Crocodile Trophy 2002

Australia, September 10-22, 2002

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Stage 7: September 16, Mt. Mulgrave - Laura, 148 km

Turning up the heat

By Christi Valentine-Anderson
At last, a straightforward section
Photo: © Mark Watson

Now it's getting hot. With a dry temperature in the mid 30s and plenty of bull dust it was a day of choking for many of the cyclists. It was slightly more technical with a few river crossings and lots of sand, finishing with the last 20 kilometers of hateful soft rocky corrugated road. Under the blazing Australian sun the riders really had to be sure to look after themselves. The peloton stayed together for the first 40 kilometers and then blew apart directly. It was a case of the usual suspects up the front pushing the pace and making everyone suffer who cared to join them.

Filip Claes attacked in a brave solo launch early in the stage. He had at least 20 mins on the front group with 50 kilometers to go. He looked up at the Crocodile Dream Team car as we passed and said, "I am totally dead!"

This I refused to accept. I gave him a WCUP energy drink and tried to give him morale. It almost worked, he was caught by only one man, Jaap Vierger and finished in second place at 2 minutes.

Anderson tried to go with Viergever, but simply did not have any grunt left and finished comfortably in fourth along side Jurji Robic and Kris Lapere.

Everyone looked dry and in need of liquid as they crossed the line. Unfortunately one week ago the Laura Pub burned to the ground so these cyclists will have to wet their whistle at some other watering hole tonight. The race finished just in front of the smoking rubble that once was a well known Hotel.

Photography

Images by Mark Watson/MW Photography

Peter Dammerer (Bike Drive/Rapso) pushes his bike through the mud
Oyvind Aas (Team Kelly/Hi5 Norway) leads the pack during stage 7

Results

1 Jaap Viergever (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos               5.28.11 (27.06 km/h)
2 Filip Claes (Bel)                                       2.07
3 Jurji Robic (Slo) Team Robic                            6.15
4 Phil Anderson (Aus) Dream Team
5 Kris Lapere (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg
6 Thomas Riegler (Aut) Team Riegler                      11.30
7 Oyvind Aas (Nor) Team Kelly/Hi5 Norway                 11.31
8 Bart Bosmans (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg                20.38
9 Martin Kellermann (Aut)                                21.32
10 Clemens Mühsinger (Ger)                               21.33
11 Paul Meyvis (Bel)                                     24.49
12 Adrian Laing (Aus) Team Brett                         25.51
13 Peter Paelinck (Bel) Team www.reevax.be               46.34
13 Dominiek Sacre (Bel) Team www.reevax.be
15 Dennis Teeuwen (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos                50.25
16 Hans Henrik Nielsen (Den)                             52.10
17 Bart Schols (Bel)                                     53.35
18 Rudi Donckers (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg              54.48
19 Peter Nejsig (Den)                                    56.54
20 David Olle (Aus) Dream Team                         1.00.33
21 Anthony Michelle (Aus) Team Brett                   1.02.00
22 Theo Molenbrugge (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos            1.03.07
23 Charles Blanc (Fra)                                 1.07.28
24 Steven Pauwels (Bel) Team www.reevax.be             1.12.29
25 Mieke Deroo (Bel) Team Mieke                        1.12.30
26 Jon Spar (Aus) Team Brett                           1.21.38
27 Peter Brett (Aus) Team Brett                        1.31.57
28 Wolfgang Kristinus (Aut) Team Baustoff & Metall     1.32.07
29 Jack Oldfield (Aus)                                 1.36.02
30 Wouter Declercq (Bel) Team Mieke                    1.36.06
31 Joachim Rintsch (Ger)                               1.39.05
32 Franz Hartmann (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso               1.40.26
33 Peter Dammerer (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso               1.40.28
34 Reinhard Hörmann (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso             1.40.29
35 Ronny Potter (Bel)                                  1.52.30
36 Joe Schifano (Aus) Team Brett                       1.58.44
37 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                1.59.44
38 Debra Eason (Aus) Team Australia                    2.03.05
39 Kim Lindberg (Den)                                  2.14.45
40 Stefan Schlett (Ger)                                2.58.00
41 Kurt Poisinger (Aut)                                2.59.24
42 Toru Watanabe (Jap)                                 4.01.49
 
Women
 
1 Mieke Deroo (Bel) Team Mieke                         6.40.41 (22.16 km/h)
2 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                   47.14
3 Debra Eason (Aus) Team Australia                       50.35
 
Light
 
1 Claudia Kristen (Ger)
2 Phil Best (Aus)
3 Dominic Barber (Aus)
 
General classification after stage 7
 
1 Jaap Viergever (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos              33.41.58 (29.50 km/h)
2 Kris Lapere (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg                 12.26
3 Jurji Robic (Slo) Team Robic                           25.21
4 Phil Anderson (Aus) Dream Team                         48.06
5 Clemens Mühsinger (Ger)                                58.00
6 Oyvind Aas (Nor) Team Kelly/Hi5 Norway               1.32.04
7 Thomas Riegler (Aut) Team Riegler                    1.37.41
8 Bart Bosmans (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg              2.01.35
9 Martin Kellermann (Aut)                              2.01.39
10 Paul Meyvis (Bel)                                   2.34.16
11 Filip Claes (Bel)                                   2.40.26
12 Peter Paelinck (Bel) Team www.reevax.be             2.54.44
13 Adrian Laing (Aus) Team Brett                       3.04.32
14 Hans Henrik Nielsen (Den)                           3.26.06
15 Dominiek Sacre (Bel) Team www.reevax.be             3.48.31
16 Bart Schols (Bel)                                   3.49.54
17 Peter Nejsig (Den)                                  4.06.44
18 Anthony Michelle (Aus) Team Brett                   5.29.46
19 Dennis Teeuwen (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos              5.31.32
20 Theo Molenbrugge (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos            6.55.13
21 Peter Brett (Aus) Team Brett                        7.04.27
22 Rudi Donckers (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg            7.07.49
23 Jon Spar (Aus) Team Brett                           7.10.14
24 Mieke Deroo (Bel) Team Mieke                        7.16.19
25 David Olle (Aus) Dream Team                         7.36.15
26 Wouter Declercq (Bel) Team Mieke                    7.50.16
27 Jack Oldfield (Aus)                                 8.27.51
28 Charles Blanc (Fra)                                 9.44.55
29 Steven Pauwels (Bel) Team www.reevax.be            10.10.22
30 Peter Dammerer (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso              10.31.50
31 Reinhard Hörmann (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso            10.48.16
32 Joachim Rintsch (Ger)                              11.10.27
33 Franz Hartmann (Aut) Bike Drive/Rapso              11.26.08
34 Kim Lindberg (Den)                                 11.40.15
35 Wolfgang Kristinus (Aut) Team Baustoff & Metall    11.50.33
36 Carrie Edwards (USA)                               12.07.25
37 Ronny Potter (Bel)                                 14.06.20
38 Joe Schifano (Aus) Team Brett                      14.33.09
39 Debra Eason (Aus) Team Australia                   17.02.46
40 Stefan Schlett (Ger)                               17.06.45
41 Toru Watanabe (Jap)                                18.28.34
42 Kurt Poisinger (Aut)                               19.03.37
 
Women classification
 
1 Mieke Deroo (Bel) Team Mieke                        40.58.17 (24.26 km/h)
2 Carrie Edwards (USA)                                 4.51.06
3 Debra Eason (Aus) Team Australia                     9.46.27
 
Light classification
 
1 Claudia Kristen (Ger)
2 Phil Best (Aus)
3 Dominic Barber (Aus)
 
Points classification
 
1 Jaap Viergever (Ned) Tom Tailor/Santos                   105 pts
2 Jurji Robic (Slo) Team Robic                              65
3 Kris Lapere (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg                    64
4 Phil Anderson (Aus) Dream Team                            47
5 Bart Bosmans (Bel) Cycling Team Limburg                   35
6 Clemens Mühsinger (Ger)                                   17
7 Filip Claes (Bel)                                         15
7 Oyvind Aas (Nor) Team Kelly/Hi5 Norway                     7
9 Peter Paelinck (Bel) Team www.reevax.be                    7
10 Hans Henrik Nielsen (Den)                                 2