Former yellow jersey wearer and this year's SBS Tour de France commentator Simon Gerrans has found purpose in retirement by juggling two jobs.
For our lunch, he’s picked a place in suburban Melbourne, which has the relaxed decor of a bistro combined with the formality of white-jacketed staff. “This is my closest local,” he says. “I’ve been here a number of times, it’s quintessential Mediterranean.”
Gerrans’ appointment to the SBS commentary team followed the unexpected axing of the TV channel’s longstanding presenter Mike Tomalaris and commentator Robbie McEwen, a former pro rider and holder of the green jersey at the Tour de France., the news came as a shock to the cycling community. He had been part of the commentary team since 2017, and vented his unhappiness on social media.as the network announced it was taking a “different approach” to its commentary.
The Service Course has shops in Italy, Spain, Norway and Britain. Already this year, Gerrans has flown to Europe three times. He says his goal is to spend longer on his bike than in the air, but he hasn’t achieved that yet. Despite working for teams in Europe, Gerrans managed to woo and wed former Australian junior track cycling champion Rahna Demarte during his off-season trips home. She joined him overseas and they set up home in Monaco, followed by Spain and, finally, London.AdvertisementGerrans has finished his starter and the risottos arrive. The texture is perfect and chef hasn’t skimped on the truffle.
“So, I thought I could drop back and give my teammate the opportunity to lead the race for a couple of days. I said to Daryl, ‘I’ll wear the yellow jersey today. Tomorrow, I’ll drop back and let you pass me and you can lead the race for a couple of days.’“I told the team and they were cool with it. Which was good, because I’d told Daryl and was going to do it regardless. It felt like the natural thing to do at the time. It was the reaction of people that made me think that’s not the norm.
Starting as chief operations officer in 2020, Gerrans took over as CEO within months. He oversees the work of 35 employees and manages the input from the company’s 20 investors, many of whom are current professional cyclists.Before he leaves, I ask the question all cyclists want answered: how many bikes does he have in his garage?
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