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News for January 3, 2002

Edited by John Stevenson

Stray helmet puts O'Grady out of running in first Bay Series Crit

By Karen Forman in Rye, Victoria, Australia

Australian Tour de France star Stuart O'Grady has had the odd cycling accident in his time, but nothing quite like the mishap that prevented him from finishing the first stage of the 2002 Skilled Geelong Bay Cycling Classic at Rye yesterday.

The South Australian, who wore the yellow and green jerseys in the 2001 Tour, was holding a reasonable position mid-field, when, with five laps to go in the hour-long criterium, he felt something crash against his leg.

"The pace was on, the SBR team was on the front going flat out and we were all in the fence," he said.

"Next moment, there was a big whack on my leg . . . I had no idea what it was, but it hit me so hard I nearly crashed."

By the time O'Grady had control of his bike again, the front of the field was well gone, so he slowed up, came around again and stopped to try to figure out what had hit him.

"There was a guy standing there holding a motorcycle helmet over the barricade and I thought that might be it . . . "

But he didn't say or do anything.

"There's not much you can say," he said with a grin. "It was just one of those things, I guess."

O'Grady is first to admit he wasn't doing as well as hoped in the event, the first of five criteriums in the 2002 series.

"It was a pretty nasty circuit to start off with . . . it was fairly tight, with wet, very slippery conditions, and it was important to get a good position at the start and keep out of trouble," he said.

"I was in a reasonable position but I was hurting a fair bit. I wouldn't have won but I was trying to help out my team mates."

His disappointing performance, he suggested, was probably "a bit of a combination of a tough course, tough conditions and the fact it was my first race for a while . . . my last race was the Glenelg Crit on December 26 (which he won) and I have been getting over New Years . . ."

Despite the gash on his shin, he said he was ready to tackle today's second round at Barwon Heads.

If nothing else, the course, at 1.1km in length, is twice the length of today's track-like 600 metre car-park circuit at Rye.

But knowing Melbourne and its rapidly changeable weather, he wasn't pinning his hopes on getting better conditions.

One thing's for sure . . . he will be keeping a close eye out for wayward motorcycle helmets!

Skilled Geelong Bay Classic results and reports

Other Bay Series News

Evans starts Friday

Jayco VIS team member and newly-signed Mapei Quick Step pro Cadel Evans - who recently announced he will be putting mountain bike racing on hold for a minimum of one year to concentrate on the road - is not expected to be on the start line of the 2002 Skilled Geelong Bay Classic until Friday night's Geelong event.

Millward recovering

Last year's women's winner Anna Millward, who did not start yesterday due to the lingering after effects of non-cycling related surgery a fortnight ago, is expected to join the women's field Friday.

"Best-ever" first stage, says organiser

Race director John Trevorrow says the Rye stage was the best-ever first stage in the history of the event, with only two incidents reported (Stuart O'Grady's altercation with a motorcycle helmet and Brett Dawson suffering only minor injuries after a fall.

Trevorrow also says he will use the Rye circuit again the future, despite concerns that the right 600 metre carpark circuit might have been too tight. "The riders were generally happy with it," he said. "We will use it again certainly.

Aitken favourite for today's stage

Brett Aiken will be looking to win today's Barwon Heads event, after his 2000 win. The circuit was not included in the Bay Classic last year but promises to thrill spectators with tricky corners and a long sprint straight. Racing begins with B grade men, followed by women and then men, at 12.30pm.