proved his fitness and competitive edge was still there after two years out. The debate over doping, Valverde and his ban is one for another time, but his return has certainly cast a shadow over the TdU.
So what of Wouter Mol, the Vaconsoleil rider who became an overnight celebrity with the Australian public choosing him as their hero for the week. Well unfortunately for Mol the Port Adelaide Cycling Club weren’t as organised this year as they have been in the past when they bestowed the title of “Obscure Pro” on Angel Madrazo and Arthur Vichot when they were mobbed at their hotels and inundated with autograph requests, limiting their activities to a Twitter campaign this year. However Mol finished 85th overall, and by the look of his tweets appears to have had a great time Down Under.
Final overall classification
1. Simon Gerrans (Aus) GreenEdge
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar at same time
3. Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack-Nissan at 8 secs
4. Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky at 14 secs
5. Rohan Dennis (Aus) UniSA-Australia at 14 secs
6. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan at 16 secs
7. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky at 18 secs
8. Javier Moreno (Spa) Movistar at 23 secs
9. Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank at 29 secs
10. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha at 32 secs
Other
46. Geraint Thomas (GB) Sky at 8-30
75. Andrew Fenn (GB) Omega Pharma-QuickStep at 24-32
121. Adam Blythe (GB) BMC Racing at 43-33
124. Alex Dowsett (GB) Sky at 46-53
