From the Australian newspaper, "The battle for the crown as the most successful stage winner in the Pacific Power Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic escalated when the Dutchman Max Van Heeswijk won last night's lightening fast stage. By winning the 30 kms criterium at Terrigal on the NSW central coast, Van Heeswijk (Motorola) raised the benchmark of the record number of stage wins by any rider to six. The 23 year old pro's victory over Germany's Mike Weissman (Bosch) and Holland's John Den Braber (Websdale) was also his second in this year's event.."
Earlier, compatriat Bob Rasenberg had taken the honours in the morning stage which finished at the Eraring Power Station. Rasenberg had matched Van Heeswijk's previous best stage winning mark of five stage wins. The shared record did not last long as it happened.
Rasenberg, 35, easily won the morning 142.8 km eighth stage from Bayswater Power Station to Eraring. "He won in a sprint against breakaway companion, NSW's Matt White (Ansett) after the pair spent 75 kms on the attack."
Van Heeswijk was third in the morning stage at 52 seconds. "He led the pack home after it cut the break's maximum lead of 6:10 at the summit of a second category climb with 27 kms to go." This was the climb over the Gap through the Great Dividing Range.
Chris Lillywhite, GC holder has no trouble on stage 8 defending the yellow jersey although his intial 16 sec margin on NZ's Steve Swart dropped to 15 seconds when the latter won a 1 sec time bonus in an intermediate sprint. "Lillywhite might have been disappointed for not having faired better than 7th last night. (remember the crash in the Criterium at Bayswater). But the only major danger for him can on stage 8 earlier when Rasenberg and White has their lead on the pack up to 6:10."
Rasenberg started at 54th on GC at 5:22 to Lillywhite and he was the GC on the road when they reached the first of the two climbs for the stage at the 90 kms mark. Rasenberg said later that he never believed that he would be in yellow by stage end.
"it was a very hard stage. We were never really sure of staying away as we did until we got to the final straight." Rasenberg now has 13 victories for season 1995. "We were both riders who were not dangerous to the overall classification. So the pack more or less let us go away up the road."
The attack which launched their breakway came at a time when "most of the pack had slowed down for a natural break." While not illegal to attack at such toilet stops the fraternity stills regards it as a breach of ettiquette. "And while those opportunistic tactics can succeed, the pack usually pays back a guilty rider by marking any move he may make in the future."
In the evening criterium, Van Heeswijk's win pushed him up the GC into third place at 21 seconds behind Lillywhite, who has a 15 second lead over Heeswijk;s Motorola team-mate Steven Swart. Van Heeswijk said: "it is great to have the six wins. But what was more important was the way that I won...by such great teamwork from my team-mates." Thousand of spectators at Terrigal (a beachside town some 90 kms north of Sydney) watched the twilight criterium.
Australia's best placed rider overall is still NSW's Steve Williams. After dropping to 4th place at 32 seconds to Lillywhite on stage 8, he finished the day placed 5th on GC at 32 seconds.