Australians are known to love a good party and a national day of celebration would have already provided the necessary excuse.
The efforts of Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEDGE), however, added a finishing touch to a cake already iced with the words ‘Australia Day’.
Gerrans’ Australian team, sticking rigidly to the script, helped to control the 85.5km race around the streets of Adelaide and delivered the fairy tale ending – a third Tour Down Under title for the Australian national champion.
German champion, Andre Greipel, may have been a long way from home, but Australia must hold a similar place in his affections as it does in Gerrans’.
The Gorilla, twice a winner of the Tour Down Under, sealed his sixteenth career victory in the sixteen year of the event, although his strike rate is rather higher than one a year.
Official UCI WorldTour photographer, Stefano Sirotti, was on hand to capture the joyful scenes in Adelaide.
