Gerrans finishes on top in Tour Down Under
VICTORIAN Simon Gerrans has celebrated Australia Day by becoming the first rider in the 15-year history of the Tour Down Under to win the race three times.
The Orica-GreenEDGE rider, the champion in 2006 and 2012, finished five seconds ahead of compatriot and 2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans (BMC). Italian rider Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) finished third overall.
Gerrans, who started the day with a one-second lead over Evans, was full of praise for his teammates after finishing safely in the peloton to secure his historic win.
"The guys did a fantastic job. They kept me right up the front there out of trouble, well protected, to make sure I would avoid any splits in the peloton and I finished right up there in the front so it worked out beautifully," he said.
German sprinter Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol), who finished 46th overall, won the final stage, an 85.5km race through the Adelaide CBD.
