Crocodile Trophy 2002

Australia, September 10-22, 2002

Main Results Previous stage Next stage

Stage 5: September 14, Mt. Surprise - Chillagoe, 171 km

By Christi Valentine Anderson

After five stages covering over 800 kms the cyclists are certainly happy that tomorrow is a rest day. Today's stage was not technical in any sense, however, it was long and grueling made especially difficult by a head wind for the first 100 kilometres. There were pockets of deep sand, skin bleaching sunshine and over 70 kms of heavily corrugated dirt roads. These were the type of corrugations which run perpendicular the road and are approx 8 inches apart and 4 inches deep. the effect is painful vibrations throughout the upper body and bum. It's like riding on the pavé in the Paris Roubaix just add choking dust and about 30 more kilometres of it!

Today the field split early as the strong ones quickly dropped the survivors in the head wind. Twenty men went ahead at approx 30 kms per hour in the dirt. Slowly the exhausted men began to drop off this group and by the 100 km point the lead group containing all the real podium contenders was down to eight.

Over the next 70 kms the lead group whittled down to four in what can only be described as a torturous procedure. Here's how it happened: Jaap Viergever, race leader and former race winner, would spot the weakest rider then get just in front of the poor guy and slowly let a gap go, maybe 100 meters. When it was apparent that the suffering man would never regain contact, Jaap would bridge the gap easily. The end result was one less man to deal with. It was agonizing even to watch. But all the tactics stopped when there were four remaining. These four were the same as every other stage: Jaap Viergever, Phil Anderson, Jurji Robic and Kris Lapere.

They rode along together until the final kilometre where Jurji Robic launched himself off the front to avoid a sprint with likes of Anderson and Lapere, and won the stage! Robic said, " I dedicate this stage to my wife. Today is her birthday."

As for the women, well there is one sad event today as Austrian, Gabrielle Inzinger abandoned. Basically it came down to an excruciating point of contact! The poor gal was the only rider to challenge Mieke Deroo and she just couldn't go on after kilometre 80. That leaves Carrie Edwards of America and Debra Eason of Australia as the only other two women.

It's a hard race! Tomorrow should be a bit better as the rest day. Phil Anderson's team mate, David Olle said, " I'm planning to attack on the training ride, so I can see what it feels like.

Photography

Images by Mark Watson/MW Photography

Oyvind Aas leads the bunch under the baking Australian sun
A support vehicle finds a rare patch of shade
A whole lot of not much suurounds the riders as they pass through the vast landscape
Kris Lapere was one of the four hard men who contested the finale
Four riders work together on the dusty outback roads
It's thirsty work and a little extra caffeine can't hurt either

Results

1 Jurji Robic (Slo) Team Robic                              5.43.55
2 Jaap Viergever (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos                       0.08
3 Kris Lapere (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg
4 Phil Anderson (Aus) Dream Team
5 Clemens Mühsinger (Ger)                                      6.58
6 Paul Meyvis (Bel)                                           13.54
7 Martin Kellermann (Aut)                                     21.02
8 Thomas Riegler (Aut) Team Riegler                           21.03
9 Oyvind Aas (Nor) Team Kelly/Hi5 Norway                      30.39
10 Adrian Laing (Aus) Team Brett                              30.40
11 Bart Schols (Bel)                                          41.28
12 Dominiek Sacre (Bel) Team www.reevax.be
13 Filip Claes (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg                     41.29
14 Peter Paelinck (Bel) Team www.reevax.be
15 Bart Bosmans (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg                    42.39
16 Hans Henrik Nielsen (Den)                                  46.02
17 Peter Nejsig (Den)                                         46.04
18 Dennis Teeuwen (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos                     55.57
19 David Olle (Aus) Dream Team                                56.47
20 Peter Brett (Aus) Team Brett                               56.49
21 Anthony Michelle (Aus) Team Brett                        1.06.11
22 Jon Spar (Aus) Team Brett
23 Theo Molenbrugge (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos                 1.07.57
24 Charles Blanc (Fra)                                      1.24.16
25 Mieke Deroo (Bel) Team Mieke                             1.28.04
26 Wouter Declercq (Bel) Team Mieke                         1.28.40
27 Rudi Donckers (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg
28 Jack Oldfield (Aus)                                      1.46.55
29 Peter Dammerer (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso                    1.50.55
30 Reinhard Hörmann (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso                  1.50.57
31 Steven Pauwels (Bel) Team www.reevax.be                  1.54.58
32 Wolfgang Kristinus (Aut) Team Baustoff & Metall          2.03.46
33 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                     2.11.01
34 Ronny Potter (Bel)                                       2.13.25
35 Kim Lindberg (Den)                                       2.19.27
36 Franz Hartmann (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso                    2.26.40
37 Joachim Rintsch (Ger)                                    2.30.07
38 Joe Schifano (Aus) Team Brett                            2.30.46
39 Debra Eason (Aus) Team Australia                         2.39.53
40 Toru Watanabe (Jpn)                                      3.01.19
41 Kurt Poisinger (Aut)                                     3.05.29
43 Stefan Schlett (Ger)                                     3.16.02
DNF Hagen Dix (Ger) Team Dix
DNF Eike Grünhagen (Ger) Team Dix
DNF Franz R. Rottmeyer (Aut) Team Baustoff & Metall
DNF Sue Carey (Aus) Team Australia
DNF Barry Burns (Aus) Team Australia
DNF Kanzler Günther (Aut) Team Australia
DNF Gabriele Inzinger (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso

Women Classification

1 Mieke Deroo (Bel) Team Mieke                              7.11.59
2 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                        42.57
3 Debra Eason (Aus) Team Australia                          1.11.49

Light Classification

1 Claudia Kristen (Ger) LIGHT
2 Phil Best  (Aus) LIGHT
3 Dominic Barber (Aus) LIGHT

General classification after stage 5

1 Jaap Viergever (Ned)                                     24.31.11
2 Kris Lapere (Bel)                                        24.38.43
3 Jurji Robic (Slo)                                        24.51.43
4 Clemens Mühsinger (Ger)                                  25.08.55
5 Phil Anderson (Aus)                                      25.14.35
6 Oyvind Aas (Nor)                                         25.44.31
7 Thomas Riegler (Aut)                                     25.50.06
8 Martin Kellermann (Aut)                                  26.04.03
9 Bart Bosmans (Bel)                                       26.13.47
10 Paul Meyvis (Bel)                                       26.24.43
11 Peter Paelinck (Bel)                                    26.31.38
12 Hans Henrik Nielsen (Den)                               26.44.32
13 Filip Claes (Bel)                                       26.56.38
14 Adrian Laing (Aus)                                      27.00.06
15 Bart Schols (Bel)                                       27.06.44
16 Dominiek Sacre (Bel)                                    27.11.43
17 Peter Nejsig (Den)                                      27.19.42
18 Anthony Michelle (Aus)                                  28.36.07
19 Dennis Teeuwen (Ned)                                    28.53.54
20 Peter Brett (Aus)                                       29.00.17
21 Jon Spar (Aus)                                          29.16.23
22 Mieke Deroo (Bel)                                       29.50.10
23 Wouter Declercq (Bel)                                   30.00.26
24 Theo Molenbrugge (Ned)                                  30.02.26
25 Rudi Donckers (Bel)                                     30.22.46
26 David Olle (Aus)                                        30.29.03
27 Jack Oldfield (Aus)                                     30.38.12
28 Charles Blanc (Fra)                                     32.21.11
29 Peter Dammerer (Aut)                                    32.30.44
30 Steven Pauwels (Bel)                                    32.44.10
31 Joachim Rintsch (Ger)                                   32.46.58
32 Reinhard Hörmann (Aut)                                  32.47.19
33 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                    32.48.28
34 Kim Lindberg (Den)                                      32.58.29
35 Franz Hartmann (Aut)                                    33.25.11
36 Wolfgang Kristinus (Aut)                                33.31.18
37 Joe Schifano (Aus)                                      34.38.12
38 Ronny Potter (Bel)                                      35.30.52
39 Stefan Schlett (Ger)                                    36.33.14
40 Debra Eason (Aus)                                       37.03.28
41 Toru Watanabe (Jpn)                                     37.17.35
42 Kurt Poisinger (Aut)                                    38.13.25

General classification after stage 5 - Women

1 Mieke Deroo (Bel)                                        29.50.10
2 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                     32.48.28
3 Debra Eason (Aus)                                        37.03.28