Tattersall's Cup #3: Tour of the Otway Ranges, (NE)

Australia, August 13, 2003

Results

MacLachlan & Tighello in final escape

There were 88 entries for today's classic, less than expected but considering this would be the toughest assignment of the $25,500 five race series, it would be a day for the climbers or for those who dared to brave the elements amongst some of Australia's most beautiful terrain.

Nine sprints and eight hill climbs consisting of a category 1 climb of 10kms out of Apollo Bay was going to see only the tough survive and that's the way it turned out with a few surprises along the way.

The first surprise came when Uruguay's Hector Morales chased down the early break away instigated by Bendigo's Tim Decker and Troy Glennan NSW.

The international who has ridden the previous two Tattersall's Cup races in the series went on to show he was to mean business in the mountains with six sprint victories and two hill climbs to his credit for the day.

The biggest margin of the race was 7 minutes 35 seconds to the top ranked riders who were in the third group on the road, and even over the biggest climb of the day through the Otways out of Skenes Creek, the margin didn't alter greatly.

Morales (Uruguay), Luke Bettany (South Australia) and Christopher Bradford (Carnegie) defied logic and kept the chasing peloton at bay. They continued to share the Sprints and Hill climbs along the way and it wasn't until the Gerangamite School 34kms from the finish they looked suspect to hold on.

The gap narrowed to 54 seconds, Kieran Cameron instigated numerous attacks then disaster for duel Tatts Cup winner Robert Tighello, 20kms from the finish and Tighello with six of the top ten riders threw his hand in the air, a broken spoke caused his rear wheel to buckle and a quick change needed.

Valuable time lost as he gave them 35 seconds, desperate in his attempt to get on again it took just 4kms and speeds of 55kms on the flat before he regained them, but how much energy did he use.

Cameron again attacked, the AIS rider nullified each time, finally five riders some how got a break on a small hill outside Colac, Domenic Gatto (Brunswick), Gary Parsons (Camperdown), Robert McLachlan (ACT) with Luke Weir (Carnegie) and Tighello off the front.

Richard Moffat (NSW) tried to get across to them but they were highballing towards the finish with McLachlan and Tighello somehow catching them napping to break away with 6kms left in the bike race.

They would have the finish to themselves and as Tighello looked over his left shoulder to see how much break they had on the chasing three, the Canberra School teacher exploded around him with brilliant speed to get the break that would win him his second Tatts Cup race.

Photos

Images by Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com

Is that Merv Hughes in second wheel
Luke Weir in pink gets the nod in a tight go for third
Nick Kiraly and Ashley Baines share a joke in the Otways
Riders on the downhill into Apollo Bay (in the background)
Riders twist and turn their way during race three in the Tattersall's Cup Series
Robert McLachlan, upright, checks on the time for the first stop at a booza
Robert McLachlan of the ACT after his superb win
Robert McLachlan salutes the crowd at Colac
Robert Tighello buckled a wheel and then worked his way back into the race with strength
Robert Tighello driving the pack forward
Robert Tighello gets serious for the long road ahead
Robert Tighello is distracted whilst an attack is made
The bunch turn left bound for Apollo Bay
The peloton enter the unknown at the start of the category three Skene's Creek climb
The peloton fractured in the Otways
The peloton on the third leg of the Tattersall's Cup five race series
Tim Decker takes the king of the mountain points at Otway Oasis
Tim Decker, right, charging the troops
Troy Glennan of New South Wales driving the breakaway out of the fog
What a day
Winner Robert McLachlan and race director John Craven
Andrew Graham of Port Fairy lightens the load
Hector Morales of Uruguay was impressive in the long breakaway
Hector Morales takes the sprint at Otway Junction Bistro
The Jerseys
From left, Robert Tighello , Hector Morales and Christopher Bradford in their leading jerseys
Tattersall's Cup Series race three winner Robert McLachlan

Results, 186.8 km

1 Robert McLachlan (A.C.T)
2 Robert Tighello (Carnegie)
3 Luke Weir (Carnegie)
4 Domenic Gatto
5 Garry Parsons
6 Richard Moffatt
7 Luke Bettany
8 Christopher Bradford
9 Hector Morales
10 Ashley Baines
11 Kieren Cameron
12 Andrew Graham
13 Michael Tolhurst
14 Nick Kiraly
15 Robert Boag
16 Ashley Hayat
17 Shaun Higgerson
18 Tim Decker
19 Troy Glennan
20 Tim Buchanan
21 Robert Lyte
22 Trent Stevenson
23 Peter Milostic
24 George Vallins
25 Matthew Goold
26 Bradley Norton
27 Christopher Tymms
28 Stephen Cunningham
29 Peter Trigar
30 Shayne Kirby
31 Simon Price
32 Craig McCartney
33 Steven Lymburn
34 Bradley Simpson
35 Mitch Barbir
36 Paul Sumich
37 Damian Harbison
38 Samuel Rix
39 Anthony Challinor
40 Christopher Fry
41 Douglas Muller
42 Phillip Orr
43 Simon Walker
44 Daniel Newnham
45 Andrew Small
46 Graham Rootes
47 Ed Knowles
48 Ian Chandler
49 Mark Hooper
50 William Murray
51 Jason Ryan
52 Damien Ladd
53 Evan Corry
54 Dennis Markouris
55 Lincoln Brown
56 Craig Cahill
57 Chris Eichler
58 Warren Nelson
59 Adam Pyke
60 Robin Tullet
61 Rhys Smith
62 Andrew Lang
63 Michael Sparke


Sprint 

Hector Morales (Uruguay)

King of the Mountains

Christopher Bradford (Carnegie)
 
Overall standings after three races
 
1 Robert Tighello        56 pts
2 Dominic Gatto          55
3 Garry Parsons          55
4 Robert McLachlan       46
5 Luke Weir              45
6 Brett Aitken           38
7 Hector Morales         36
8 Trent Stevenson        32
9 Shayne Kirby           27
10 Peter Milostic        25
11 Tim Decker            23
12 Richard Moffatt       23
13 Luke Bettany          22
14 Shaun Higgerson       22
15 Michael Tolhurst      22