AusCycling congratulates Simon Clarke on his retirement from a successful cycling career in which he represented Australia with distinction over some 17 years.
A sporty kid from Melbourne, Clarke learnt the art of track and road racing with Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club.
Winning medals at junior state championships and national championships encouraged him to focus on cycling, and he soon tasted international success, winning the team pursuit with Australia at the Junior Track World Championships.
He was also a junior Madison national champion and under-23 road race national champion, developing through the Australian Institute of Sport program in Italy until turning professional in 2009.
Clarke represented the Australian Cycling Team 12 times at elite road world championships. (Stu Baker)
It was with the Australian WorldTour team, GreenEDGE, that Clarke made his breakthrough performance, winning a stage and the King of the Mountains jersey at the 2012 Vuelta a España.
Over the following decade and a half, Clarke earned a reputation as a dependable and respected rider and leader, especially in the hilly classics.
As well as winning the 2014 Herald Sun Tour and a second stage at the Vuelta, and wearing the maglia rosa as leader of the Giro d’Italia, Clarke earned top-10 finishes at Milan-Sanremo and was a runner-up in the Amstel Gold Race.
Rio 2016 was the first of two appearances he made at Olympic Games. (Graham Watson)
His biggest career result came at the 2022 Tour de France, when Clarke won the cobbled stage with a desperate sprint and bike throw from the breakaway.
Clarke was a consistent and valuable representative for the Australian Cycling Team, pulling on the green and gold a remarkable 12 times at UCI Road World Championships and twice at Olympic Games, at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024.
He was a key support rider when Cadel Evans won the world title in 2009. He also secured his own top-10 result in Florence in 2013.
A stage win at the Tour de France was a crowning achievement in Clarke's career. (Charly Lopez / A.S.O.)
Off the bike, Clarke has been representing the interests of Australian athletes as a member of the new AusCycling High Performance Athlete Committee, providing his perspective to shape AusCycling’s policies and initiatives to support athlete development and success.
Gracie Elvin, AusCycling’s Athlete Liaison and Alumni Club lead, acknowledged Clarke’s wide-ranging contributions to Australian cycling.
“Simon achieved what so many dream of, but his race smarts and tenacity are what set him apart from most,” said Elvin.
“He contributed strong leadership to the teams he was part of, including the current Athlete Committee, and always stepped up to a challenge when asked.
“We would be thrilled to welcome him into the Alumni Club to share his craft with current athletes and to continue his legacy of giving back to the sport, while being supported in his transition into the next chapter of his life.”
Feature photo: Tim de Waele / Getty Images