Cycling has been mercifully clean of such nonsense so it was annoying to see that an Australian Tour de France, “Team of the Century” will be named at the Cycling Australia awards later this month. There is always room for debate about who is the best and who should be selected in such an all-star lineup and you can take it to the bank that some modern stars who are the current favorites of the peanut gallery will get selected ahead of more worthy names.
Australian cycling has changed a lot in the last twenty years. In fact it is almost unrecognisable as the sport I competed in and there are all manner of events and categories for racers now and fellows who plied the sports fields as footballers and cricketers in their younger years are suddenly taking up bike racing in their middle age and talk a language which includes words such as “peleton” which I would never have muttered in a pink fit when I was racing. I and my comrades always referred to a group of cyclists as a “bunch”. Clean, simple, Australian. Go to a bike race today and they are talking an alien language or so it seems.
Miguel Indurain, the great Spanish champion who won the Tour de France five times has a lot to answer for. It was during his majestic reign that cycling came to Australian television and the coverage has exploded since his glory days and now every halfwit who wouldn’t know a gear lever from a quick release wants to talk about cycling to me when they hear I use to race. I tell them now I don’t speak English!
This has filtered down to the wannabe veterans racing Z grade in Sunday morning criteriums across the country. You hear them talking, no doubt after scanning the bike racing forums whilst having breakfast, about what Lance did or how Alberto attacked so magnificently or mouthing something that Jens Voight may have said which the proletariat think was funny because Jens Voight said it although it really wasn’t humorous at all.
You see the local riders leaning over their handlebars in the middle of a packed field, forearms resting on the topbar, extremely dangerous, not to mention pointless and uncomfortable, but because Mr Sunday Racer saw a BMC professional do it in the Tour de France it must be cool. Right?
So, as you can see, I am like a square peg in a round hole when it comes to modern Australian cycling. I have become a dinosaur. Which gets me back to my original point.
When it was announced that an Australian Tour de France “Team of the Century” was to be picked, out of the woodwork they came on Facebook and internet forums. Those who have taken up cycling late or are simply ignorant of Australian cycling history and conveniently forget that Australia produced great cyclists before 1994. Perhaps I am being too precious but God, it’s annoying!
That being said I have been suckered in an will today name seven of the nine riders I would have in my Tour de France, Australian, “Team of the Century”.
It does of course depend if we are picking a team to support a leader for the win or just the best nine riders Australia has produced. I am leaning toward the former. It is of course subjective and many won’t agree with me. For what it is worth, I think this team would go okay.
1. Cadel Evans
2. Phil Anderson
3. Russell Mockridge
4. Michael Wilson
5. Michael Rogers
6. Stuart O’Grady (Stuart is ineligible for the official team due to admitting to doping)
7. Robbie McEwan
My numbers 8 and 9 would be strong domestiques, fellows who could ride tempo when required or chase down a long break when need be. There are a number of outstanding names who could fit these positions and I will post them after a bit more thought.
Evans is a no-brainer, being the only Australian to actually win the Tour. Phil Anderson has five top-ten finishes to his credit and is a perfect number 2 or back-up if things go awry with our leader. Michael Wilson has top ten finishes in the Tour of Italy to his credit and is a perfect rider to help our leader as the finish closes in on a tough mountain stage. Mockridge is practically three riders in one. He can win a mass field sprint or lead another out as the situation requires. He can also hunt for stages. His victory in the 1955 Tour du Vaucluse is the template for the modern stage hunter. Rogers and O’Grady also fit the stage hunter mould but are versatile and ride can ride tempo on the flat or in early parts of a mountain stage. McEwan’s record speaks for itself. Three Tour de France points titles make him a certain starter.
I can find no place for Simon Gerrans. There are more versatile riders with better ability in this line up and he is not the type to ride tempo on the front all day. That requires you to do a turn! Not Simon’s cup of tea.
That is the majority of my Tour de France lineup. Do you agree or disagree?
Have a nice day.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 