‘The eternal optimist’ – After riding the waves for two decades, Simon Clarke bids farewell on his own terms

The “eternal optimist” is how Simon Clarke describes himself and it’s a character trait that has served him well through two decades as a professional cyclist. It’s perhaps a necessity on the bike for a rider who’s willing to throw himself into the so often doomed break to chase victory. But it also helps explain the longevity of this rider from Melbourne, who has just walked away at 39 while surrounded by family and friends at his home race, the Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

The challenges have not been lacking for the rider who made his way into the sport via the national AIS squad – which launched the career of so many Australian riders through that particular late noughties era. But Clarke has continued to be a survivor, achieving his biggest success when, had the drive that optimism begets been lacking, his career would probably have already been long over. In fact, without it, his career probably would not have got going at all.