Ludger Beerbaum is one of the best riders in the world, so much is clear. He however told in an interview that it isn't just his talent that got him this far...
"I don't think I'm the most talented rider. Daniel Deusser, Marcus Ehning and Scott Brash are far more talented than I am. I think I got this far because I always worked very hard to achieve my goals. I think that's very important in our sport: you should never give up and keep on working to achieve your goals. And that's what I did. I always realized I was not the best rider of the circuit. I was never a rider who was extremely good in something but I 'knew my way around' a lot of things. I was never the best in something, but pretty good in almost everything. This combined with my will to make it and to win, made me to the rider I am today".
Source: Clipmyhorse