Apparently Max Van Heeswijk was telling riders to slow down. However, the day turned sour for him and his Motorola squad. Rupert Guiness the journalist from the Australian started with - "Fate dealt a cruel blow to the powerful US Motorola team when crashes virtually eliminated their overall victory chances in the ... Classic yesterday."
By the end of Stage 12, NZ'er Steve Swart had to withdraw due to a seriously bruised left knee which he damaged when he fell on one of the steep descents for the day. He had held the yellow jersey for the previous two days and was looking extremely strong with only two days left.
Van Heeswijk, also fell, but took the GC lead from Swart. However, he also is doubtful for the start this morning. "Van Heeswijk, the winner of three stages so far, was also a principal crash victim and and last night severe muscle bruising behind his left knee made it virtually impossible for him to walk."
He said that "If it feels as bad as it does now tomorrow, then I don't think I'll start."
That would hand the race lead over the early GC leader, Englishman Chris Lillywhite who is currently second at 9 secs. The crashes also did not leave the English Ampol-Caltex team unscathed. Jeremy Hunt, who was 4th at the start of the stage, crashed and is not likely to start the race this morning.
"He crashed with Van Heeswijk i an intermediate sprint at Kangaroo Valley after 72 km. He seriously bruised his left leg and sustained concussion. Last nigh Hunt's team was appealing for reinstatement, claiming his inability to finish the remaining 46 km was not of his doing.
Van Heeswijk finished the stage 3rd and took over the yellow jersey. He had a 9 sec lead on Lillywhite and 35 secs on John Tanner. He said at the end - "Okay...I am in the yellow jersey but it has turned out very badly for us....especially for Steve." The journalist said: "Swart's plight brought back memories of the Tour de France when his Italian team-mate Fabio Casartelli was killed in a crash on a descent"
Van Heeswijk said at the end that "Steve crashed badly on a descent where the guys were racing so hard. I tried to get the others to slow down. I told them it's only a bike race and we have seen what can happen in the Tour."
Swart lost 8.46 on the stage and was sitting on 8.27 in 25th place on GC.
The opinion of the journalist is that "there was no argument that yesterday's stage was still the best so far. Before the final 14-man selection to contest the stage win was made, there was a flurry of attacks and chases on a route which included two first category climbs."
Early in the race, as they reached a point 7 kms from the summit at Macquarie Pass (only 34.7 kms into the race), 26 riders went clear. Tanner (at 1:08 on GC) attacked and took with him US rider Levi Leupheimer (Du Pont) and Bobbie Julich. The three riders extended the lead to 2:14 by the 72 km mark at Kangaroo Valley.
"It was here where Hunt and Van Heeswijk crashed during a sprint for a 0.01 bonus. Hunt clipped the mirror of a parked car and went down. Then Van Heeswijk rode into him an over his handlebars. Van Heeswijk rejoined the group after losing a minute as a dazed Hunt was taken off in an ambulance."
A controversial point about this race BTW, is that riders can be paced back to field by race vehicles following an accident or puncture. It has been a major discussion topic over the years. Van Heeswijk benefited from the rule yesterday. "Meanwhile it was on the sinewy and narrow 5 km descent from Mount Berry at 81.6 km where Swart crashed on a sharp left-hand bend with Sweden's Micheal Andersson. Both riders rejoined the group before the three breakaways were caught at 95 km, but Swart was later dropped on a hilly stretch 15 kms from the finish at Kiama." And then he lost over 8 minutes!
He said later that "There was no marshalling on the corner. It was dangerous and there was dirt on the road. I was in front and then suddenly my front wheel went from under me. Its over for me now."