Third win for Gerrans ideal for Australia Day

In front of 115,000 spectators, Gerrans beat Cadel Evans to the title he won in 2006 and 2012 and also took the sprint classification with his team claiming the win in their classification.

Gerrans took the title by one second from 2011 Tour de France winner and fellow Australian Evans (BMC Racing) and Italian Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) who was a further four seconds back in third.

“I’ve got my third Tour Down Under win thanks to an outstanding team,” said Gerrans.

“This is an Australian team, on Australia Day, in a World Tour event, what else could I ask for?”

Evans added: “This race is fantastic,. The fans really make this race and this ambience, I am so pleased, so proud of us as a cycling nation.”

German sprinter Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) won the 16th and final stage in Adelaide.

Second went to Australian Mark Renshaw (Omega Pharma - QuickStep) with his British team- mate Andrew Fenn third on the stage.

n Some of the top cyclo-cross riders in the country were in action at the final round of the CXNE Rat Race Series in Whitby yesterday, where heavy rain caused challenging quagmire conditions.

Halifax’s Jack Clarkson continued his preparations for next weekend’s World Championships in Holland by riding the course at Caedmon School, but the CXNE Series action was largely played out between last week’s winner of round 14 Keith Murray (Scott Synchros Pioneer), and his rival Adam Martin (Knights of Old).

With a minute’s handicap last week Murray took the win by 16 seconds, but this time Chester-le-Street’s Martin – also riding for Great Britain at the World Championships at Hoogerheide – took the win by almost two-and-a-half minutes, with Murray in turn being 1.18 ahead of third-placed Alan Nixon (Blackhawk Bikes).

In road racing, Doncaster rider Connor Swift (Bike Box Alan) took victory in the first round of the Velo29 Winter Series at the Croft motor circuit in North Yorkshire by five seconds from Andy Brown.