Simon Clarke Secures Third Place Podium Finish at Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Simon Clarke has continued his success at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, securing a third-place finish and standing on the podium for the second time in his career. Clarke’s impressive performance, combined with Corbin Strong’s fifth-place finish, made it a fantastic day for the IPT team at the WorldTour race. Reflecting on his achievement, Clarke expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “As a group, we were super motivated for today to justify the quality of the team we had here and how well we worked together. I think the fact we were two in the top-five is exactly where we deserved to be today.”
Clarke emphasized the challenging nature of the race, with wind playing a significant role in influencing the outcome. He explained, “Today was a tricky race with a lot of wind influencing the race, particularly a headwind up the climb, so it was hard for the climbers to make a difference. Any breakaways got reeled back on that straight because you had to use too much energy to stay away.”
In a strategic move to conserve energy, Clarke focused on staying hidden and saving himself for the crucial moments. He revealed, “I just tried to stay hidden and save myself and stick to the team plan which was to save myself and Corbin to go deep in the race. Even on the final lap, I was there around the front but I was really conscious of not spending any extra energy up the last climb because I knew that it was going to be some kind of bunch sprint. The plan was for Corbin and I to stick together in the finish but we kind of lost each other and in the end, we both sprinted. I’m quite surprised to come third in the end but really happy, as it’s also some great points for the team.”
The race ultimately came down to a combination of saving energy and relying on strength in numbers. IPT Sports Director Sam Bewley commended the team’s efforts and expressed pride in their performance, stating, “Our goal was to have numbers on the last lap. To do that, sometimes you have to take a few risks and we did take a few risks at times and it was maybe a bit nervous. But I was happy to stick to the plan because if you have numbers in the final, it can go your way and we had four guys in a group of 30.”
For Bewley, the podium finish was a well-deserved reward for the team’s hard work throughout the Australian season. He concluded, “I’m really proud of the guys today. I think we deserved more at Tour Down Under but circumstances meant we didn’t get that. But the way the guys rallied this weekend was great. Our goal was a podium, and we did that with third with Clarkey and fifth with Corbin, so I’m really happy to close out the Australian campaign like this and really proud of the guys and everyone else.”
