Cycling News

03 June 2010

After four weeks of altitude training, in Colorado, Simon Gerrans will make his return to racing when he lines up for the Tour of Luxembourg.

For Gerrans, the only Australian to have won a stage at all three grand tours (France, Italy and Spain), the Tour of Luxembourg will be an important measure of his form against a strong field that includes Lance Armstrong.

"This race is a vital part of my preparation for the Tour de France because the style of racing in Luxembourg will be really explosive, which is impossible to simulate in training,” Gerrans said.

“I feel that I’m currently at 90 per cent of my best condition so the goal at Luxembourg is to find that extra bit of form leading into July.

“The terrain around here is similar to that in the Classics like Liege-Bastogne-Liege, which is a style of racing I really enjoy.”

Following Luxembourg, Gerrans will spend a couple of days reviewing some of the Tour de France stages prior to heading to Lugano for the start of the Tour de Suisse.

“There are a number of climbs in this year’s Tour that I’m not familiar with so I feel it’s important to check them out before heading to Switzerland,” the 30-year-old said.

“After that I’ll head to the Tour de Suisse in the hope of putting the finishing touches on my form.”

Team Sky has not yet named their Tour de France line up but Gerrans will be aiming to play a key role in the team supporting Bradley Wiggins bid to become the first British rider to make the podium in Paris.

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