Simon Clarke "quite surprised to come third in" Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

For the second time in his career, Simon Clarke claimed a spot on the podium at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, this time by finishing in third place in the sprint.

Clarke competed in the Tour Down, but was unable to secure any noteworthy results, so he sought to make a lasting impact before he left for European competitions. “Tour Down Under was a disappointing result from the team’s point of view because it didn’t reflect how well we rode and how strong everyone was. So, as a group, we were super motivated for today to justify the quality of the team we had here and how well we worked together. I think the fact we were two in the top-five is exactly where we deserved to be today,” explained Clarke.

He further added, “It was a good day for the team. Today was a tricky race with a lot of wind influencing the race, particularly a headwind up the climb so it was hard for the climbers to make a difference, and then the headwind after we turned right after the finish line really shut the race down as you saw on tv. Any breakaways got reeled back on that straight because you had to use too much energy to stay away.”

The final stretch of the race was chaotic and kept spectators on edge until the end. Despite giving it his all, Marius Mayrhofer ultimately proved to be faster and took the victory.“I just tried to stay hidden and save myself and stick to the team plan which was to save myself and Corbin to go deep in the race. Even on the final lap, I was there around the front but I was really conscious of not spending any extra energy up the last climb because I knew that it was going to be some kind of bunch sprint. I’m quite surprised to come third in the end but really happy, as it’s also some great points for the team,” concluded the Australian rider.