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111th Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic - 1.2
Victoria, Australia, October 21, 2006
2005 Results Results Past winners
Drapac's former Olympian wins classic Warrnambool
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By Mal Sawford in Warrnambool
The 2006 edition of the UCI’s longest one day classic was run in typically tough conditions, with early rain and a cool southerly wind blowing in the record field’s faces as the riders set off for the epic 300.3 km journey. Taking the win almost eight hours later was 1992 Barcelona Olympian Rob McLachlan, riding for the locally based UCI Continental team Drapac Porsche, ahead of David Pell (Carvalhelhos-Boavista) and Finland’s Kjell Carltstrom (Liquigas).
How the race unfolded
Rolling off from the Kooringal Golf Club on the outskirts of Melbourne, the current race route passes through Point Cook, Werribee, Inverleigh, Camperdown and Garvoc before finishing in Raglan Parade, Warrnambool’s main street. Herald Sun Tour runner up Chris Jongewaard and reigning Australian champion Russell Van Hout, two of the pre-race favourites, were late scratchings.
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The field began to splinter early in the tough conditions. The traditional early break saw eleven riders go for broke, including 2005 third-place finisher Jason Phillips (CATS), Peter Barnett and Brendan Rowbotham (both SHM Cycles) and Matt Chessum (Fitzroy Cycles).
With some apparent disharmony in the break, the leaders were eventually re-absorbed by the peloton a third of the way into the race, leaving around 35 riders still in contention until Phillips, Barnett, Rowbotham and Chessum forced the pace again. Joining then in the second break of ten were Pell, Will Dickeson (Sturt Holdfast Marion CC), Joel Pearson (VC Côtes d'Armor Cyclisme), Brad Edmunds (Echuca-Moama CC), Stuart Shaw (Drapac-Porsche) and Tim Decker (Decked Our Coaching).
Approaching the hill climb at Alvie after 182km, the lead group was down to seven, with Rowbotham, Dickeson and Pearson losing contact but still held a 1’10” advantage over the chase group led by Carltstrom, Kristian House and McLachlan. The sprint at Mamre also served as the finish line of the Victorian 200km Championships, where Shaw won from Phillips and Barnett.
The rolling hills of Stony Rises saw the chasers drop a further minute behind, before closing the gap back to 1’30” approaching the Camperdown feed station with 70km remaining. Carltstrom, McLachlan and team mate Darren Lapthorne, Jonnie Walker and Pearson counter attacked the chase group, with the Finn and McLachlan successful in reaching the long time leaders after a 40km time trial like effort from a fired up McLachlan.
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The fresh legs of Carltstrom and McLachlan saw the pace lift again, with McLachlan reportedly telling his companions that if they didn’t roll through he would ‘hit them even harder’, and Barnett, Chessum and Edmunds soon had to let go - leaving only Shaw, Pell, Decker and Phillips with a chance of upsetting the two favourites. With 15km to race, team mates McLachlan and Shaw started to one-two the group; Shaw was the first to open a gap, with Phillips on his wheel, but Pell was able to close the attack down.
McLachlan’s counter saw Pell immediately respond, with the Bendigo based rider also shutting down Shaw’s next effort. McLachlan went again at the Hopkins River bridge, 10km from home, with only Phillips ready to follow, and the pair quickly opened a ten-second advantage. With 7km remaining and the gap out to 150 metres, Carltstrom moved to the front of the chasing group and chipped away at the margin, eventually bringing the two groups together three kilometers from home.
Shaw launched an expected counter attack, but failed to get clear. Seconds later McLachlan jumped hard and caught the rest napping - blasting clear to hit the final short climb with a 200 metre lead. Carltstrom and Decker both surged on the climb, but it was too little, too late, as McLachlan increased the margin as he stormed to victory. Shaw led out the sprint for second, fighting a good battle with Carltstrom down to the line, but Pell blew past both to claim second place. Shaw claimed the lucrative Sprint Championship, decided over the 24 intermediate sprints, while Phillips was crowned King of the Mountains after the six categorized climbs.
McLachlan was delighted with the win and described it: “as one of my best ever.” He admitted he hadn’t had a stellar ride in the Herald Sun Tour and was unsure of his form after a few days off the bike since.
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“I felt pretty good all day,” explained McLachlan. “The team was great today, particularly Stuart Shaw. Having him there in the final break was so important. At the end, he’d attack, they’d bring him back, then I’d attack. If they brought me back, he’d attack again. I got away with about 10km to go but they brought us back with about five kilometers to go and I thought ‘oh no!’, but then Stuey attacked, which was really good, but they brought him back.”
“I thought ‘I don’t feel like doing that again, but it came really down to team tactics, so I did, and they hesitated. Because they hesitated I got the gap and then a few of them started thinking about the sprint – I spoke to a few of them after the race, you know. I rode away with about 3km to go. I probably had about thirty seconds at the end, so the last 500 metres I was able to start waving to the crowd - which was a great feeling.”
At 35, racing at this level has become a year-to-year proposition for McLachlan. “I’m intending to ride again next year,” added McLachlan, a full-time school teacher. “Drapac want me, so as long as it all works out – I have to get leave without pay - so if I start going down hill I’ll probably hang it up. But it’s looking like at least another year, it could be two, who knows?”
The biggest bunch of riders finished well over half an hour down, and included Kate Nicholls, who recorded her second finish in a race three times as long as most professional women's races.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Stokes/www.licoricegallery.com
- The field head towards an intermediate sprint in Lara
- Kjell Carlstrom of the Liquigas team was the number one ranked rider in the Classic
- Robert McLachlan from Canberra takes out the 2006 Melbourne to Warrnambool one-day classic
- Two 'Big Macs' in Warrnambool after Robert McLachlan easily won the classic one-day race
- "Man that was tough"… Kjell Carlstom from Finland on the podium in Warrnambool
- The podium (L-R): Robert McLachlan (1st), David Pell (2nd), and Kjell Carlstrom (3rd)
- Robert McLachlan is presented with his winner's sash in Warrnambool
- Three bottles are better than one… be prepared for the podium spray
- Stuart Shaw, winner of the Bianchi Sprint Points Competition
- Jason Phillips of Queensland took out the ANZ King of the Mountains competition
- Third place-getter Kjell Carlstrom leaves the podium ahead of runner-up, David Pell
- A tough day in the saddle for Robert McLachlan and perhaps a struggle getting off the podium?
- Brendan Rowbotham of Melbourne reflects on another day at the office
- More riders coming… a large bunch finishes in Warrnambool after more than eight hours on the road
Results - 300.3 km
Grades A, B, C 1 Robert McLachlan 7.54.15 2 David Pell 1.28 3 Kjell Carlrom 4 Stuart Shaw 5 Jason Phillips 6 Timothy Decker 7 Brad Edmunds 3.51 8 Peter Barnett 9 Mathew Cheesum 10 Jason Hegert 13.36 11 Joel Pearson 12 John Forre 13 Johnnie Walker 14 Tim Hucker 15 Steve Cunningham 16 John Ebeling 17 Cameron Hughes 13.45 18 Darren Lapthorne 13.48 19 Kyle Marwood 25.01 20 Shane Stiles 21 Peter Smith 22 Brad McDermott 23 Jacob Sutherland 24 Brendan Rowbotham 25 Juin Davis 26 Steven Pilson 27 Russell Edgar 28 Greg Featonby 29 Damien Turner 30 David Tozer 31 James Fitzgerald 34.22 32 Trent Stevenson 33 Dylan Newell 38.28 34 Andrew Rolland 40.23 35 Brenden Savage 36 Brett Franklin 37 Evan Corry 38 Damien Jones 39 Jesse Foer 40 Tony Hallam 41 Michael Villani 42 David Newton 41.01 43 John Cipriano 44 Kevin Nichols 45 Dale Woonton 46 Luke Mackenzie 47 Andrew Ward 48 Jeffrey Provan 49 Guy Green 50 Wayne Flint 51 Chriopher Eichler 52 Ben Edwards 53 James Stokie 54 Mick Ritchie 55 Robert Mann 56 Michael Hartman 57 Stephen Hanlon 58 Jason Theobald 59 Gavin Nicholls 60 Andrew Hutcheson 61 Nick Oakley 62 Wade Wallace 63 James Broadway 64 Stephen Fraser 65 EUGEN Schilter 66 Michael Heenan 67 Neil Tatt 68 Tim Watson 69 Darren Cathie 70 Michael Sparke 71 Dominic O'Loughlin 72 Hayden Mead 73 Cameron Winton 74 David Foer 75 Vaughan Bowman 76 Danny Cohen 77 Shaun Gatter 78 Gerard Faulkner 79 John Anderson 80 Sean Hurley 81 Frank McCarthy 82 Reece Stephens 83 John Danvers 84 Kate Nichols 85 John Marcan 86 Glen Peterson 87 Andrew McKellar 88 Neale Sturt 89 Jeffrey Gray 41.22 90 Peter Howard 91 Darren Pearce 41.36 92 John Guerin 42.54 93 Michael Bentley 44.35 94 Samuel Rix 45.34 95 Marc Loecherer 47.05 96 Craig Van Der Valk 50.07 97 Larry McCarthy 56.08 98 Reece Emm Van Beek 99 Matthew Opperman 100 Brendan Washington 56.11 101 Brad Speller 59.15 102 Luke Aggett 1.00.07 103 Tom McDonough 1.05.08 104 Gary Simondson 1.05.09 105 Luke McDonough 1.05.30 106 Simon Vandeadt 1.05.46 107 Rohan Creed 108 Stephen Hickey 1.10.10 109 Kevin Murphy 1.11.53 110 Errol Schmidt 1.24.07 111 Sean Egan 112 Chris Cheney 113 Mark Kelly 114 Darren Sayers 1.38.52 115 Damien Bourke 116 Les Tokolyi 117 William Murray 118 Gregory Walmsley OTL Stephanie Frawley OTL Mark Johnson DNF Kriian House DNF David Kemp DNF Mark O'Brien DNF Patrick Shaw DNF Casey Munro DNF Jack Alexander DNF Craig McCartney DNF Brendan O,Connell DNF Brendon Sharratt DNF Will Dickeson DNF Simon Pearson DNF Daryl Burns DNF Mark Hooper DNF Matthew Jensen DNF Ben Ledwidge DNF Shaun Mccarthy DNF Andras Nagy DNF Rich Ross DNF Simon Ross DNF Michael Smith DNF Rhys Smith DNF Chris Steffanoni DNF James Steinhauser DNF Bruce Tallon DNF Aaron Wilson DNF Alex Brewer DNF Mark Cleary DNF Matt Colon DNF Peter McWeeney DNF Paul Nolte DNF Peter O'Donnell DNF Anthony Peacock DNF Andrew Robinson DNF Matthew Szymczak DNF Michael Vogt DNF Andrew Wilmott DNF Ryan Braybrook DNF Rene Bueman DNF Paul Doman DNF Alan Dudderidge DNF Wayne Gebert DNF Cameron Hart DNF Thomas Huberts DNF James Ibrahim DNF John Lehner DNF Alex Marchese DNF Philip Moss DNF Tony Prytz DNF Richard Read DNF Jeffrey Shaw DNF Andrew Smith DNF Blair Smith DNF Colin Smith DNF Lindsay Tunbridge DNS Tom Southam DNS Tommy Nankervis DNS Jai Crawford DNS Michael Ford DNS Peter Ladd DNS Steven Rankine DNS Chris Jongewaard DNS Russell van Hout DNS Ville Suominen DNS Nathan Wise DNS Carl Brewer DNS Ron Burgess DNS Tom Crebbin DNS Malcolm Hart DNS Dylan Hately DNS Chriopher Teakle DNS Daniel Burke DNS Chriopher Franklin DNS Robert Moore General Classification by Grade A Grade 1 Robert McLachlan (ACT) 2 David Pell (Vic) 3 Kjell Carlstrom (Finland) B Grade 1 John Forest (ACT) 2 Peter Smith (Vic) 3 Justin Davis (Vic). C Grade 1 Shane Stiles (Vic) 2 Russell Edgar (Vic) 3 James Fitzgerald (Vic) D Grade 1 Brad McDermott (Vic) 2 Greg Featonby (NSW) 3 Damien Jones (Vic) Bianchi Sprint Championship Stuart Shaw (ACT) ANZ Bank King of the Mountain Championship Jason Phillips (Qld) First Warrnambool rider David Tozer Victorian 200 km Championship Stuart Shaw (ACT)
Past winners
Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic winners 2005 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Amore e Vita 7.39.21 2004 William Walker (Aus) 7.59.22 2003 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Team Ringerike 6.47.38 2002 Jamie Drew (Aus) iTeamnova.com 6.09.57 2001 David McKenzie (Aus) 7.01.55 2000 H. Clarke Jr. (Aus) Carnegie 7.34.36 1999 J. Drew (Aus) Warrnambool 6.42.51 1998 B. Heirwegh (Bel) 7.20.56 1997 D. Schnider (Swi) 6.17.54 1996 C. White (Aus) 6.44.16 1995 B. McAuliffe (60m) 6.34.35 1994 G. Parsonage, WA (scratch) 7.20.04 1993 D. Woods (scratch) 7.36.08 1992 P. Besanko (scratch) 7.01.28 1991 A. Stirling (scratch) 7.15.45 1990 R. Jordan (42 min) 5.49.33 1989 P. Besanko (scratch) 6.49.19 1988 B. Burns (scratch) 7.18.59 1987 P. Rugari (scratch) 6.32.50 1986 M. Lynch (scratch) 6.36.56 1985 B. Leach (30 min) 6.18.09 1984 P. Besanko (scratch) 6.36.43 1983 A. Lindsay (40 min) 6.30.08 1982 D. Allan (scratch) 6.32.31 1981 P. Cox (10 min) 6.20.46 1980 J. Hine (amateur) 6.02.34 1979 D. Allan (scratch) 7.06.48 1978 D. Shaw (4 min) 6.50.24 1977 I. Grindlay (32 min) 6.20.59 1976 D. Allan (scratch) 6.38.31 1975 M. Giramondo (45 min) 8.01.36 1974 J. Bylsma (5 min) 7.27.54 1973 B. Clarke (10 min) 6.32.06 1972 L. Sedley (13 min) 7.15.14 1971 B. Clark (20 min) 8.56.20 1970 M. Giramondo (46 min) 6.37.52 1969 B. Farmer (30 min) 6.53.55 1968 R. Crowe, NSW (18 min) 6.21.06 1967 G. Gilmore, TAS (scratch) 7.14.07 1966 L. Wearne (8 min) 7.20.15 1965 W. Dove (28 min) 7.22.52 1964 P. Fry (40 min) 6.26.05 1963 J. Binding (40 min) 6.40.04 1962 W. O'Brien (20 min) 7.23.12 1961 T. Robson (34 min) 6.59.39 1960 J. Sommer (15 min) 8.38.11 1959 G. Daws (50 min) 8.08.53 1958 W. O'Brien (46 min) 6.24.15 1957 S. Bonney (36 min) 6.18.45 1956 R. Davis, WA (51 min) 6.34.45 1955 E. Smith (scratch) 6.04.55 1954 W. Guyatt (27 min) 8.34.58 1953 M. French (17 min) 6.19.42 1952 V. Beasley (50 min) 7.53.55 1951 A. Julius (27 min) 6.36.54 1950 M. Rowley (scratch) 7.53.28 1949 S. Bonney (33 min) 6.33.05 1948 A. Saunders (33' min) 7.32.02 1947 A. Edwards, SA (45 min) 7.19.15 1939 D. Toseland, SA (scratch) 8.18.06 1938 T. Rogers, QLD (31 min) 7.05.56 1937 T. Brooks, TAS (24 min) 7.39.19 1936 J. McEvoy, SA (43 min) 7.17.28 1935 T. Reynolds, SA (57 min) 7.01.04 1933 L. Willoughby (48 min) 7.05.55 1932 R. J. Reynolds (39 min) 6.39.33 1931 G. E. Lessing (63 min) 7.13.18 1930 J. P. Egan (52 min) 9.03.00 1929 H. Marshall, WA (6 min) 8.13.09 1926 L. Einsiedel (48 min) 8.16.09 1925 E. E. Williamson (60 min) 7.39.34 1924 W. F. King (64 min) 8.09.18 1923 P. Wells (56 min) 8.37.05 1922 P. Hill, NZ (32 min) 9.20.45 1911 J. Tebbs (42 min) 8.53.12 1910 C. A. Piercy (47 min) 10.01.21 1909 W. Knaggs (41 min) 7.32.19 1908 J. T. Donohue, NSW (49 min) 8.00.38 1907 M. B. Dobie (42 min) 7.45.37 1906 D. D. Riley (28 min) 8.58.50 1905 W. E. Hawley (25 min) 7.52.26 1904 J. Wright (38 min) 7.53.57 1903 J. Arnst, NZ (scratch) 7.43.00 1902 M. Chappell (55 min) 9.00.08 1901 W. Nioa (40 min) 9.20.40 1898 W. Collins (90 min) 9.50.50 1897 W. C. Jackson (10 min) 9.51.09 1896 J. Carpenter (scratch) 8.40.05 1895 W. Nicol (90 min) 13.34.00 1895 A. Calder (2 hours start) 11.44.30 Blue Riband Winners 1995 M. Wust (Ger) (scratch) 5.39.27 1994 G. Parsonage, WA (scratch) 7.20.04 1993 D. Woods (scratch) 7.36.08 1992 P. Besanko (scratch) 7.01.28 1991 A. Stirling (scratch) 7.15.45 1990 D. Woods (scratch) 5.12.26 Record 1989 P. Besanko (scratch) 6.49.19 1988 B. Burns (scratch) 7.18.29 1987 P. Rugari (scratch) 6.32.50 1986 M. Lynch (scratch) 6.36.56 1985 T. Hammond (scratch) 6.01.02 1984 P. Besanko (scratch) 6.36.43 1983 T. Hammond (scratch) 6.00.25 1982 D. Allan (scratch) 6.32.31 1981 D. Allan (scratch) 6.16.54 1980 W. Hildred (scratch) 5.37.10 1979 D. Allan (scratch) 7.06.48 1978 T. Stacey (scratch) 6.46.24 1977 T. Stacey (scratch) 5.53.03 1976 D. Allan (scratch) 6.38.31 1975 H. Clarke (scratch) 7.24.24 1974 J. Bylsma (5 min) 7.27.54 1973 G. Wilson (5 min) 6.27.27 1972 F. Atkins, TAS (scratch) 7.11.18 1971 H. Clarke (scratch) 8.36.20 1970 K. Oliver, NSW (scratch) 6.03.25 1969 K. Hoole, NSW (scratch) 6.25.16 1968 B. Waddell (scratch) 6.12.33 1967 G. Gilmore, TAS (scratch) 7.14.07 1966 L. Wearne (8 min) 7.20.15 1965 B. Waddell (scratch) 7.11.06 1964 B. Waddell (scratch) 6.07.34 1963 W. Dalton (scratch) 6.09.33 1962 J. X. McDonough (5 min) 7.11.31 1961 J. O'Sullivan (scratch) 6.43.02 1960 K. Stiefler (scratch) 8.32.47 1959 P. Anthony (6 min) 7.30.15 1958 G. Goodwin (scratch) 5.49.35 1957 R. Mockridge (scratch) 6.06.12 1956 R. Mockridge (scratch) 5.47.05 1955 E. Smith (scratch) 6.04.55 1954 D. Williams (4 min) 8.11.58 1953 A. W. Saunders (scratch) 6.08.58 1952 G. Stabell (scratch) 7.27.08 1951 G. Stabell (scratch) 6.27.03 1950 M. Rowley (scratch) 7.53.28 1949 A. W. Saunders (scratch) 6.12.10 1948 H. Guyatt, VIC (10 min) 7.09.10 1947 K. Rowley, VIC (10 min) 6.57.43 1939 D. Toseland, SA (scratch) 8.18.06 1938 D. Toseland, SA (scratch) 6.44.53 1937 A. Angus, VIC (scratch) 7.19.09 1936 A. Angus, VIC (scratch) 6.44.50 1935 C. J. Beasley, VIC (scratch) 6.24.36 1933 W. F. Stuart, VIC (scratch) 6.27.56 1932 R. W. Lamb, VIC (scratch) 6.21.18 1931 M. Lynch, VIC (8 min) 6.31.28 1930 R. W. Lamb, VIC (scratch) 8.20.10 1929 H. Opperman, VIC (scratch) 8.07.10 1926 H. Opperman, VIC (scratch) 7.36.10 1925 H. K. Smith, WA (scratch) 7.25.01 1924 H. Opperman, VIC (scratch) 7.15.37 1923 P. O'Shea, NZ (scratch) 7.51.41 1922 P. O'Shea, NZ (scratch) 8.59.08 1911 P. O'Shea, NZ (scratch) 8.08.44 1910 J. Pianta, WA (11 min) 9.30.46 1909 J. R. Munro, VIC (3 min) 7.12.51 1908 M. Chappell, VIC (scratch) 7.46.27 1907 T. Larcombe, NSW (scratch) 7.40.10 1906 H. Mehrtens, NZ (10 min) 8.53.52 1905 W. E. Hawley, VIC (25 min) 7.52.26 1904 T. Larcombe, NSW (20 min) 7.48.07 1903 J. Arnst, NZ (scratch) 7.43.00 1902 H. G. O'Callaghan, VIC (10 min) 8.46.23 1901 A. Ralston, NZ (scratch) 9.00.30 1898 W. Adams, VIC (35 min) 9.08.45 1897 W. C. Jackson (10 min) 9.51.09 1896 J. Carpenter, VIC (scratch) 8.40.05 1895 J. Carpenter, VIC (scratch) 12.53.00 1895 J. Carpenter, VIC (scratch) 10.52.00 Sprint Champions 2005 Shaun Snodden (GBr) 2004 Trent Wilson (Aus) 2003 S. Guyton (NZl) 2002 S. Guyton (NZl) 2001 E. Wakker (Kyg) 2000 K. Snorrason (Aus) 1999 Jamie Drew (Aus) 1998 Eric Wohlberg (Can) 1997 Dennis Rasmussen (Den) 1996 Ralf Grabsch (Ger) King of the Mountain Championship 2005 Jason Phillips (Aus) Past winners by Rod Morris
