Gerrans not 100 per cent for Ardennes Classics

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Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) admits that he will not be on top form for the Ardennes Classics, following his recovery from a broken elbow. The Australian sustained the injury at Strade Bianche last month and says that, while his range of motion is almost back to normal, it has prevented him from training properly for the punchy climbs of the Ardennes.

"It's close, my elbow is still not 100 per cent,” Gerrans told Cyclingnews. “I haven’t got full range in the arm, so I’m not able to completely straighten it out. I’ve kind of had to adjust my riding style a little bit to accommodate that for a while until I get the full range back into it again. I haven’t been able to put a huge amount of strength through that arm, so it’s kind of limited how much explosive style training I’ve been able to do in the last few weeks.”

Not being able to get to full form for the Ardennes is a big disappointment for Gerrans but one he was prepared for almost as soon as he came off his bike at Strade Bianche, which is why the Giro d’Italia has been subsequently placed into his programme. The Italian Grand Tour was not initially on his schedule at the start of the season but it has been added so that he has something to build towards in the first half of the year. It’s only the second time that Gerrans will have ridden the Giro, but he’s excited about the prospect.