Timbercorp Cup Tour of the Murray River - NE

Australia, August 31-September 7, 2008

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Stage 4 - September 1: Kerang - Cohuna, 74.7km

Dennis claims sprint win

Rohan Dennis (NSWIS/RoadSafe Mildura/Decked Out) from South Australia
Photo ©: Shane Goss

South Australian teenager Rohan Dennis upset his more fancied rivals to win the windswept fourth stage of the Timbercorp Tour of the Murray River today. The 18 year-old defeated Queenslander Darren Rolfe and Geelong’s James Langedyk in the blisteringly fast 75 kilometre dash from Kerang to Cohuna.

The trio spurted away from a group of 30 riders about 1500 metres from the finish, and Dennis pounced 500m out to score clearly.

Dennis, riding for the New South Wales Institute of Sport team for the Murray tour, contested the world junior track championships in South Africa in July and won a silver medal in the individual pursuit. He was also a member of Australia’s gold medal-winning teams pursuit line-up.

“This is by far my biggest win in open competition,” said Dennis, who is now in 22nd place overall - trailing tour leader David Kemp by 13 minutes 46 seconds.

Dennis, like most young riders in the Tour of the Murray, dreams of riding at the 2012 London Olympics and later the Tour de France.

“I’ll probably concentrate on the track until London and then move full-time to the road,” he said.

Kemp rode astute tactical races in both stages and leads his Virgin Blue team-mate Bernard Sulzberger by 37-seconds, with Leigh Howard in third place at 44-seconds.

“The conditions were a little bit tricky so I didn’t want to use up too many bickies,” he said. “There’s still a long way to go until Mildura on Sunday.”

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com

The race begins to fragment in strong winds early into the 74.7km stage four from Kerang to Cohuna.
Tour leader David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) was in no rush in the early kilometres of stage four.
Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) was in the lead group and sitting in 16th place on the GC, 1.57 minutes behind his teammate and Tour leader David Kemp going into stage four.
Richard Lang (NSWIS) was in 31st place on the GC heading into stage four.
Riders at the back of the race found life difficult in the blustery conditions and lost contact with the two other groups around twenty-five kilometres into the stage.
Cameron Peterson (Euston Bowling and Recreation Club) came in 36th position on stage four, three and a half minutes behind the winner Rohan Dennis.
The improving Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) on his way to a podium finish in stage four of the Tour.
Luke Durbridge (NSWIS/RoadSafe Mildura/Decked Out) knuckles down into the wind on his way to 27th place on the stage and 27th overall.
Michael Matthews (ACTAS) from New South Wales lies 23rd overall after four stages of the Tour .
Vintage stuff that: Riders pass a vintage car on the road to Cohuna during stage four.
Need a hand mate? …Buy a Ford next time .
Rohan Dennis (NSWIS/RoadSafe Mildura/Decked Out) from South Australia rode a strong tail-wind into Cohuna and grabbed himself a stage win in the Tour of the Murray River.
Awe head up Rolfey, there's always tomorrow: Stage winner Rohan Dennis looks around to see Virgin Blue Cycling's Darren Rolfe disappointed at a chance gone begging for a stage win.
Michael Matthews (ACTAS) holds off Leigh Howard (L) of Jayco/VIS for fourth placing on the stage.
Rohan Dennis is a recent gold and silver medallist at the Junior World Track Championships for the team's and individual pursuit respectively.
The stage four podium (L-R): Darren Rolfe (2nd,Virgin Blue Cycling), Rohan Dennis (1st,NSWIS/RoadSafe Mildura/Decked Out) and James Langedyk (3rd,Jayco/VIS).
Tasco Inland Sprint leader David Kemp almost wipes out commentator Lyndsay Hill (L) trying his jersey on the podium in Cohuna.
Victorian Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) accepts his MADEC Most Aggressive rider's jersey , Howard is earmarked for a spot on the Australian track team for the London Olympics of 2012.
If my son wins this Tour he will be taking BOTH of us out to dinner: David Kemp's biggest fans, his mother Jan (right) and wife Tess like what they see.
And here he is; The leader of the 2008 Tour of the Murray River, David Kemp, originally from Toowoomba in Queensland and now residing in Melbourne, Victoria.
The BIG Cohuna: Tour leader David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) will take a 37 second lead into stage five of the Tour.

Results

1 Rohan Dennis (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)              1.36.00 (46.687 km/h)
2 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling)                           
3 James Langedyk (VIS)                                         
4 Michael Matthews (ACTAS)                                 0.13
5 Leigh Howard (VIS)                                           
6 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans)                            
7 Mark Hooper (SRT Titans)                                     
8 Kyle Marwood (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                      
9 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling)                              
10 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling)                            
11 Peter Johnstone (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))             
12 Bernar Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling)                     
13 Glenn O'Shea (VIS)                                          
14 Patrick Lane (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))                
15 Cameron Hughes (Team Budget Forklifts)                      
16 Hayden Brooks (Virgin Blue Cycling)                         
17 Benjamin King (Team Budget Forklifts)                       
18 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans)                              
19 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling)                           
20 Luis Trueba (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)                
21 Peter Milostic (Team Budget Forklifts)                      
22 Shaun Mccarthy (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                   
23 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling)                          1.00
24 Nicholas Walker (VIS)                                       
25 Peter Smith (Euston Bowling & Recreation)               3.30
26 Charles Howlett (Cycle City Ballarat)                       
27 Luke Durbridge (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                  
28 Ryan Brodie (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                   
29 Alex Carver (NSWIS)                                         
30 Jamie Crass (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                     
31 Damien Turner (Team Budget Forklifts)                       
32 Nathan Wise (Cycle City Ballarat)                           
33 Brendan Schultz (SRT Titans)                                
34 Ashley Baines (Cycle City Ballarat)                         
35 Adrian Hanson (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                    
36 Cameron Peterson (Euston Bowling & Recreation)              
37 Matthew Davis (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                 
38 William Clarke (Praties Cycling)                            
39 Alastair Loutit (ACTAS)                                     
40 Joseph Lewis (NSWIS)                                        
41 Jeremy Hills (Praties Cycling)                              
42 Richard Lang (NSWIS)                                        
43 Jonothan Lovelock (VIS)                                     
44 Anthony Bennett (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)            
45 James Ibrahim (Moama Bowling Club)                          
46 Robert Lyte (NSWIS)                                         
47 Abram Manion (Team Budget Forklifts)                        
48 Timothy Walker (Praties Cycling)                            
49 Will Tehan (Total Rush)                                 7.25
50 Peter Ladd (Team Budget Forklifts)                          
51 Scot Cronly-Dillon (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)         
52 Sean Boyle (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                    
53 Timothy Hucker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                  
54 Scott Law (NSWIS)                                           
55 Timothy Decker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                  
56 Sean Finning (VIS)                                          
57 Matt Meisel-Dennis (ACTAS)                                  
58 Nathan Haas (ACTAS)                                         
59 Gregory Campbell (Virgin Blue Cycling)                      
60 Samuel Genge (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))                
61 Kane Walker (Moama Bowling Club)                            
62 Glen Peterson (Total Rush)                                  
63 David Pell (Savings & Loans)                                
64 Bradley Norton (Praties Cycling)                            
65 Brendan Brooks (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)             
66 Malcolm Rudolph (Team Budget Forklifts)                     
67 Joel Stewart (ACTAS)                                        
68 William Alexander (Virgin Blue Cycling)                     
69 Matthew Jensen (Total Rush)                                 
70 Luke Aggett (SRT Titans)                                    
71 Joshua Gundry (SRT Titans)                             16.33
72 Trent Williams (Moama Bowling Club)                         
73 Craig Gibbs (Cycle City Ballarat)                           
 
General Classification after Stage 4
 
1 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling)                      6.04.45
2 Bernar Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling)                  0.37
3 Leigh Howard (VIS)                                       0.44
4 Glenn O'Shea (VIS)                                       0.57
5 Benjamin King (Team Budget Forklifts)                    1.05
6 Kyle Marwood (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                  1.06
7 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling)                          1.08
8 Cameron Hughes (Team Budget Forklifts)                   1.11
9 James Langedyk (VIS)                                     1.18
10 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling)                      1.38
11 Peter Milostic (Team Budget Forklifts)                  1.42
12 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans)                          1.45
13 Hayden Brooks (Virgin Blue Cycling)                     1.47
14 Joseph Lewis (NSWIS)                                    4.36
15 Timothy Walker (Praties Cycling)                        6.12
16 Patrick Lane (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))            6.56
17 Mark Hooper (SRT Titans)                                    
18 David Pell (Savings & Loans)                            8.24
19 Malcolm Rudolph (Team Budget Forklifts)                 8.53
20 Jamie Crass (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                 9.17
21 Shaun Mccarthy (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)              11.50
22 Rohan Dennis (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)               13.46
23 Michael Matthews (ACTAS)                               13.53
24 Luis Trueba (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)           13.57
25 Nicholas Walker (VIS)                                  14.52
26 William Clarke (Praties Cycling)                       16.55
27 Luke Durbridge (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)             17.14
28 Jeremy Hills (Praties Cycling)                         17.23
29 Richard Lang (NSWIS)                                   17.26
30 Peter Smith (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                   
31 Alex Carver (NSWIS)                                         
32 Alastair Loutit (ACTAS)                                18.22
33 Ryan Brodie (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                   
34 Brendan Schultz (SRT Titans)                           18.43
35 Matthew Davis (Euston Bowling & Recreation)            19.36
36 Sean Finning (VIS)                                     20.48
37 Abram Manion (Team Budget Forklifts)                   20.50
38 Brendan Brooks (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)        21.09
39 Will Tehan (Total Rush)                                21.18
40 Timothy Hucker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)             21.37
41 Kane Walker (Moama Bowling Club)                       21.54
42 Nathan Haas (ACTAS)                                    22.06
43 Peter Johnstone (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))        23.01
44 James Ibrahim (Moama Bowling Club)                     23.18
45 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling)                         23.19
46 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling)                      24.23
47 Matt Meisel-Dennis (ACTAS)                             24.45
48 Joel Stewart (ACTAS)                                        
49 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans)                      24.56
50 Luke Aggett (SRT Titans)                               25.59
51 Ashley Baines (Cycle City Ballarat)                    26.20
52 Nathan Wise (Cycle City Ballarat)                      26.25
53 Damien Turner (Team Budget Forklifts)                  26.29
54 Robert Lyte (NSWIS)                                    26.37
55 William Alexander (Virgin Blue Cycling)                26.39
56 Anthony Bennett (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)       27.25
57 Charles Howlett (Cycle City Ballarat)                  27.28
58 Adrian Hanson (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                    
59 Samuel Genge (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))           31.15
60 Cameron Peterson (Euston Bowling & Recreation)              
61 Scott Law (NSWIS)                                      31.20
62 Gregory Campbell (Virgin Blue Cycling)                 33.35
63 Sean Boyle (Euston Bowling & Recreation)               33.48
64 Glen Peterson (Total Rush)                                  
65 Bradley Norton (Praties Cycling)                       33.51
66 Timothy Decker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                  
67 Scot Cronly-Dillon (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)    33.56
68 Joshua Gundry (SRT Titans)                             40.28
69 Jonothan Lovelock (VIS)                                47.42
70 Peter Ladd (Team Budget Forklifts)                     52.27
71 Matthew Jensen (Total Rush)                            54.55
72 Craig Gibbs (Cycle City Ballarat)                    1.04.03
73 Trent Williams (Moama Bowling Club)                  1.08.25