Kestle, 21, who has spent three months racing in Holland and Belgium, outsprinted another young Turk of Australian cycling, Bendigo's Haydn Bradbury, to win by little more than a bike length. Third home was another Bendigo rider, Chris White, 27. These three had a 27sec break over Gelong's Peter Pape and West Australian Daniel Trinnie.
Kestle, coached by David Sanders at the Victorian Institute of Sport, represented Australia at the junior track championships in Perth in 1993. He has since blossomed in the hurly-burly of kermisse and pro-am, classic riding overseas. "He's just so strong and he has got a great finish on him," Sanders said.
Bradbury, fourth in last year's Herald Su Tour, was a last-minute inclusion yesterday after a mix-up over his entry.
The Tattersall's Cup continues next Wednesday with the Tour of the Goldfields, and climaxes with the Australian King of the Mountains Classic on September 4. The first 10 place getters overall are guaranteed a start in the Hearld Sun Tour, which begins in Echuca on October 10.
1: W Kestle 3h 23min 33sec
2: H Bradbury Same Time
3: C White Same Time
The victory in the second of the Tattersall's Cup series, guarantees the former junior road time-trial champion a start in this year's VicHealth Herald Sun Tour. At 19, he will be one of the youngest riders in the field, but he showed yesterday he won't be fazed by the prospect.
Collingwood rode aggressively on a day when riders were buffeted by squally winds and had to endure persistant rain throughout the 144.9km event. He made his move just after Daylesford, with about 40km remaining, quickly joining breakawy David Sturt, of Carnegie. The pair then opened up a 56sec gap.
With Collingwood doing most of the work in front, even the puncture 20km from the finish did not slow the tempo. "I must have lost 20sec changing the wheel, but once I caught David again we were still about a minute in front," the Wagga teenager said.
Because Sturt, 31, merely followed Collingwood's wheel for the last 5km he did not attempt to outsprint him across the line in Castlemaine and Collingwood was able to raise his arms in triumph about 50m from the finish.
"I basically did all the work during the last 40km, and David came through and helped when he could," Collingwood said. "But in the last 5km he was really hurting." Third yesterday, 10 secs in arrears, was Bendigo's Chris White, 27, who now leads the series overall with 40 points.
Bendigo to Castlemaine (144.9 km)
1: J Collingwood(ACT) 3h 23min 03sec
2: D Sturt(Carnegie) +01sec
3: C White(Bendigo) +11sec