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Tattersall's Cup Tour of the Murray River - NE
Australia, August 31-September 4, 2005
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Stage 7 - September 3: Robinvale Kermesse, 60 km
Shaw triumps over competitors and conditions
By Rod Morris
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Mother Nature turned to her nastiest for the morning kermesse in Robinvale, although the conditions didn't deter former triathlete Stuart Shaw from Canberra, who won in bold fashion from young Victorian duo Johnny Walker and Patrick Shaw (no relation).
Shaw is an ex-silver and bronze medallist from the World Under 23 Triathlon Championships and is in his first full season as a road racer.
After a bold showing in the recent Tour of China, Shaw has backed up to win stages of both the Tour of Gippsland and Jayco Tour of Tasmania and in a rare coincidece, finished seventh in both tours.
The two Shaw's, Walker and another Victorian rider, Daniel Burtt, made a strong move early in the 25 lap kermesse by attacking from the front of the peloton.
None of the four were genuine threats on the General Classification, which made their charge a little more easier, although for Stuart Shaw, this stage represented an ideal chance to gain valuable sprint points.
Shaw started the day in 12th place at 2.06 minutes behind tour leader Simon Clarke, but by winning eight of the 11 intermediate sprints - and the stage - elevated himself into ninth position at 1.17 minutes and almost certainly booked a spot in next month's Tour of Queensland.
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The top 10 riders in the Tattersall's Cup, based on a points system from tours in Gippsland, Tasmania and the Murray River, will earn automatic starts, including airfares and accommodation for the third annual Tour of Queensland, which will start in Maryborough on October ????? and end in Rockhampton on ????
Shaw and his fellow breakaway riders worked overtime in the consistent rain, niggling wind and dropping temperature to establish a lead of more than a minute on the chasing peloton and although the gap reduced gradually over the closing laps, the lead quartet always looked safe.
At four laps remaining, the margin was 49 seconds and at the bell lap, it had closed to 29 seconds. And when Shaw crossed the finish line saluting the judge, he still had 11 seconds to spare to the peloton.
"The conditions weren't good, but I'm still rapt to have won," Shaw said.
"I had a lot to gain, I was in the break the day before in Ouyen, but missed out on all the points because I was doing my turn out the front on the back straight, I made sure that didn't happen again today."
"I moved a few spots up on GC and in the Sprint Championship, so this stage was good for me, despite the weather," he added.
Patrick Shaw provided the hard luck story of the stage.
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Just as he was preparing for the final sprint, he suffered a puncture and although he remained upright and was able to take third place, his momentum was lost.
"That's part of bike racing, but it is disappointing, particularly after doing plenty of hard work during the race and getting into a good position to grab a stage win," he said.
The chasing bunch was led home 11 seconds later by NSW track star Ben Kersten from Queensland's Grant Irwin.
New Zealand's Gordon McCauley, who is leading three race categories, Sprint, King of the Mountain and Most Aggressive, suffered badly during the race and was treated by medics at the end of the stage for hypothermia.
McCauley recovered during the lunch break and took his place in the field for the afternoon criterium in Euston, just across the Victorian - NSW border on the picturesque Murray River.
However he is well down on GC, mainly due to a fall in Stage 2 last Wednesday from Swan Hill to Manangatang, where he lost more than 20 minutes.
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After winning the Tour of Gippsland and finishing third in the Tour of Tasmania, this week's race has been one of mixed emotions for the Kiwi.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Chief Commissaire Bill McMahon shelters from the rain prior to stage seven
- Stage seven in Robinvale would start under grey skies and wet roads
- Gordon McCauley corners at Robinvale and lost minutes on GC later in the stage
- The peloton on tour in the Murray River region
- A small group put a gap in the field early into the stage
- Riders go on the attack after the lead group
- The tour passes Murray River gum trees during the 60km kermesse
- The leaders head along the Murray River almost a minute ahead of the rest
- Wes Sulzberger at peace in the peloton!
- The field comes out of the trees down the back straight in Robinvale
- Bradley Norton from Victoria leads the main field into a bend
- The tour passes one of Australia’s greatest tennis players
- Trent Stevenson (L) and Bradley Payne in the main field
- South Australian Michael Hardy in 69th position after stage seven
- The peloton on wet roads in Robinvale
- Is that love between birds as the peloton pass!
- Umbrellas were the order of the day in Robinvale
- The peloton makes its way along the home straight in the concluding laps around 50 seconds behind
- The finale - (L-R); Patrick Shaw, Daniel Burtt, Johnny Walker and Stuart Shaw sprint to the line
- Stuart Shaw in the top ten after winning stage seven in Robinvale
- The bunch sprint to the line for top ten placings
- Judges confer on the podium after stage seven
- Patrick Shaw from Victoria on the podium for the first time in the 2005 Tattersall’s Cup Series
- Wow! another stage victory
- The podium (L-R): Patrick Shaw (3rd) Stuart Shaw (1st) and Johnny Walker (2cnd)
- What Stuart Shaw pushed around to victory on stage seven
- Sunraysia Daily Criterium leader Robert McLachlan
Results
1 Stuart Shaw (ACT) 1.23.26 2 Johnny Walker (Vic) 3 Patrick Shaw (Vic) 4 Daniel Burtt (Vic) 5 Ben Kersten (NSW) 0.12 6 Grant Irwin (Qld) 7 Robert McLachlan (ACT) 8 Bernard Sulzberger (Tas) 9 Tommy Nankervis (Vic) 10 Cameron Wise (Vic)
