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Australian Cycling Grand Prix - NE
Ballarat, Australia, August 17-19, 2007
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Stage 2 - August 18: Criterium, 33km
Overdue win for 'Big Mac'
By Rod Morris in Ballarat
Racing in the best form of his life, NSW cyclist Peter McDonald claimed the second annual Australian Cycling Grand Prix Criterium in Ballarat today, enhancing his claims to win this year's Timbercorp Cup National Series.
McDonald (28) was by far the most aggressive and impressive rider in the 33 km criterium, which was held in typical Victorian weather conditions... four seasons in a short space of time.
"I certainly can't complain about the form I'm in and it's really satisfying to finally get a win," McDonald said.
McDonald also won the sprint championship, which was held within the criterium and in the final sprint to the line had 5-seconds to spare from the chasing peloton, which was led home by Gary Meuller (Vic) and Queensland's Jonathon Cantwell, who has just returned from racing in America.
Equally impressive as McDonald, was Victorian Nicole Whitburn, who won the women's criterium, also over 33 km, whilst 39-year-old Hawthorn veteran Peter Dennis won the non-elite club race prelude.
McDonald has been the form rider of the newly named Timbercorp Cup series, which started with the Tour of Gippsland earlier this month, where McDonald finished six times in the top 15 finishes from eight stages before eventually finishing in 10th place on general classification, as well as winning the most aggressive rider award in Gippsland and it was this trait that shone out in the Ballarat ACGP Criterium.
"I like to attack and if the others want to come with me, I'll see what happens when we get towards the finish."
His status as one of Australia 's best talents is growing as each race in the Timbercorp Cup series is held and on this weekend's opening day, he finished in third place in the individual time trial behind Hayden Josefski and Mitchell Docker.
Prior to his criterium win, McDonald's other major victories included the Tour of New Caledonia, Grafton to Inverell, and the Scottsdale Criterium stage race in the 2005 Tour of Tasmania.
McDonald won three of the 11 intermediate sprints and finished second in another to total 11 points, finishing well ahead of Darcy Rosenlund (6 points) and a trio of third placegetters on 5, including Brad Edmunds, Angus Morton and Stuart Shaw.
"I've been on the podium a few times this series, but only on the bottom rungs, so it's nice to be up here first," McDonald said.
"Once it started to drizzle it was going to be harder to get around the corners if you are back in the bunch, so I decided to get up towards the front and try and stay there,"
"It surprised me a little bit that I wasn't chased down a little more towards the end of the race."
The Timbercorp Cup series is now 10 races of 35 old and McDonald has jumped into third spot on 66 points, five behind leader Zak Dempster, who is currently overseas and three behind Grant Irwin, who is yet to register a top 10 finish in the ACGP.
McDonald also leads the ACGP on 20 points with the road race to come, but his lead is just two points from Haydn Josefski and defending champion, Mitchell Docker.
Australian representative Jenny MacPherson set the scene early in the women's criterium winning nine consecutive intermediate sprints before the peloton reeled her in.
Macpherson eventually finished seventh but she was clearly the most aggressive rider in the field and at one stage she had broken clear by 30 seconds.
In the end Nicole Whitburn, a 28-year-old engineer for the Melbourne based firm of her brother, greeted the judge in fine style.
"I had high hopes of winning, but was never overly confident," she said.
"I raced in this series last year but was coming back from injury and had an ordinary race."
A former triathlete, Whitburn crossed over to road cycling two years ago after she confessed "I was crap at swimming."
"The atmosphere for this race was tremendous with everyone cheering and the race commentary giving us the split times was a real bonus, it wouldn't mattered if I didn't win because I was really enjoying myself out there," she said.
Whitburn broke a shoulder in the Geelong Women's Tour two years ago, but has now fully recovered and enjoying her racing. "I've actually had a very busy year of racing and I'm probably due for a break, which I"ll probably take after Sunday's road race," she said.
Defending criterium champion Jessica Berry had to be content with second place, leading the bunch home 15 seconds adrift of Whitburn, while promising Queenslander Carly Hibberd clinched third place.
A new event on the ACGP calendar was the non-elite criterium for club riders with Hawthorn based land surveyor Peter Dennis spread-eagling the field to win by a whopping 2 minutes from Anthony Fitzpatrick (Alice Springs) and a further 1.08 minutes to St Kilda's Jarrod Rouhan.
Dennis lapped every rider in the field in a sensational solo performance.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Riders in the women's criterium make their way up Sturt Street in Ballarat
- Jenny MacPherson goes on the attack in Ballarat
- The women's peloton head towards the banner during the 33km criterium
- In among the peloton during the women's criterium in Ballarat
- The winning move is made… Nicole Whitburn (L) attacks the peloton
- Victorian Nicole Whitburn got the gap she was looking for and heads towards victory
- Tasmanian trio (L-R): Rowena Fry, Kate Warren and Grace Sulzberger corner during the criterium
- Nicole Whitburn salutes the crowd as she wins the women's criterium in Ballarat
- The women's podium spray (L-R): Jessica Berry (2nd), Nicole Whitburn (1st), and Carly Hibberd (3rd)
- The women's criterium winner, Nicole Whitburn (Hitachi) from Victoria
- 2007 National Road-Race Champion, Darren Lapthorne (Drapac Porsche) takes a drink before the men's criterium in Ballarat
- Riders in the men's criterium head up Sturt Street
- Darren Lapthorne (Drapac Porsche) is sandwiched between two Ord Minnett/Triple Play riders in the peloton
- The Ballarat Australian Cycling Grand Prix in Sturt Street
- Riders look to make their moves in the peloton heading up Sturt Street
- Sean Finning (SouthAustralia.com/AIS), Grant Irwin (Ord Minnett/Triple Play) and Daniel Furmston (Praties) entertain the crowd along Sturt Street
- The men's criterium train string out down Sturt Street in Ballarat
- The winning move is made… Peter McDonald (L)(NSWIS/FRF) makes his move on the peloton
- Peter McDonald (NSWIS/FRF) gives his all in the concluding laps of the criterium
- Peter McDonald (NSWIS/FRF) takes out the men's criterium in Ballarat
- Gary Mueller grabs second place ahead of Jonathan Cantwell and the peloton
- The podium spray, wait for it… (L-R); Gary Mueller (2nd), Peter McDonald (1st), and Jonathan Cantwell (3rd) struggle with the champers
- Peter McDonald (NSWIS/FRF) the WIN TV men's criterium winner in Ballarat
Images by Fiona Carnibella/http://pix1.awardspace.com
- Australian Cycling Grand Prix start line before the men's open criterium.
- Grant Irwin off to a good start with Darren looking watchful!
- Sean Finning (SA.com) looked comfortable in the early laps.
- The streets of Ballarat provided a scenic backdrop for the Australian Grand Prix.
- The peloton together early in the race.
- There was no easing off the pace around the tight corners.
- Vaughan Bowman (CCCC) goes for an early solo break.
- The peloton comes charging down the straight after Bowman.
- Keeping a close eye on Finning.
- Stuart Shaw and Peter McDonald open up a gap on the main field.
- Mitchell Docker wasn't letting anyone out of his sight at the front of the main field.
- Gilbert Gutowski, Mitch Docker and Miles Watson chase down the leaders
- Shaw and McDonald on the front worked well together.
- Miles Olman(SA.com) and Mitch Docker (Drapac Porsche) still chasing hard.
- Things are looking good for Peter McDonald.
- Nick Sanderson was part of the quality line up for SA.com.
- Sean Finning continues to look angry and a bit scary.
- Time for Mark O'Brien to get in the limelight as he goes for the break!
- Aussie champ Darren Lapthorne looked comfortable, just keeping an eye on Peter McDonald.
- Brendan Schultz set a cracking pace as the peloton starts to string out.
- Grant Irwin and Nick Sanderson chase down Schultz and Finning who have managed to get a small break.
- Nathan Wise (CCCC) goes for it as the laps are drawing to an end.
- With all the riders together in the last few laps Peter McDonald makes a bold move!
- He doesn't get much space from these boys.
- With just one lap to go can McDonald hold of the charging peloton?!
- Docker and Lapthorne look like they will have to settle for a finish in the bunch.
- Peter McDonald holds his margin to take out stage two of the 2007 Australian Grand Prix.
- Gary Mueller sprints for second place.
Results
Elite men 1 Peter Mcdonald 47.19 (41.85 km/h) 2 Gary Mueller 0.05 3 Jonathan Cantwell 4 Mitchell Docker 5 Hayden Josefski 6 Daniel Braunsteins 7 Patrick Shaw 8 Joe Mcdonnell 9 Doug Repacholi 10 Ben Mather 11 Jason Hegert 12 Tom Middleton 13 Chris Steffanoni 14 Darcy Rosenlund 15 Matthew Sherwin 16 Brad Edmunds 17 Peter Smith 18 Miles Watson 19 Grant Irwin 20 Brendan Schultz 21 Danny Kah 22 Matt King 23 Damien Turner 24 Cameron Carlyle 25 Christopher Tymms 26 Chris Jory 0.11 27 Scott Kilmartin 28 Daniel Furmston 29 Robert Lyte 30 Nicholas Sanderson 31 Matt Sillars 32 Benjamin King 33 Angus Morton 0.15 34 Adam Murchie 0.16 35 Gavin Nicholls 36 Darren Lapthorne 37 Vaughan Bowman 38 Mark Jamieson 39 Timothy Decker 40 Nathan Wise 41 Mark Hooper 42 Shaun Higgerson 0.27 43 Will Wetenhall 0.28 44 Peter Milostic 0.34 45 Samuel Rix 1.01 46 Shaun Mccarthy 1.23 47 Alexander Machin DNF David Marriott DNF Peter Aquilina DNF Craig Robertson DNF Casey Munro DNF Mark O'brien DNF Grant Webster DNF David Pell DNF Andrew Ward DNF Miles Olman DNF Simon Shaw DNF Robert Williams DNF Sean Finning DNF Jason Halls DNF Stuart Shaw DNF Joshua Chugg DNF Jay Bourke DNF Mark Isaacs DNF Gilbert Gutowski DNF Mark Gainsmith DNF Jeremy Hills DNF Brendon Sharratt DNF Josh Hawkes DNF Glen Peterson DNF Simon Pearson DNF Josh Page DNF Nicholas Mitchell DNF Nicholas Walker DNS Craig Mccartney DNS Luke Mackenzie DNS Jack Hudson DNS Brendan Washington DNS Jarrod Harman DNS William Ford DNS Marcus Wettenhall DNS Luke Pledger DNS Chris Pryor DNS Kyle Marwood DNS Daniel Conway DNS Bradley Clark DNS Robert Regester DNS Matthew Davis DNS Tony Mann Elite Women 1 Nicole Whitburn 56.32 (35.02km/h) 2 Jessica Berry 0.15 3 Carly Hibberd 4 Grace Sulzberger 5 Liz Young 6 Vicki Whitelaw 7 Jenny Macpherson 0.18 8 Rowena Fry 9 Kate Warren 0.21 10 Jemma O'brien DNF Radele Berriman DNF Amber Jenkins DNF Clare Vlahopoulos DNF Peta Stewart DNF Katherine Baker DNF Vanessa Courtot DNS Kathryn Watt DNS Bridie O'donnell DNS Dana Faletic DNS Rebecca Domange DNS Lorraine Meinke DNS Simone Spykers DNS Kerryn Charman
