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13th Crocodile Trophy - NE
Australia, October 23-November 1, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 4 - October 26: Gunnawarra - Chillagoe, 140 km
Rucker celebrates national day as Crocodile Trophy turns savage
By John Flynn in Chillagoe, Queensland
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Austrian Stefan Rucker celebrated his country's national day in the grandest possible fashion today with a hard-earned victory in stage four of the Crocodile Trophy. In scenes which mirrored the same stage in 2006, Rucker was forced to come from behind, after giving up time to his rivals on the technically demanding railway cutting road between Mount Garnett and Chillagoe.
"It felt like déjà vu today, it's great to win on Austria's national day," an ecstatic Rucker said at the stage end. "It wasn't easy today, because everyone knew I wanted to win. I asked for the Austrian flag this morning and placed it in my pocket."
The flag was waved proudly as Rucker crossed the finish line with race leader Mauro Bettin close behind at the end of a punishing 140 kilometre stage. Bettin and Rucker broke away at the 15 kilometres to go mark, from a group which included Benoit Joachim, Michael Borup, Allan Carlsen, Valentin Zeller and Ondrej Fojtik.
"I knew I was the stronger rider today," Rucker said. "I attacked and Mauro came with me, but he was asking me to slow down as he was having trouble keeping up."
How it unfolded
Stage four of the Crocodile Trophy rolled out from beautiful Gunnawarra lagoon, where riders had spent the night relaxing by the campfire. But the festivity was long forgotten when the Flight Centre team launched the first attack of the day, sending rookie Ryan Hawson up the road on the opening 30 kilometre, mostly asphalt section, in a move designed to benefit his team leader Tim Bennett.
The shot of bravado from the Australians was short-lived, with the serious contenders in the Crocodile Trophy in no mood to have the terms dictated to them. An unusually large bunch 16 riders managed to hang on as the leaders hit the railway cutting near Mount Garnett.
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From there it was a race of attrition as, one by one, those riding above their limit, were forced out the back door. Among them, South Australian Brett Anderson, the 19 year-old rookie on the Felt Dream Team, who has learnt much during the Crocodile Trophy.
"It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be," Anderson said. "We hit very sandy rocky and fast fire road and that spilt the group up." The young Australian quickly realising what it will take to become a serious player in the Crocodile Trophy.
"The leaders got away, they have phenomenal power in their legs going through the sandy sections," Anderson said. "For guys like me, it's hard to keep up."
By the time the leaders reached the end of the technical section, the front group was down to four, with Bettin, Fojtik, Carlsen and Borup driving hard. Stefan Rucker, who had managed to keep the leaders in his sights through the sandy terrain, fought hard to bridge across to the lead group, with help from the Dream Team's Benoit Joachim.
There was drama to follow when several of the riders missed their final water stop. Aware of the suffering, Rucker launched an attack which no-one other than Bettin could match, on his way to victory.
Today's second place gives Bettin a lead of close to 20 minutes in the General Classification on a day when his rivals for the overall prize took a battering. Second placed Czech Ondrej Fojtik gave up close to seven minutes on the GC today, thanks to three broken spokes in his rear wheel, which rendered it almost unrideable.
"It is not a good day today, I lose a lot of time," Fojtik said as he assessed the damage to his bike, inflicted along the punishing railway cutting.
Dane Michael Borup also lost another three minutes to Bettin after crashing heavily with seven kilometres to go in today's stage, in the process destroying his bike.
"It was a very hard stage once again today, Allan (Carlsen) and I were pushing really hard (along the railway cutting) and we dropped most of the group," Borup said. "Unfortunately I crashed and hurt my shoulder and my hand and my knee and broke my bike."
The tales of grief didn't end there, with Australia's highest ranked rider, Tim Bennett (Flight Centre) also dropping behind in the overall standings after suffering a flat tyre at the 50 kilometre mark. Bennett's position could have been much worse, but for the all-out effort from Flight Centre team-mate Nick Both, who sacrificed himself to limit the time gap.
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"Yeah he was looking pretty good up in the front group and pretty comfortable and then he (Bennett) suffered a flat," Both said. "We did everything we could to get up there but we were just losing time and losing time. I did everything I could for him and just went to pieces."
Austrian Gerald Bauer also bit the dust along the technically demanding railway cutting, a 40 kilometre-plus section of trail, littered with sand patches and sharp rocks.
"The problem was the corrugations," Bauer said. "It's harder than yesterday. I also had a crash when another competitor stopped in the sand and then I crashed behind him, fell down and hurt my knee and my legs and my arms."
The protagonists in the Crocodile Trophy of 2007 are facing another demanding day tomorrow, with a potentially mind-numbing 140 kilometre out-and-back stage to Chillagoe. Blistering hot conditions are expected once again, and a meeting tonight between race organisers and riders will discuss the possibility of shortening the stage.
While it appears to be the Europeans who are suffering most from the heat, even the Australians found today's conditions trying. Greg Featonby, a veteran of six Herald Sun Tours, described the Trophy as a race like nothing he has ever done in the "pampered" world of road racing. Featonby's entry into the Crocodile Trophy came by way of a 50th birthday present from his wife.
"I hope she doesn't give me this one for my 60th," Featonby quipped as he considered the stages ahead.
Herremans still fighting
As tough as today's stage was, any rider considering complaining should look first to the efforts of Belgian Ironman Marc Herremans. Against all odds, the hand cyclist is continuing to crank his machine towards the final destination in Cape Tribulation.
Herremans survived the power-line track yesterday and completed today's stage in a time of 9.51.14.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com
- Nick Both a workhorse today for his team.
- Ondrej Fojtik fights on as his wheel disintegrates.
- Passing by the Almaden cemetary.
- Pleasant scenery on the old railway cutting between Mount Garnett and Chillagoe.
- Preparing for the race start at Gunnawarra Station.
- Race leader Mauro Bettin holds focus.
- Ryan Hawson fights on through the sandy section.
- Stefan Rucker back on the Black top.
- Stefan Rucker cools down.
- Struan Lamont goes full gas for home.
- The lead group spreads out on a dusty gravel road.
- The peloton passes through the land of termite mounds.
- The race to Chillagoe is on.
- The road into Chillagoe.
- Valentin Zeller improving with every day.
- Valentin Zeller on the front of the bunch.
- Women's race leader Michela Benzoni on the front of the bunch with Ewart Van der Puttin.
- A tough day for Tim Bennett with flat tyres and sand to negotiate.
- Benoit Joachim struggles on in need of water.
- Blue sky and searing heat on the road to Chillagoe.
- Cattle stations and Road trains feature here.
- Christophe Desimpelaere riding through grass tree country.
- Dane Allan Carlsen holding his own at the pointy end of the race.
- Early breakaway Ryan Hawson of the Flight Centre team powers up the road.
- Flight Centre's Nick Both and Felt Dream team's Brett Anderson.
- Han Vaalt of The Netherlands barely visible on the dusty road.
- Hawson looks back as the short-lived breakaway nears an end.
- Italian Paulo Salvatore Albano powers through the soft stuff.
- Marc Herremans surviving into a fourth day of the Crocodile Trophy.
- Matt Huber fights on towards Chillagoe.
- Mauro Bettin and the G.C. contenders approach Mount Garnett.
- Mauro Bettin keeps driving the pace up front.
- Mauro Canale of Team Ironbike pulling a turn.
- Michael Borup looking strong shortly before his crash.
- Michael Borup surveys the damage post-stage.
- Michela Benzoni rides the soft sand.
Results
Elite men 1 Stefan Rucker (Aut) Elk Haus 4.29.41 (31.15 km/h) 2 Mauro Bettin (Ita) Dream Team 4 Joachim Benoit (Lux) Dream Team 2.12 3 Michael Borup (Den) Team GHOST - avj.dk 3.01 5 Ondrej Fojtik (Cze) Toyota Dolak 7.05 6 Radoslav Sibl (Cze) Team Ironbike - Bikezone 10.42 7 Tim Bennett (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 11.48 8 Brett Anderson (Aus) Dream Team 9 Attila Marton (Hun) Meditech Sport Club - CIB Leasing 10 Jacob Agger Troelsen (Den) Team Wonsild - www.wonsild.dk 11 Nick Both (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 27.48 12 Max Becker (Lux) Dream Team 33.30 13 Gerald Bauer (Aut) Publicity PowerBike Team 14 Ryan Hawson (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 39.10 15 Dennis Van Mill (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 42.07 16 Roman Stastny (Cze) Rock Machine - Cyklomax 42.15 17 Dave Wood (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 43.57 18 Patric Wiedmer (Swi) Wiedmer-RRGLMV 55.03 19 Matt Hubber (Aus) 1.17.50 20 Daniele Avico (Ita) 21 Lukas Mraz (Cze) X - SPORTS 1.21.04 22 Dario Cerisara (Ita) Cicli Giorgio 3.13.36 23 Marc Herremans (Bel) Team Heremans 5.29.19 24 Dirk Van Gossum (Bel) Team Heremans 25 Glenn Creynen (Bel) Team Heremans M1 1 Valentin Zeller (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 4.31.53 (30.90 km/h) 2 Allan Carlsen (Den) Alb-Gold Mountainbike Team 0.46 3 Roberto Haegdons (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 9.36 4 Ewart Van der Putten (Ned) HERBALIFE-MERIDA 5 Allen St Pierre (USA) 20.34 6 Chrisophe Heinix (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 25.36 7 Salvatore Paolo Albano (Ita) Pedale Travisio 31.18 8 Karel Peelman (Bel) 40.03 9 Lloyd Newell (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 48.11 10 Robby Lemmens (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_02 11 Mauro Canale (Ita) Team Ironbike 52.47 12 Christophe Desimpelaere (Den) Riis Cycling 56.16 13 Struan Lamont (Aus) Team Scott 57.01 14 Franz Schwoediauer (Aut) Hrinkow Bikes 1.10.32 15 Christoph Herr (Ger) Team Radsport König 1.18.52 16 Christan Hofer (Aut) Radsport Janger 17 Roman Petr (Svk) 1.28.35 18 Joan Valbuena Roset (Spa) Valbuena 19 Günter Rafeiner (Aut) KTM Mountainbiker.at 1.35.00 20 Philipp Zenklusen (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 1.37.57 21 Jose Ezequiel Garcia Carmona (Spa) Valbuena 22 Josh Freeman (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 23 Giovanni Roveri (Ita) Cicli Giorgio 1.51.37 24 Bohuslav Babor (Cze) X - SPORTS 2.08.52 25 Michalak Slawomir (Pol) Bank BGZ Team 2.41.28 26 Juan Kolbe Castillo Inga (Spa) Valbuena 2.54.34 DNF Ugo Dalla Riva (Ita) Cicli Giorgio M2 1 Willy Welles (Ned) Mega-NPB.NL 4.57.29 (28.24 km/h) 2 Lieb Loots SA Squirt Lube 5.48 3 Rudolf Senn (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 15.26 4 Scott McLennan (Aus) Abs Security 31.25 5 Greg Featonby (Aus) Full Cycle of Albury 53.16 6 Wallace King (Can) Athleteslowyer.de 56.18 7 Christan Sengstbratl (Aut) SV Lichtenberg 1.04.28 8 Han Vaalt (Ned) Klein-Puelhuis 1.09.00 9 Kurt Alderweireldt (Bel) Kyphon 1.12.21 10 Freddy Compernolle (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 11 Peter Dalziel (Aus) Team Dalley 1.58.56 12 Hennie Schoonheim (Ned) NO Worries 2.10.02 13 Dave Webb (Aus) Marco Polo (CTBE) 2.21.29 14 Eduard Pleschutznig (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 15 Joseph Kerkhofs (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 16 Franz Duller (Aut) Fincon - CML 2.45.48 Women 1 Michela Benzoni (Ita) Team Lissone Isolmant 5.03.17 (27.70 km/h) 2 Sandra Klomp (Ita) Team Ironbike 21.23 3 Marika Covre (Ita) Bike Pro Action 57.11 4 Lindy Vandevenne (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 2.15.41 5 Helle Sejersen Jepsen (Den) Riis Cycling General classification after stage 4 Elite men 1 Mauro Bettin (Ita) Dream Team 15.22.01 2 Ondrej Fojtik (Cze) Toyota Dolak 19.27 3 Stefan Rucker (Aut) Elk Haus 23.43 4 Michael Borup (Den) Team GHOST - avj.dk 36.58 5 Tim Bennett (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 37.03 6 Radoslav Sibl (Cze) Team Ironbike - Bikezone 43.02 7 Joachim Benoit (Lux) Dream Team 1.09.57 8 Jacob Agger Troelsen (Den) Team Wonsild - www.wonsild.dk 1.37.54 9 Brett Anderson (Aus) Dream Team 1.41.02 10 Nick Both (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 1.47.39 11 Attila Marton (Hun) Meditech Sport Club - CIB Leasing 1.48.49 12 Gerald Bauer (Aut) Publicity PowerBike Team 1.52.49 13 Max Becker (Lux) Dream Team 1.55.02 14 Dennis Van Mill (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 2.05.03 15 Ryan Hawson (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 2.39.02 16 Dave Wood (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 2.51.57 17 Roman Stastny (Cze) Rock Machine - Cyklomax 3.10.37 18 Patric Wiedmer (Swi) Wiedmer-RRGLMV 3.49.30 19 Matt Hubber (Aus) 5.01.14 20 Daniele Avico (Ita) 5.46.23 21 Lukas Mraz (Cze) X - SPORTS 6.48.43 22 Dario Cerisara (Ita) Cicli Giorgio 16.53.02 23 Marc Herremans (Bel) Team Heremans 20.43.52 24 Dirk Van Gossum (Bel) Team Heremans 25 Glenn Creynen (Bel) Team Heremans M1 1 Allan Carlsen (Den) Alb-Gold Mountainbike Team 15.42.29 2 Valentin Zeller (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 49.14 3 Ewart Van der Putten (Ned) HERBALIFE-MERIDA 1.11.27 4 Roberto Haegdons (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 1.23.34 5 Allen St Pierre (USA) 1.23.40 6 Salvatore Paolo Albano (Ita) Pedale Travisio 1.37.32 7 Chrisophe Heinix (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 2.00.32 8 Struan Lamont (Aus) Team Scott 3.08.45 9 Karel Peelman (Bel) 3.25.13 10 Mauro Canale (Ita) Team Ironbike 3.37.23 11 Robby Lemmens (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_02 4.00.37 12 Lloyd Newell (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 4.13.47 13 Franz Schwoediauer (Aut) Hrinkow Bikes 4.22.55 14 Philipp Zenklusen (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 4.28.24 15 Christan Hofer (Aut) Radsport Janger 4.31.48 16 Christoph Herr (Ger) Team Radsport König 4.39.28 17 Christophe Desimpelaere (Den) Riis Cycling 5.04.52 18 Joan Valbuena Roset (Spa) Valbuena 5.42.49 19 Giovanni Roveri (Ita) Cicli Giorgio 5.54.54 20 Jose Ezequiel Garcia Carmona (Spa) Valbuena 6.37.49 21 Roman Petr (Svk) 6.44.42 22 Josh Freeman (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 6.54.19 23 Bohuslav Babor (Cze) X - SPORTS 8.03.39 24 Günter Rafeiner (Aut) KTM Mountainbiker.at 9.33.07 25 Michalak Slawomir (Pol) Bank BGZ Team 10.32.31 26 Juan Kolbe Castillo Inga (Spa) Valbuena 11.40.15 M2 1 Lieb Loots (RSA) Squirt Lube 18.01.33 2 Willy Welles (Ned) Mega-NPB.NL 42.08 3 Rudolf Senn (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 1.03.28 4 Greg Featonby (Aus) Full Cycle of Albury 2.05.02 5 Scott McLennan (Aus) Abs Security 2.35.09 6 Kurt Alderweireldt (Bel) Kyphon 3.03.25 7 Freddy Compernolle (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 3.36.54 8 Christan Sengstbratl (Aut) SV Lichtenberg 4.00.25 9 Wallace King (Can) Athleteslowyer.de 4.10.31 10 Peter Dalziel (Aus) Team Dalley 6.32.14 11 Eduard Pleschutznig (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 7.41.30 12 Joseph Kerkhofs (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 8.03.21 13 Han Vaalt (Ned) Klein-Puelhuis 8.34.14 14 Dave Webb (Aus) Marco Polo (CTBE) 12.10.32 15 Hennie Schoonheim (Ned) NO Worries 12.32.25 16 Franz Duller (Aut) Fincon - CML 14.01.32 Women 1 Michela Benzoni (Ita) Team Lissone Isolmant 18.08.57 2 Sandra Klomp (Ita) Team Ironbike 57.09 3 Marika Covre (Ita) Bike Pro Action 2.40.01 4 Lindy Vandevenne (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 7.57.17 5 Helle Sejersen Jepsen (Den) Riis Cycling 8.18.13
