Pacific Power-Commonwealth Bank Cycling Classic

Stage 3 - 30 km Criterium

The criterium started about and 1.5 hours after the Stage from Hornsby finished. The circuit was along the Pacific foreshore and wound through a series of corners, all left turns. The 1 km circuit went down hill for 200 metres, hairpin left turn, 100 metres to a sharp right hand corner, up a very sharp hill for 150 metres, left along flat road for 200 metres, right then left 100 metres later, down a sharp little hill and tight bottom left corner, then flat along the foreshore sweeping left into the downhill finishing straight.

A group with British riders Chris Lillywhite and John Tanner, Australian Allan Iacuone, German, Ralf Grabsch, a Swiss, Oliveria Senn went away after a few laps. The two Ampol-Caltex British riders obviously were powerfully placed. Eventually this group was joined by Australian Stewart Williams (riding for NSW Sport and Rec) and a Swede Pess Hookanen. The latter sat the bunch as he was hoping Michael Andersson, the top Swede (now to ride for Telekom in 1996), would get across. Despite his solo efforts to do so, Andersson could make no gains to the break.

Lillywhite was dropped in the last 5 laps. With 3 laps to go, Tanner broke this bunch up and took the stage by a good margin. The breakaway group just stayed away from a fast finishing bunch to share the minor places with Allan Iacuone getting second and Ralf Grabsch, third.

Koerts came out of the main peleton to get 5th.

Noticable was Robbie McEwan riding for the Australian National Road Team. He wa dropped after a few laps and rode slowly around the circuit getting lapped several times. He was heard to say "This suxs". I asked Phil Anderson, who I know from our amateur days, what was up with him, and he mentioned it could be his troublesome knee.

Stage Results

1. Tanner 42.16 2. Iacuane at 9 3. Grabsch 4. Hokkanen 5. Koerts 6. S. Williams 7. Hunt 8. M. Andersson (Sweden-Sportscover) 9. Rick Reid (NZ-Sanitarium) 10. D. McDonald (Aus-AIS-Giant) all s.t.

General Classification after (3)

1. Hunt 4.32.12 2. Tanner at 1 3. Van Heeswijk at 10 4. Lonergen at 19 5. Koerts at 25 6. Iacuone at 25 7. Lillywhite at 28 8. Grabsch at 30 9. Hincapie at 33 10. Jason Pearce (NSW) at 34 BTW, Van Heeswijk's Stage win in the morning gave him a record 5 stage wins in this tour.