Simon Gerrans enjoyed a perfect start to the 2014 season with Australian Championship title and victory at the Santos Tour Down Under, but struggled to maintain his disposition when racing was moved to Europe, hampered but illnesses and allergies. However, the 33-year old Orica Green-EDGE rider bounced back with a successful Ardennes campaign, which saw him claiming third place at the Amstel Gold Race and winning his career’s second monument in Liege, what convinced Australian squad’s bosses to keep him in the team.

During the post-race press conference held in Liege last Sunday, Orica-GreenEDGE manager Matt White suggested that the Australian team will insist on extending the contract with Gerrans, as his current deal expires by the end of the 2014 season.

"Simon is a crucial part of our team and he's delivered on the biggest moments. Simon's not going anywhere and this is his home. We'll be keeping him,” Matt White told Cyclingnews.

Gerrans was expected to be an important factor in Liege following his good disposition shown at the Amstel Gold Race, but the rider himself had to be surprised by claiming a victory in the Ardennes monument, what he even called ‘impossible’ once. However, the 33-year old Australian champion took advantage of very nonselective La Doyenne finale and his trademark explosiveness to take an emphatic victory in a sprint over in-form Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Michał Kwiatkowski.

"I knew that Simon would be very, very competitive but the win is a very nice surprise. This has got to be the biggest win we've had. Winning a stage in the Tour de France is big, and the yellow jersey off the back of that was awesome but I think this ranks with the best days we've had in the team. It's a big day for us, for sure."

"To be honest on the Forges he came on the radio and said 'I'm not good'. There was a minute's silence in the car and I've not spoken to him but he had a period where he didn't feel so good but then we saw Pieter Weening talking him up and then I knew he was feeling good."
 

Even though Gerrans struggled to rebuild his disposition after moving to Europe and was forced out of the Milano-Sanremo, first of the monument races won by the Australian in 2012 season, due to illness, White claimed that an additional recovery period, in fact, let the Orica-GreenEDGE captain perform on previously unreachable level in Ardennes.

"Because of the forced period of rest in February and March he was able to come here rested and as good as ever."