| An individual time-trial around the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit will provide a fitting finale to this year's VicHealth Herald Sun Tour, argualby the toughest in the event's 45-year history. The 10.4km time-trial on the final day is likely to decide the overall tour winner at the end of a gruelling 1300km. Last year, the final day criterium provided a gripping climax when American Andy Bishop dominated the sprints to beat compatriot Scott Mercier. This year, the time-trial will follow the traditional Ride with the Stars in the morning, with the criterium again being held in the afternoon. It is one of several innovations to keep pace with the event's rising status in international cycling and maintain its prominence as one of Australia's major sporting spectacles. Other new features this year include: A TEAMS time-trial prologue in Echuca on Thursday, October 10, race eve. THREE category one climbs, to the top of Mt Buller and Mt Buffalo, and over Tawonga Gap. |
Australia's big hope, Victorian David McKenzie, who won two stages as an amateur last year, is preparing for the climbs by racing in Spain. McKenzie, 21, won the 150km Tour of Valencia a couple of weeks ago, riding for Pocelanatto, one of the biggest amateur teams in Spain. "Alan (teammate Alan Iacuone) and I ar really keen for the tour this year," McKenzie said. "There's not one race we do here that hasn't got a climb and most of them are 10 to 15km long. "It's about time an Aussie won it this year. I don't know if it will be us or not, but we'll give it a go." Tour director John Craven said the idea of the individual time trial on the final day had come from VicHealth sports committee chairman Ron Casey. "He used to cover the old Sun Tour when he was a commentator at 3DB and has asked me for many years to hold a time trial on the last day to maintain the interest," Craven said. "We can do that now that we've got such a terrific venue as Albert Park." |
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| A NIGHT criterium in Traralgon after an arduous mid-morning 124.2km stage between Omeo and Bairnsdale. CONTINUATION of the successful Broadmeadows stage around the 1956 Olympics course on the penultimate day. RIDERS will travel a total of 1324.2km - one of the longest tours in the event's 45-year history - and contest 129 intermediate sprints and 24 hill climbs. TOTAL prizemoney has been increased to $105,000, with the additional $5000 split among the placegetters of the teams time trial. Bishop, 31, who will be returning to defend his title, said from Vermont in the US last night that the extra climbs would enhance the quality of the tour. "The extra climbs will be good for me and for the race," Bishop said. "Last year I finished fourth in the Mt Buller stage, but there were a couple of guys away before the climb and it was mainly working to keep close in the GC (general classification)." |
"Each of the riders will do two laps and spectators will get a tremendous view of what's happening." The teams time-trial prologue will enable the tour to start with a rider wearing the leader's yellow jersey, that honor going to the captain of the winning team. Craven said that while this year's tour would suit climbers, the sprinters would also have plenty of opportunities to pick up prizemoney and stage victories. "It will take a rider with mountain climbing prowess to win the tour, but there are also lots of opportunities for sprinting riders, with four criteriums and flat stages around Echuca, Bendigo and Ballarat," he said. Once the climbs start, there will be no respite. On the third last day, riders face a car lift from Mt Buffalo to Omeo over Mt Hotham, a 124.4km stage to Bairnsdale, then another car lift to Traralgon and a night criterium. The tour starts in Echuca on October 10 and finishes 11 days later at Albert Park on October 20. |
| Date | Stage | Location | Distance (km) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 10 | Prologue | Echuca | 2.6 | Team time-trial |
| October 11 | 1 | Echuca | 27 | Criterium |
| 2 | Moama to Echuca | 124.1 | Road | |
| October 12 | 3 | Eaglehawk to Ballarat | 157 | Road |
| October 13 | 4 | Ballarat to Bendigo | 137.9 | Road |
| October 14 | 5 | Euroa to Mt Buller | 127.9 | Mountain |
| October 15 | 6 | Benalla to Yarrawonga | 140.1 | Road |
| October 16 | 7 | Yarrawonga to Wodonga | 106.6 | Road |
| 8 | Albury | 24 | Criterium | |
| October 17 | 9 | Albury to Mt Buffalo | 161.2 | Mountain |
| October 18 | 10 | Omeo to Bairnsdale | 124.2 | Mountain |
| 11 | Traralgon | 18 | Night Criterium | |
| October 19 | 12 | Broadmeadows | 101.1 | Road |
| October 20 | 13 | Albert Park | 10.4 | Individual time-trial |
| " | 14 | Albert Park | 40 | Criterium |