by Justin Davis

ANS, Belgium, April 27, 2009 (AFP) – Australian Simon Gerrans’s potential in some of Europe’s tough spring classics moved up a notch Sunday with a promising sixth-placed finish in the prestigious Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

In a race in which Aussie fans may have been betting on two-time Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans to improve on his seventh place last year, Gerrans made sure any betting on the pair will be a little more problematic in 2010.

In the end both Australians, and a host of big victory contenders, proved a step in class below Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank, who ended Luxembourg’s 55-year wait for victory in the oldest, and arguably most prestigious one-day classic thanks to a stunning attack 20km from the finish.

Gerrans was primarily left happy with his condition prior to the forthcoming Giro d’Italia, where he is scheduled to chaperon Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre in the mountains.

But he acknowledged that this result augurs well for his future chances in the hilly spring classics, such as the Amstel Gold, Fleche Wallonne and Liege, that are all raced within the space of a week in late April.

“All in all I’m pretty happy. The sensations are good, but I’ve certainly improved in all these races this year. I’m getting there slowly but surely,” he told Bicycle.net.

Gerrans has been steadily growing in stature in the peloton and hit a new level last year when he won a tough mountain stage at the Tour de France, to Prato Nevoso in Italy, with former team Credit Agricole.

But on Sunday, with Saxo Bank making the race hard for everybody, the best he and Sastre could do was try and help close a significant gap to Schleck after he’d attacked at the foot of the tough Roche aux Faucons climb.

A lack of co-operation among defending champion Alejandro Valverde, co-favourite Davide Rebellin and Damiano Cunego of Italy ultimately resulted in Schleck soloing to Luxembourg’s first win since Marcel Ernzer won in 1954.

Evans, who had been left trailing last year when a decisive four-man break went on the Roche aux Faucons, this time kept in contention for a podium place until the final two kilometres.

But by then a larger peloton had caught up with their six-man group that was preparing to battle for the two other podium places behind Schleck. And when Spaniard Joaquim attacked with 1km to go, the Aussie’s chances dipped.

Rebellin soon joined the chase, and did well too as he held off Belgian Philippe Gilbert, Evans’s teammate, at the finish to take third. Evans trailed in 16th.

His team manager at Silence, Marc Sergeant, was disappointed to lose out on a podium place, but was adamant Evans had done his job.

“He did what he had to do, he stayed with the Cunegos, Rebellins and all the other favourites,” he told Bicycle.net.

Sergeant also poured cold water on a reported dispute between Evans and Gilbert after the Fleche Wallonne Wednesday, where Gilbert reportly lashed out at Evan’s fifth-placed finish after the Australian had said during the race he had not felt strong enough to challenge for the win.

Sergeant added: “I was a little bit upset when I heard the report of that dispute because the same evening they were eating together and laughing.

“It really was a misunderstanding. Philippe told us that Cadel had said three or four times, ‘I’m not so good’, but a fifth place on the mur de Huy is not, for us, ‘not so good’.

“It’s the fifth year we’ve been working with Cadel, and we have a very good relationship with him. We know he’s always there. We knew he would should have been good on the Mur, only he was not sure of himself.”