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13th Crocodile Trophy - NE
Australia, October 23-November 1, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 3 - October 25: Koombooloomba - Gunnawarra, 122 km
Bettin one step closer to prize
By John Flynn in Gunnawarra, Queensland
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Italy's Mauro Bettin today conquered his demons on Far North Queensland's famed powerline track, to claim a second stage victory and place himself in serious contention to win the Crocodile Trophy of 2007. Racing on the same section of the course where two years ago his dream of winning evaporated due to mechanical failure, Bettin had a trouble free run through the technical mountainous trail.
"I'm very happy to be the winner today but the Crocodile is long," Bettin said. "My team is strong, very long stages ahead, so we will see."
Bettin had Allan Carlsen to keep him company for most of today's stage, before the Dane suffered a flat tyre. "Ten k's before the third depot I had a puncture and Mauro couldn't wait up for me," Carlsen said.
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Fellow Dane Michael Borup suffered the same fate, after looking strong and going with the leaders in the early part of today's stage. "I think that the powereline track is all about dramas in this race," Borup said. "It was a hard day for me out there today with two punctures, but in the end it worked out pretty well."
Borup found himself working with a group of riders, including Austrian Stefan Rucker and Australia's Tim Bennett, who together managed to limit the damage inflicted by Bettin on the general classification. Rucker finished the stage in second place, while Tim Bennett picked up the first-ever placing for Australia's Flight Centre Team.
"For some reason I just happened to be with the right people at the right time we all worked really well together," Bennett said. "Stefan only attacked with maybe three kilometres to go and I managed to jump on his wheel."
Today's 122 kilometre stage served up no shortage of variety for the Crocodile Trophy protagonists. The technical mountainous journey along the powerline track followed by a 60 kilometre flat, hot dusty ride through an outback cattle station.
As second place getter Stefan Rucker pointed out it was a "real Crocodile Trophy stage" and what he ranked as the most important stage so far in the 2007 race.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com
- Tim Bennett heads downhill.
- Tim Bennett has every reason to be happy.
- The Port Macquarie cyclists loving their Croc Trophy Experience.
- The Australian cyclists fighting on against the Europeans.
- Roman Stastny of the Czech Republic.
- Roberto Haegdons of Belgium.
- Riders sign on ahead of Stage 3.
- Riders roll out on Stage 3.
- Riders cool down any way they can in the hot weather.
- Radek Sibl on the powerlline track.
- Pushing to the summit as the sun beats down.
- Ondrej Fojtik pushes hard.
- There's no easy lines on the rocky slopes.
- Michael Borup gets the legs pumping.
- Mauro Bettin pushing on a steep mountain climb.
- Mark Herremans awaits the stage start.
- Leading woman, Italy's Michela Benzoni.
- Italian Sandra Klomp on Stage 3.
- Italian Paulo Salvatore Albano riding impressively in 2007.
- How good does that feel?
- Gritting teeth on a mamoth climb.
- Flight Centre's Nick Both.
- Flat tyres a feature of the day's racing.
- Ewart Van Der Puttini.
- David Wood talks with Mauro Bettin.
- CSC Mechanic Christophe Desimpelaire.
- Benoit Joachim shows his power.
- Attila Marton in the mountains.
- An impressive ride from Dream Team youngster Brett Anderson.
- Allan Carlsen leads the riders up the powerline track.
- Valentin Zeller surveys the weather.
Results
Elite men 1 Mauro Bettin (Ita) Dream Team 4.49.49 (25.25 km/h) 2 Stefan Rucker (Aut) Elk Haus 6.08 3 Tim Bennett (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 6.24 4 Michael Borup (Den) Team GHOST - avj.dk 6.31 5 Ondrej Fojtik (Cze) Toyota Dolak 6.38 6 Radoslav Sibl (Cze) Team Ironbike - Bikezone 17.50 7 Joachim Benoit (Lux) Dream Team 36.34 8 Nick Both (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 36.42 9 Gerald Bauer (Aut) Publicity PowerBike Team 36.59 10 Jacob Agger Troelsen (Den) Team Wonsild - www.wonsild.dk 37.25 11 Max Becker (Lux) Dream Team 39.08 12 Attila Marton (Hun) Meditech Sport Club - CIB Leasing 39.42 13 Dennis Van Mill (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 42.27 14 Brett Anderson (Aus) Dream Team 42.45 15 Dave Wood (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 54.32 16 Ryan Hawson (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 54.34 17 Roman Stastny (Cze) Rock Machine - Cyklomax 1.01.03 18 Matt Hubber (Aus) 1.29.38 19 Patric Wiedmer (Swi) Wiedmer-RRGLMV 1.35.35 20 Daniele Avico (Ita) 1.43.38 21 Lukas Mraz (Cze) X - SPORTS 2.19.40 22 Marc Herremans (Bel) Team Heremans 6.09.11 23 Dirk Van Gossum (Bel) Team Heremans 24 Glenn Creynen (Bel) Team Heremans DNF Dario Cerisara (Ita) Cicli Giorgio M1 1 Allan Carlsen (Den) Alb-Gold Mountainbike Team 4.56.22 (24.70 km/h) 2 Valentin Zeller (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 29.41 3 Ewart Van der Putten (Ned) HERBALIFE-MERIDA 30.04 4 Salvatore Paolo Albano (Ita) Pedale Travisio 32.35 5 Roberto Haegdons (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 33.10 6 Allen St Pierre (USA) 34.02 7 Chrisophe Heinix (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 50.04 8 Struan Lamont (Aus) Team Scott 55.19 9 Robby Lemmens (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_02 1.11.12 10 Mauro Canale (Ita) Team Ironbike 1.11.19 11 Karel Peelman (Bel) 1.12.04 12 Christoph Herr (Ger) Team Radsport König 1.19.31 13 Philipp Zenklusen (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 1.25.13 14 Christan Hofer (Aut) Radsport Janger 15 Franz Schwoediauer (Aut) Hrinkow Bikes 1.29.23 16 Lloyd Newell (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 1.36.18 17 Christophe Desimpelaere (Den) Riis Cycling 1.38.28 18 Giovanni Roveri (Ita) Cicli Giorgio 1.55.30 19 Joan Valbuena Roset (Spa) Valbuena 2.05.51 20 Roman Petr (Svk) 2.26.51 21 Bohuslav Babor (Cze) X - SPORTS 22 Josh Freeman (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 2.39.17 23 Jose Ezequiel Garcia Carmona (Spa) Valbuena 2.39.39 24 Michalak Slawomir (Pol) Bank BGZ Team 3.31.55 25 Juan Kolbe Castillo Inga (Spa) Valbuena 4.15.23 26 Günter Rafeiner (Aut) KTM Mountainbiker.at 4.25.18 DNF Ugo Dalla Riva (Ita) Cicli Giorgio M2 1 Lieb Loots (RSA) Squirt Lube 5.37.58 (21.66 km/h) 2 Willy Welles (Ned) Mega-NPB.NL 12.51 3 Rudolf Senn (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 47.01 4 Greg Featonby (Aus) Full Cycle of Albury 47.47 5 Scott McLennan (Aus) Abs Security 1.02.36 6 Freddy Compernolle (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 1.13.11 7 Wallace King (Can) Athleteslowyer.de 1.13.46 8 Kurt Alderweireldt (Bel) Kyphon 1.14.47 9 Han Vaalt (Ned) Klein-Puelhuis 1.23.44 10 Christan Sengstbratl (Aut) SV Lichtenberg 1.31.57 11 Peter Dalziel (Aus) Team Dalley 2.30.49 12 Eduard Pleschutznig (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 2.43.53 13 Dave Webb (Aus) Marco Polo (CTBE) 2.55.33 14 Joseph Kerkhofs (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 2.55.47 15 Franz Duller (Aut) Fincon - CML 3.43.42 DNF Hennie Schoonheim (Ned) NO Worries Women 1 Michela Benzoni (Ita) Team Lissone Isolmant 5.37.58 (21.66 km/h) 2 Sandra Klomp (Ita) Team Ironbike 30.38 3 Marika Covre (Ita) Bike Pro Action 47.55 4 Helle Sejersen Jepsen (Den) Riis Cycling 2.55.08 5 Lindy Vandevenne (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 2.55.47 General classification after stage 3 Elite men 1 Mauro Bettin (Ita) Dream Team 10.52.30 2 Ondrej Fojtik (Cze) Toyota Dolak 12.12 3 Stefan Rucker (Aut) Elk Haus 23.48 4 Tim Bennett (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 25.05 5 Radoslav Sibl (Cze) Team Ironbike - Bikezone 32.10 6 Michael Borup (Den) Team GHOST - avj.dk 33.47 7 Joachim Benoit (Lux) Dream Team 1.07.40 8 Gerald Bauer (Aut) Publicity PowerBike Team 1.19.09 9 Nick Both (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 1.19.41 10 Max Becker (Lux) Dream Team 1.21.22 11 Dennis Van Mill (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 1.22.46 12 Jacob Agger Troelsen (Den) Team Wonsild - www.wonsild.dk 1.25.56 13 Brett Anderson (Aus) Dream Team 1.29.04 14 Attila Marton (Hun) Meditech Sport Club - CIB Leasing 1.36.51 15 Ryan Hawson (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 1.59.42 16 Dave Wood (Aus) The Flight Centre Team 2.07.50 17 Roman Stastny (Cze) Rock Machine - Cyklomax 2.28.12 18 Patric Wiedmer (Swi) Wiedmer-RRGLMV 2.54.17 19 Matt Hubber (Aus) 3.43.14 20 Daniele Avico (Ita) 4.28.23 21 Lukas Mraz (Cze) X - SPORTS 5.27.29 22 Marc Herremans (Bel) Team Heremans 14.46.23 23 Dirk Van Gossum (Bel) Team Heremans 24 Glenn Creynen (Bel) Team Heremans M1 1 Allan Carlsen (Den) Alb-Gold Mountainbike Team 11.09.50 2 Valentin Zeller (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 50.00 3 Ewart Van der Putten (Ned) HERBALIFE-MERIDA 1.02.37 4 Allen St Pierre (USA) 1.03.52 5 Salvatore Paolo Albano (Ita) Pedale Travisio 1.07.00 6 Roberto Haegdons (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 1.14.44 7 Chrisophe Heinix (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 1.35.42 8 Struan Lamont (Aus) Team Scott 2.12.30 9 Mauro Canale (Ita) Team Ironbike 2.45.22 10 Karel Peelman (Bel) 2.45.56 11 Philipp Zenklusen (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 2.51.13 12 Franz Schwoediauer (Aut) Hrinkow Bikes 3.13.09 13 Robby Lemmens (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_02 3.13.12 14 Christan Hofer (Aut) Radsport Janger 3.13.42 15 Christoph Herr (Ger) Team Radsport König 3.21.22 16 Lloyd Newell (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 3.26.22 17 Giovanni Roveri (Ita) Cicli Giorgio 4.04.03 18 Christophe Desimpelaere (Den) Riis Cycling 4.09.22 19 Joan Valbuena Roset (Spa) Valbuena 4.15.00 20 Jose Ezequiel Garcia Carmona (Spa) Valbuena 5.00.38 21 Roman Petr (Svk) 5.16.53 22 Josh Freeman (Aus) Team Gordon Street Cycles - Solid Stairs 5.17.08 23 Bohuslav Babor (Cze) X - SPORTS 5.55.33 24 Michalak Slawomir (Pol) Bank BGZ Team 7.51.49 25 Günter Rafeiner (Aut) KTM Mountainbiker.at 7.58.53 26 Juan Kolbe Castillo Inga (Spa) Valbuena 8.46.27 M2 1 Lieb Loots (RSA) Squirt Lube 12.58.16 2 Willy Welles (Ned) Mega-NPB.NL 47.56 3 Rudolf Senn (Swi) World Wide Erne Spirit 53.50 4 Greg Featonby (Aus) Full Cycle of Albury 1.17.34 5 Kurt Alderweireldt (Bel) Kyphon 1.56.52 6 Scott McLennan (Aus) Abs Security 2.09.32 7 Freddy Compernolle (Bel) Team www.sjette.be 2.30.21 8 Christan Sengstbratl (Aut) SV Lichtenberg 3.01.45 9 Wallace King (Can) Athleteslowyer.de 3.20.01 10 Peter Dalziel (Aus) Team Dalley 4.39.06 11 Eduard Pleschutznig (Aut) Endurance Team Kärnten 5.25.49 12 Joseph Kerkhofs (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 5.47.40 13 Han Vaalt (Ned) Klein-Puelhuis 7.31.02 14 Dave Webb (Aus) Marco Polo (CTBE) 9.54.51 15 Franz Duller (Aut) Fincon - CML 11.21.32 Women 1 Michela Benzoni (Ita) Team Lissone Isolmant 13.05.40 2 Sandra Klomp (Ita) Team Ironbike 35.46 3 Marika Covre (Ita) Bike Pro Action 1.42.50 4 Lindy Vandevenne (Bel) Belgian Joven Team_01 5.41.36 5 Helle Sejersen Jepsen (Den) Riis Cycling 6.02.32
