Sunny start and around 22 degrees. McAuley (NZ) attacks (he is 20 mins down on GC and is 50th. Recently won Tour of Southland). Main field is within sight though and gap is aronud 30 secs. Jan Koerts who injured himself in the Terrigal Criterium goes across to McAuley and works with him. Glen Mitchell (NZ - 29th and >15 mins down on GC) and Jonathan Hall attack from bunch and now there are 4 in the lead bunch and they all start working well. Wust blocking on front (for Ansett teammate Hall who is in break), but tags onto Hickson (current KOM) who also tries to get across. Wust sits the wheel.
Koerts dropped over the climb so the break is down to 3. 2 NZ Coca Cola riders and Hall (Ansett). Mitchell is best placed on GC. Hall is not working now. Mitchell is doing the work. With one lap to go the gap is around 2 minutes.
The sprint came down to the 2 NZ riders working over Hall. Mitchell gets the prize, then McAuley, and Hall is third. The main bunch comes in at 1.50 with Koerts getting 4th and Frank Van Haesenbrouke 5th. No fundamental changes on GC. (Postle (UK Sportscover) drops out of 5th and is replaced by Wust).
Two Kiwis and an Australian tussled for line honours at the end of the 120km road stage around Centennial Park yesterday, midway through the nine-day Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic, but as starring as their efforts were, it made no impression on the overall standings.
Instead, today's energy-sapping stage up Macquarie Pass and then the equally tough Cambewarra Mountain, described by English manager Shane Sutton as "being as hard to ride on as quicksand" is tipped to be the decisive stage of the Classic.
Leader Sven Teutenberg (Bosch) said of the feared stage: "No one can hide in the mountains and I have some strong climbers in my team. We only have to defend, the others have to attack."
Yesterday's Centennial Park race on parts of the proposed Sydney Olympic course was won by New Zealand Olympian Glen Mitchell (Coca-Cola) from teammate Gordon McCauley with World Cup duathlon champion Jonathon Hall (Ansett) still struggling to find his sprinting finesse, finishing third.
"The hills were not too hard today," Mitchell said. "They were dragging, and when you do them a number of times it gets harder and harder, but we were hoping that another split would happen in the bunch and they would come up and help us."
But the bunch, controlled largely by the German, Ansett and Giant AIS cyclists, was not overly concerned.
When the gap appeared threatening, having created a four-minute lead around the 90km mark, the bunch decided to increase the tempo and within 12km had reeled in more than 2 minutes. "We were all itching to go but no one got away so we decided to use it to our advantage and use it as a "rest' day for Macquarie Pass," said Australia's best-placed cyclist, Nick Gates, who is third overall.
The trio finished 1min:50s ahead of the chasing bunch.
But the daily grind of the racing had a big impact yesterday with four riders retiring, including Belgian Ronny Assez (Ansett) who crashed and injured his collarbone.
The British Sportscover team has been ripped apart with the withdrawal of three riders, leaving the team with only last year's winner and second placegetter John Tanner and Chris Lillywhite in the field.
Matthew Postle, who still had a strong chance of overall honours, being in fifth place, 4min:07s in arrears to Teutenberg, was pulled out of the race by his team officials after injuring his shoulder in the crash with Assez as well as having concerns about his wife Jo, who has gone into labour in Cardiff with the couple's first child.
Postle's teammates Paul Esposti (chest infection) and William Wright (injuries suffered during a crash on the second day of the Classic) also withdrew.
"We are having the Nightmare on Elm Street," Sutton said. "Sometimes when we come on this race we do really well, but this tour it hasn't happened for us - that's cycling for you."
Today, the Classic will start in Wollongong and climb Macquarie Pass, through the Kangaroo Valley to Cambewarra Mountain and finish in Nowra.
The cyclists will have an hour break before a 30km criterium through the streets of Nowra.
1. Glen Mitchell (NZ, Coca Cola) 3.05.27 2. Brendan McAuley (NZ, Coca Cola) s.t. 3. Jon Hall (Aust, Ansett World) s.t. 4. Jan Koerts (NL, Websdale Printing) 1.50 5. Frank Van Haesenbrouke (Ansett World) s.t.
1. Sven Teutenberg (Ger, Bosch) 16.31.01 2. Ric Reid (NZ, Coca Cola) 2.27 3. Nick Gates (Aust, Giant-AIS) 2.34 4. Damon Simpson (Aust, Central Coast) 3.56 5. Marcel Wust (Ger, Ansett) 7.05
Road surface is very fast. Paul Sherwin calls it a 'non-techical' course.
Tomorrow and Saturday the race goes into the hills south of Sydney and Teutenberg who says he hates hills will want to get some more time tonight.
36 kms. First, $A100 premie is taken by Lillywhite attacking. 15 laps to go. Marcel Wust often on the front. Race speed is not fast at this stage. Lillywhite (UK, Sportcover) is away now and Jeremy Hunt (UK, DuPont) chases with Jens Voigt (Ger, Bosch) helping. Wust bursts out of pack to chase Lillywhite. McGee (Aus Giant-AIS) sticks to his wheel.
Lillywhite, Wust, McGee (not working at all) now together. McGee is trying to protect Nick Gates 3rd position on GC (which Wust can threaten at 5th place). The three leaders are back in the bunch now. 13 laps to go.
Thomas Konecny (Czech, Husquarna), and McGee go away as soon as the other break is caught. Neither is a threat to GC. The bunch seem to let them go. McGee on front looking comfortable (former team pursuit world record holder). Gap is about 200 metrees. Gap expanding. NZ riders on front of bunch and trying to close the gap. Brendan Vesty (NZ, Coca Cola).
McGee asked by Konecny to work more smoothly because McGee has been bombing him each time. No real organisation in main bunch. Wust seems to be the one who is doing the main effort now. He is attacking to close the gap. 10 laps to go.
Koerts (NL, Webdsale) tries unsuccessfully to join Wust. Wust meanwhile has joined the front two. It took a lap to get across. At 45 kms per hour this is a pretty powerful effort by Wust. Now there are three in front. Tanner (UK) and Van Elvan (NL, Websdale) are chasing. Jay Sweet is on front of bunch.
Pandemonium at front. McGee stops working now that Wust is there. Wust sits up and lets Konecny go, and McGee and Wust fall back to Tanner and Van Elvan. Wust gesticulates as he does this to make it clear he thinks McGee is riding poorly. 7 laos to go.
Main bunch swallow up this group. Konecny is away and gap is not closing. Giant-AIS now have to work on front for Sweet (given McGee is back). The Dutch riders (for Teutenberg) are moving to front of bunch as are Giant-AIS riders. Reid second overall in GC punctures (allowed a lap out).
Konency gets the next $A00 premie. Main bunch really motoring. Paul Brosnan (Giant-AIS) is driving the bunch. Sweet sitting at back of the other Giant riders in 5th wheel. 5 laps to go.
Konecny looking tired now. Giant-AIS on front and the gap is almost gone. Matt White (Giant-AIS) now on front. Konency caught now right on the 4 laps to go point. Giant-AIS is not moving off the front. Sprint will be into the headwind and follows a tight bottom bend. Place at the final corner is vital to set up the sprint. Giant-AIS are not giving the places up easily at this stage. Wust is looming just behind the Giant-AIS riders. 3 laps to go.
Tanner and Teutenberg moving up. Hickson on front for Giant-AIS. Koerts struggling. Teutenberg sitting on Jay Sweet who is getting pulled along by Giant-AIS. 2 laps to go.
Max Van Heeswijk (NL, Websdale) moving up. Wust, Teutenberg are muscling in on Sweet. Bell lap.
Giant-AIS still driving (McGee) and that is when my tape player stopped.....the ABC (TV channel) coverage is running late and it defied my programming and so folks you will have to wait until later for the results.........
I heard on the radio that Sweet won.
1. Jay Sweet (Aus, Giant-AIS)
1. Sven Teutenberg (Ger, Bosch) ???????? 2. Ric Reid (NZ, Coca Cola) 2.27 3. Nick Gates (Aust, Giant-AIS) 2.34 4. Damon Simpson (Aust, Central Coast) 3.56 5. Marcel Wust (Ger, Ansett) 7.05
1. Stephan Gottschling (Ger, Bosch) 2.23.59 2. Marcel Gono (Aus, Ansett World) 0.13 3. Jens Voigt (Ger, Bosch) 0.13 4. Sven Teutenberg (Ger, Bosch) 0.13 5. Peter Rogers (Aus, Canberra Casino) 0.46 6. Max Van Heeswijk (NL, Websdale) 7. Bart Hickson (Aus, Caravello Joinery) 8. Jason Pierce (Aus, NSW Sport and Rec) 9. M. Rittsel (UK, DuPont) 10. Nick Gates (Aus, Giant-AIS) s.t.
1. Sven Teutenberg
1. Frank Van Haesenbrouke (Ansett World Team) 40.11 2. Jan Koerts (NL, Websdale Printing) ** s.t. 3. Marcel Wust (Ger, Ansett World) 0.18 4. Migel Perry (Aus, Caravello Joinery) 1.10 5. A. Nolan (Aus, Casino Canberra) s.t. 6. Brendan Vesty (NZ, Coca Cola) 1.20 7. L. Nederlof (Du Pont) 1.24 8. Paul Williams (Aus, Ansett World) 1.32 9. Matt White (Aus, Giant-AIS) s.t. 10. Sven Teutenberg (Ger, Bosch) s.t.** - relegated to second after protest
1. Sven Teutenberg (Ger, Bosch) 20.25.08 2. Nick Gates (Aust, Giant-AIS) 3.16 3. Jens Voigt (Ger, Bosch) 8.25 4. Marcel Gono (Aus, Canberra-Casino) 10.06 5. Bart Hickson (Aus, NSW Rec) 10.15 6. Damon Simpson (Aus, Central Coast) 10.44 7. Ric Reid (NZ, Coca Cola) 11.05 8. ?? 9. Stephen Gottchling (Ger, Bosch) 11.58 10. Peter Rogers (Aus, Canbera Casino) 13.08
1. Bosch (Germany) 61.37.08 2. Casino Canberra (Aus) 19.39 3. Coca Cola (NZ) 25.39 4. Du Pont (World) 25.39 5. Giant-AIS (Aus) 36.03 6. Caravello Joinery (Aus) 39.44 7. Ansett World (Aus) 36.03 8. Central Coast (Aus) 47.55 9. NSW Sport and Recreation (Aus) 1.04.04 10. Husqvarna (Czech Republic) 1.55.04 11. Bates Bikes (International) 2.27.17
1. Jens Voigt 31 2. Bart Hickson 20 3. Marcel Gono 16 4. Marcel Wust 10 5. Max Van Heeswijk 10 6. S. Gottschling 10 7. Kelvin Martin 10 8. A. Morgan 7 9. Teutenberg 7 10. B. Vesty 7
1. Jan Koerts 24 2. Jay Sweet 13 3. Marcel Wust 12 4. Teutenberg 11 5. Voigt 7 6. Konecny 6 7. Hunt 6 8. Martin 5 9. Reid 5 10. Mitchell 5
Two important lessons were learned on the Commonwealth Bank Cycle Classic yesterday: appearances can be deceptive and it is better to ride with your eyes than your legs.
About the appearances. The current race leader, the taciturn Sven Teutenberg from the powerful Bosch German team, is a chunky cyclist, even to the extent of boasting "love handles" around his middle and a backside as generous as an overstuffed ottoman.
Teutenberg, 24, is a sprinter and can afford the extra kilos, especially with thighs as thick as tree trunks. But yesterday he proved that even with a paunch he can travail the mountains like a goat.
Yesterday's stage, a 93.4km race from Wollongong to Nowra which featured the infamous Macquarie Pass and the gut-wrenchingly steep Cambewarra Mountain, was going to be the day Teutenberg finally collapsed.
But Australian national road coach Heiko Salzwedel was moved to comment after the stage, where Teutenberg was clocked by police travelling at more than 110km/h, that the German had earned a lot of respect.
Teutenberg finished fourth, coming home with the second- and third-placed riders, Marcel Gono (Casino Canberra) and Jens Voigt (Bosch) and being just 13 seconds shy of the stage winner Stefan Gottschling, who had attacked going up the final ascent.
"It is funny what the yellow jersey can do," Heiko Salzwedel said of Teutenberg.
"It is like he has got wings and can fly up the hill."
Teutenberg said he was very surprised that the rest of the bunch had let him escape on the descent. The AIS Giant cyclist Nick Gates, of Taree, said it was because he had no fear.
Teutenberg said he goes downhill so fast because, as a sprinter, he is always trying to catch up after being left behind on the hills. But in this Classic, he has proved to be a quality all-rounder and it seems unlikely that anyone will threaten his grasp on the yellow jersey when the race finishes in Canberra tomorrow.
That brings us to the eyes, which Gottschling alluded to after the mountain stage.
"We ride with our eyes," he said of the Bosch German team, which not only has Teutenberg in the lead, but Voigt in the King of the Mountains jersey and the team dominating the team standings.
"It is all here [pointing to his eyes]; you have to look and see whether it is best to go with the leaders or wait and save your energy for later. We have a lot of experience," he said.
Another deception revealed yesterday was the extent of injuries suffered by Dutch cyclist Jan Koerts, who crashed on Thursday night in Terrigal.
Koerts was in tremendous pain going over the mountains, so much so, that he sought an x-ray to see if he had a broken pelvis.
Cleared by the x-rays, Koerts sprinted back to the start of the lunchtime criterium around Nowra, making the start by only seconds and he battled with the Belgian sprinter Franky van Haesenbrouke for line honours.
Koerts crossed first, but the result was reversed when the commissaire ruled van Haesenbrouke's sprinting line was interfered with.
An appeal by Dutch management was later dismissed.
Teutenberg now leads Gates by 3min 16s, followed by Voigt (8mins25s), Gono (10min06s) and Bart Hickson (10min15s).
To understand road cycling is to know that it is mostly rolling repertory.
Yes, there are the obvious leading men. But on a brutal day between Wollongong and Nowra yesterday the bit players, too, trod the boards with great panache.
There is no production without them. But if the result sheet is the review - albeit just a cluster of cold, hard numbers - they must often live with obscurity. They are sometimes only shooting stars - but how they dazzle in their moments; how they hold the plot together. Or, if they try to chew the scenery, how quickly they can bring it undone.
The cycle classic ends in Canberra tomorrow. It looks like another win for the Bosch team - the German machine which has dominated the race this decade. Even down to four men - and one of them, Mike Weissmann, suffering - this is repertory work at its best.
On Thursday, on the 120km around Centennial Park, New Zealand spear-carriers Glen Mitchell and Gordon McCauley had their moment in the spotlight. They made the running, they were let go by the field, and they ran one-two.
But yesterday they needed to get Ric Reid, sitting second in the bike race, up two category- one climbs. First, in the 93.4km stage, was the famed 9.7km wrencher up Macquarie Pass. Then, at 77km, there was a 3.5km grind up Cambewarra Mountain - a new horror feature about as merciless as Bumble Hill on the Wednesday.
And Reid? His men were spent from the day before. He got dropped on Macquarie almost immediately.
In the Darling Harbour criterium on Thursday night, in a rare show of Aussie ensemble riding, four AIS riders charged to the front with two laps to go and set up a scintillating win for sprinter Jay Sweet.
But yesterday they needed the sap to get Nick Gates, sitting third, through the day. Rodney McGee, who had worked hardest in that criterium, showed up early, heading the field up the pass. But halfway up he stopped and got spat back through the field like a cherry pip.
In the end, only unsung Matt White was left to nurse Gates home among the chasers, 46s behind. Gates is second at 3min 11s and still with some chance.
And then there were the Germans. For days two of them had hogged the hype.
Sven Teutenberg started as the race leader yesterday. He was the leading man, even if the soap operas aren't phoning.
Supposedly wise heads shook in doubt. He is the fastest sprinter in the race, built like a keg. How was fatso supposed to get over those hills? Sitting sixth was 1994 winner Jens Voigt, tall and regal - but 8min 44s back. Still, the theory was that Reid, unknown Australian Damon Simpson and German sprinter Marcel Wust would all fade out of the top five, and clear his path to take over from Teutenberg when the gristle came into play and the lard melted in the Kangaroo Valley sauna. And Reid, Simpson and Wust did disappear early yesterday.
But then there was veteran Stephan Gottschling, all 59kg of sinew, maybe the smallest man in the field, and a spider of a climber. At the end of the day, when the applause died, he had the stage win, Teutenberg had kept his leader's yellow jersey, Voigt had wrestled the king of the mountains jersey from Australian Bart Hickson, and Bosch had an unbeatable teams lead.
But without young Canberra rider Peter Rogers, starting the day 10th, who knows how any of it would have come out.
He got over Macquarie Pass with Voigt and Dutchman Max Van Heeswyk, with a chasing bunch of only 14 a minute behind, as the field disintegrated. Among the chasers, Gottschling was towing Teutenberg and White laboured for Gates.
The race then flattened out and the lead 17 riders got back together. But on the perilous descent, before the climb up Cambewarra, Teutenberg, the leading man grabbing centre stage, burst away, clocking 100km/h, to get a head start.
Only Rogers had the nerve to grab his wheel, but then Teutenberg sat on him for a free ride up the hill. So Rogers chauffeured him half-way up the climb and then blew a gasket.
Gottschling, Voigt and 20-year-old Australian hope Marcel Gono then tacked on, as Rogers fell away.
Then Gottschling, having done all that navvy work, put his little goateed head down and waved goodbye, to earn a 13s win from Gono, Voigt and Teutenberg. Gates and his group were a further 33s back.
Gottschling stripped off his jersey, showing a weedy chalk-white body. A Phar Lap heart in a greyhound's frame. Australian road coach Heiko Salzwedel has been smart enough to sign Gottschling and Voigt to ride with the AIS team in China.
The young Aussies - even if they now have six in the top 10 in this race - will, then, continue to learn much about role-playing from these Germans, even as they go back today up Cambewarra, headed for Goulburn.
"You must ride with your eyes," says Gottschling.
Meanwhile, for the high drama of this showcase of Australian road-cycling, nobody from the Australian Cycling Federation has shown up. If this is the way one of the world's biggest sports is to be treated here, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission are entitled to play the enraged critic.
The only real rider with a chance to win this now other than Teutenberg is Giant-AIS's Nick Gates. His team must attack the German relentlessly today and try to destroy him on the climb. Giant-AIS have raced without brains so far. They have worked like dogs in the Criteriums where little was up for gain, but in the road stages, especially yesterday, they were spent and were not there for Gates. Today one hopes something changes.
So 10 kms from the start the hill begins. Early attack at the 1 km mark from Cory Sweet (Aust) to get to climb first. No chase as Sweet is no threat. Bunch was cruising at first. Small group with Brendan Vesty (NZ, Coca Cola) and Jon Hall (Aust) trying to come across.
On the mountain, Bosch looking good but field broken up big-time. Teutenberg looking casual. Bunch strung out as the climb develops. Vesty is pushing at front some 100 metres ahead of the group that is left. Most of high GC riders are in this group.
Vesty wll ahead now and on his own. He gets the 10 points for KOM. Voigt gets second, Marcel Gono gets 3rd, Gottschling 4th, and Jay Sweet 5th. Speedos on the descent were showing 110 kms per hour.
Heading for the Kangaroo Valley climb (Barrengarry Mountain Road) now. Vesty is still leading. Matt White pushing at front of chase bunch. Vesty looking okay. Half way up the climb Teutenberg cracks. He is going backwards quickly. Bosch have a problem.
Vesty over the top first. Van Heeswijk second over climb. Chase group has 3 Giant-AIS riders on front (Matt White tells a motor bike support rider "We got him", referring to Teutenberg being dropped). White has ridden very hard for Gates (lying second on GC a bit over 3 minutes) who is also in the break. Teutenberg is finished and Gates is in yellow on the road.
As they come into Goulburn Teutenberg is in a bunch more than 13 minutes down. Max Van Heeswijk (NL, Websdale) takes the sprint from German Jens Voigt, Martin Rittsel (UK, DuPont), Kelvin Martin (Aus, Caravello Joinery), then Marcel Gono (Aus, Canberra Casino).
The main bunch with Teutenberg in it comes in at 13.38 down. Some change in GC.
1. Max Van Heeswijk (NL, Websdale) 3.38.56 2. Jens Voigt (Ger, Bosch) s.t. 3. Martin Rittsel (UK, DuPont) s.t. 4. Kelvin Martin (Aus, Caravello Joinery) s.t. 5. Marcel Gono (Aus, Canberra Casino) s.t.
1. Nick Gates (Aust, Giant-AIS) 24.07.19 2. Jens Voigt (Ger, Bosch) 4.42 3. Marcel Gono (Aus, Canberra-Casino) 6.38 4. Bart Hickson (Aus, NSW Sport and Rec) 6.59 5. Matt White (Aus, Central Coast) 10.14
Rainjackets and knee warmers were on as the bunch rolled out. Giant-AIS on the front controlling the race. No attacks at all. The other riders seem to have given up. What a poor showing. Sun is now looking through the clouds and the bunch undresses.
Last Australian winner was in 1989 (Matt Bazzano). McGee on front for Giant-AIS. The bunch splits up on Smith's Gap. Van Heeswijk attacks. Marcel Gono over the top first, Van Heeswijk second. Voigt gets no points but will keep the KOM jersey. There is no danger now even though the field has split into three bunches. Gates is in the leading bunch. All the other Giant-AIS team bar Jay Sweet is with him. The back bunches are trying to regain the main group.
Down the hill the motor bike shows 100 kms per hour. As they go into the Australian Capital Territory, hometown boy Peter Rogers (Aus, Canberra Casino) attacks. He keeps the leads down Anzac Avenue but the bunch is getting closer.
600 metres. Rogers still out there. Hunt (UK) on front of bunch and it is getting close. Gates is safe in GC though.
Rogers has his head down and winds into central Canberra. Hunt is just about on him with Weissman and Van Heeswijk. But he just hangs on for his second win of the Tour. Van Heeswijk second, Hunt (UK) third. Local knowledge into the end helped Rogers a lot.
1. Peter Rogers (Aus, Canberra Casino) 2.48.00 2. Van Heeswijk (NL, Canberra Casino) s.t. 3. Jeremy Hunt (UK, Sportscover) s.t. 4. Mike Weissman (Ger, Bosch) s.t. 5. Frank Van Haesenbrouke (Bel, Ansett World) s.t.
A major fall - Frank Van Haesenbrouke (Bel, Ansett) looks stunned and staggers off with help. The mechanics are getting his bike fixed. 16 laps to go. Brosnan (Aus, Giant-AIS) driving the pack. Van Haesenbrouke gets back in after taking a lap out. Both riders in the fall are back, the other being Jason Pierce (Aus, NSW Sport and Rec).
Giant-AIS still on front with 15 to go. Teutenberg and John Tanner (UK) and Kelvin Martin finally take over at the front. Teutenberg looking to salvage some pride from yesterday's disaster. Kelvin Martin has announced he will shift to triathlons so he is looking for a final bike race win.
Martin, Teutenberg, and Tanner (1995 winner - no form this year) on front still and gaps are opening at the end. Koerts is being dropped from the main bunch. He won't be getting up for a third stage win. The gap between the three and the bunch is now closed. Wust is in the group with Koerts which has gone off the back. Both were dropped badly on the hill this morning.
13 to go. Van Haesenbrouke is attacking now with Teutenberg following. Both are joined by McGee. But main bunch is with them. Teutenberg driving on front. McGee goes through. And the rest of the Giant-AIS team come through with Gates on the 5th wheel. Teutenberg back in 6th. It looks very much like a team time trial with a large bunch behind. Brosnan on front.
The speed is quite high and several are going out the back. Teutenberg attacks now with 11 to go but McGee chases him down alone and sits on his wheel. The other riders take a bit longer to close the gap and do. Giant-AIS back in control.
Two Sportscover (UK) riders (Lillywhite and Tanner) are lying close to front. Giant-AIS controlling it. 10 laps to go. Main bunch is now much smaller due to high speed. Jay Sweet, then Matt White, then McGee, then Brosnan, then Gates sitting pretty. John Tanner (UK) attacks with 9 laps to go.
No gap really opens. Tanner looks pretty ordinary actually. McGee closes the gap quickly and Giant-AIS back in control being helped by Kelvin Martin (Aus, Caravello Joinery) at second wheel. Pace is so high that attacks are virtually impossible. No Dutch riders are in sight. Martin is on the front with Giant-AIS behind him en masse. Martin used to race for the Giant-AIS team until half way through this year.
Heading for a bunch sprint now. Martin is riding for Baden Burke who is in 6th place in the bunch. Sweet on front. Hunt and Weissman moving up behind Gates and Burke. Van Haesenbrouke is there too. Sweet seems to be sacrificing the sprint with this lot to keep the yellow jersey safe.
6 laps to go. McGee, White, Brosnan, Martin (Caravello), Gates. The German team while leading the team's competition (for the third year in a row) is no-where in this race. 5 laps to go. The sprinters are lining up at around 7th wheel. Koerts, Wust and Van Heeswijk are just about lapped now. They won't be sprinting for the finale.
Martin on front (Burke still in the queue). Van Haesenbrouke is there too. Weissman (Tour winner in 1994) squeezes into 4th wheel, Martin 5th, Gates 6th wheel. Koerts drops out of the race with 4 to go. Officials have pulled him and will adjust his time (he was lapped).
3 laps to go and Weissman looking good. Teutenberg is nearby. 3 Giant-AIS riders on front. Sweet has dropped back to about 7th wheel to try for the sprint. Hunt is squeezing in to. White on front to control it. Van Haesenbrouke moves up. Teutenberg driving for Weissman. Teutenberg, Weissman, McGee. Sweet falls with 2 to go.
Teutenberg, Weissman, McGee, Hunt (suffering), Burke on McGee's wheel who goes through to the front. Van Haesenbrouke is there now. Bell lap. McGee, Burke, Van H., Gates looking easy at 6th wheel.
McGee, Burke - 300 metres to go - Weissman, Lillywhite. Burke leads it out, Weissman, Van H get its from the right. Good sprint.
1. Frank Van Haesenbrouke (Belg, Ansett World Team) 50.34 2. Mike Weissman (Ger, Bosch) s.t. 3. Chris Lillywhite (UK, Sportscover) s.t. 4. Baden Burke (Aus, Caravello Joinery) s.t. 5. Peter Rogers (Aus, Canberra Casino) s.t.
1. Nick Gates (Aus, Giant-AIS) 27.45.53 2. Jens Voigt (Ger, Bosch) 4.42 3. Marcel Gono (Aus, Canberra-Casino) 6.32 4. Bart Hickson (Aus, NSW Sport and Rec) 6.59 5. Matt White (Aus, Central Coast) 10.14