Less than a year ago, Englishman Chris Lillywhite was Australia's No. 1 Cycling Enemy as a result of his less than fair performance in the Commonwealth Games Road Race. Going into Stage 8 (Wed morning), the squat English rider leads Australia's most prestigious race and "no-one is denying him the glory."
"The 29 year old professional overtook teammate Jeremey Hunt by winning yesterday's first major road stage, a 146 kms journey from Newcastle out through the Hunter Valley vineyards to the Bayswater Power Station near Mussellbrook."
Going back a year, in the Commonwealth Games Road Race in Victoria, CA, Lillywhite deliberately sabotaged the chances for a medal by Australia's Grant Rice "when he grabbed his bike in the final sprint, an incident as contentious as it was out of character."
The stage was influenced by the gale-force south westerly winds as the riders had to battle into them. The English Ampol-Caltex team maintained its domination of the race although they were involved in an accident in the afternoon Criterium at Bayswater Power Station which "affected their advantage and their confidence."
Overall, Lillywhite now holds a 16 second gap over Motorola rider, New Zealander Steve Swart. Australia's hope is Steve Williams who is one second behing Swart in third place.
"It was not until the Bayswater criterium yesterday - when Canberra rider Baden Burke became the first Australian to taste victory - that the English were absent from the podium. For the first five stages Hunt held the overall lead with another Englishman, John Tanner, in second place."
Yesterday, the English team maintained the GC, with its preferred rider Lillywhite taking the honour. He is a seasoned professional and is clearly the man that the Ampol-Caltex riders want to be in front. Lillywhite believes he can hold onto the yellow as his team is both talented and committed.
He said "We may not be five great riders individually, but we are a very good unit."
Fate played its hand yesterday. The Ampol team's plans nearly came to gried when a crash brough down both Lillywhite and Hunt in the afternoon crit. Both were able to resume after taking their allowed lap out. Later in the race, on the bell lap, Dutch professional, Jan Koerts crashed into one of the barricades and both Lillywhite and Hunt became entangled in the ensuing confusion. Swart avoided the trouble and by the time the main bunch had become organised, Lillywhite was 15 seconds down in the chase group.
The outcome was that Swart closed the gap to Lillywhite on GC.
The early morning stage saw Commonwealth Games champion, New Zealand's Mark Rendell attack early on and stretch his lead over the peleton to 3mins 30 by the time the race had reached the 100 km mark. He was reeled in within 30 kms or so (Singleton) and Lillywhite won in a sprint from Moster.
The only real koy for Australia came when 23 year old baker from Canberra, Baden Burke outsprinted Sweden's Martin Rittsel "on the tight Bayswater course for the biggest victory of his career."
"Meanwhile, Koerts was taken to Muswellbrook hospital but cleared of a suspected broken right shin. He can start this morning's road stage from Bayswater to Eraring if he feels fit enough."