Recently on Cyclingnews.com |
 Bayern Rundfahrt Photo ©: Schaaf |
Surfers Paradise Grand Prix - NE
Australia, December 9, 2007
Main Page Results Overall standings Next Race
Race 1 - December 9: Men
Phillips in fairytale finish
Cycling journeyman ends career with hometown victory
By John Michael Flynn at Surfers Paradise
|
Thirty-seven year-old Australian cycling journeyman Jason Phillips today achieved the fairytale ending every sportsman dreams of by winning the final race of his career before an adoring home crowd on the Surfers Paradise glitter strip.
A professional of 15 years standing, who cut his teeth in the sport back when seven speed down-tube shifters were still in vogue, Phillips called upon all of the class and cunning a lifetime of bike racing could muster to end his career with a stylish victory in race two of Australia's Grand Prix Criterium Series.
The result almost appeared to overwhelm the Surfers Paradise native, whose history dates back to the earliest days of the Australian Institute of Sport, where he was a member of the first AIS team to race in Europe.
|
"Words can't explain it," an emotional Phillips said as he unbuckled his race helmet for the last time. "It's my hometown race, it's one of my favourite races."
The celebrations were shared with fellow members of cycling's 'Gold Coast mafia', Predictor Lotto's Nick Gates and Robbie McEwen, who are also Phillips' neighbours in a sprawling Gold Coast beach-house complex during the bleak European winter.
Gates, in particular, played a significant role in setting up today's win for his long-time training partner and close friend. The 2006 winner of the Gold Coast Criterium made it clear from the outset his intention was to help the man known to his mates as 'Bobby' to end his career on the top step of the podium.
"Oh yeah I'm happy for him, all week I've been looking at this race for him," Gates said. "It's his last race, he's from Surfers (Paradise) and I said I was going to put everything on the line I could for him today."
Eventful from the gun
|
Featuring a similar start list to race one of the grand prix series (which doubled as the Australian Criterium Championship), the only noticeable addition to the field was Rabobank sprinter Graeme Brown, who missed race one due to Track World Cup commitments.
The starter's horn had barely blasted when Jittery Joe's new signing, Gold Coaster Jonathan Cantwell, launched the first attack - a solo move which lasted three laps.
With the pace on and the peloton stretched, the next significant attack came at the eight lap mark, when Brown combined with Herald Sun Tour winner Matt Wilson (Unibet) in a threatening two-man breakaway that had the hallmarks of success written all over it. But the combination of the Olympic track champion's speed and the former Australian road champion's endurance, provided plenty of incentive for the main bunch to chase hard.
Leading the fightback, a chase group of five riders formed containing Gates, Phillips and Ord Minnett's Chris Pryor. Wilson's team-mate, Australian Criterium Champion Baden Cooke went with the chase group but was under no obligation to contribute to the pacemaking. Sensing a dangerous situation if the chasers linked up with the two leaders, Robbie McEwen hauled himself across from the main bunch, just as his team-mate Nick Gates was forced to take a lap out with a flat tyre.
|
Gates re-joined with the chase group as the two leaders were being hauled in and the race was soon back together when the main bunch caught on. But no-one it seemed, least of all the marquee sprinters, were in the mood for a bunch kick. The next breakaway to form contained three riders - Cooke, McEwen and Brown - but the inevitable game of cat and mouse between the long-time rivals ensured it wouldn't be long lasting.
The move that mattered came with under 20 minutes left on the clock in the 60-minute (plus three lap) criterium. Brown and Matt Wilson once again were involved, only this time, Nick Gates and Jason Phillips joined the attack.
"Brownie and Mattie (Wilson) got away and I seized the moment and got Bobby (Phillips) in the wheel and got across to them," Gates said. "That was it, I knew the race was over."
|
The margin quickly blew out to 45 seconds as it became clear the eventual winner would emerge from the breakaway group of four. Wary of Brown's sprint prowess and eager to set up the race finish for Phillips, Gates launched an attack with just under two laps remaining, that proved to be perfectly timed.
"Gatesy attacked with a lap and a half to go and I knew he was going well so I had to give everything to go with him," Phillips said. "Gatesy saw me there and he gave absolutely everything and I was able to hold on at the finish. Last lap and a half I was cramping in every muscle in my body, but just had to keep going."
From Brown's perspective, the result was a missed opportunity, despite clawing his way back at the death to claim second place. The Rabobank sprinter made a decision pre-race to go with all of the major moves, figuring a breakaway was likely to form on the tight Surfers Paradise street circuit.
|
"I made a bit of a tactical error trying to keep the pace really high, so obviously it wasn't high enough," Brown admitted. "I spent a little too many biccies trying to keep the pace high. I did a solid turn with two laps to go, then swung off and Gatesy and Bobby (Phillips) went over the top of me and I just couldn't go with it at the time, a tactical error."
For the Gold Coasters the victory was just the beginning of their celebration with the race taking place on the eve of Nick Gates' engagement party at a nearby Surf Life Saving Club on the beachfront. The career-ending performance of Jason Phillips sure to be a major talking point,
"He's a good mate of mine, one of our best mates and our training partner here on the Gold Coast," Robbie McEwen said, paying tribute to his close friend. "He's not a guy who gets to win a lot of races, it's great to see him go out and finish his career here in Surfers Paradise where he started cycling."
Cooke wins series
|
The Unibet team also had rare cause to celebrate, with both Baden Cooke and Matt Wilson featuring in the overall results for the two race series. Last week's victory, where he claimed the Australian Criterium Championship, was enough to give Cooke the overall Grand Prix Criterium Series first placing.
"I tried really hard to split it up today, Matty (Wilson) and I were both quite active," Cooke said. "I felt strong, I did a couple of big bursts and it sort of split but it never rally went on with it. For us Unibet guys, it was a successful day, we took out the overall."
Cooke has a busy race program ahead over the coming weeks, with the Cronulla Criterium next weekend, the Revolution track series in Melbourne, the Launceston Criterium and the Jayco Bay Series jam-packing the next three weeks.
The Cronulla Criterium will be Cooke's first race on Sydney streets as the Australian cycling public farewells Discovery Channel's Matt White in his final event.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com
- Jason Phillips awaits the start in his final race.
- Baden Cooke in the national champion's jersey he won last week.
- Fast racing on the streets of Surfers Paradise.
- Gates returned to the chase group after his flat tyre.
- Graeme Brown pulls a turn in the breakaway.
- Graeme Brown up close.
- Graeme Brown leans into a corner.
- Hard grind as Wilson and Brown try to make the breakaway work.
- Henk Vogels searching for an opportunity.
- Henk Vogels.
- Herald Sun Tour winner Matt Wilson always at the front.
- Jason Phillips drives the breakaway.
- Jason Phillips in his final race.
- Jason Phillips with Baden Cooke on his wheel.
- Jittery Joe's signing Jono Cantwell goes solo from the gun.
- Jono Cantwell on the front of the bunch.
- Matt White leads the peloton in his penultimate race.
- Matt Wilson makes a contribution in the four man breakaway.
- Newly engaged Nick Gates.
- Nick Gates buries himself for Jason Phillips.
- Nick Gates changes a wheel.
- Robbie McEwen in his home race.
- The margin builds for the four man breakaway of Brown ,Gates, Wilson and Phillips.
- Jason Phillips counts down the final ten minutes to retirement.
- Simon Gerrans racing at Surfers Paradise.
- Straight to the pool room for Scott Davis's Magenta T-Mobile jersey.
- Jason Phillips gets the fairytale finish.
- The B Grade men hit the circuit.
- Michael Hepburn wins B Grade.
Results
1 Jason Phillips 2 Graeme Brown (Rabobank) 3 Matt Wilson (Unibet.com) 4 Nick Gates (Predictor-Lotto) B grade 1 Michael Hepburn 2 Jackson Wardrop 3 Sam Penny
