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Tattersall's Cup Tour of the Murray River - NE
Australia, August 31-September 4, 2005
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 3 - September 1: Merbein Criterium, 33 km
Nankervis beats Clarke
By Rod Morris in Merbein
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Tommy Nankervis the third stage of the Tattersall's Cup Tour of the Murray River in a bunch sprint ahead of race leader Simon Clarke and David McKenzie. Clarke thus extended his lead in the general classification.
Today, the tour entourage enjoyed a 33 km criterium in Merbein, just outside Mildura in far North-West Victoria, before an afternoon road stage from Merbein to Wentworth in Southern New South Wales over the Murray River border.
Nankervis only returned to Australia last Friday after a short campaign of criterium racing in Canada and America, whilst Irwin is competing in his first serious multi-stage road race. But while Nankervis and Irwin were celebrating the spoils of victory, the tour lead remains safely in the hands of Victorian Institute of Sport rider, Simon Clarke, who extended his overnight lead of 14 seconds to 23 from Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger and a further 9 seconds to South Australia's national mountain bike champion, Chris Jongewaard.
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Clarke was second in the recent Jayco Tour of Tasmania behind NSW rider Shaun Higgerson and is determined to follow suit. "I'm here to win and I've put myself in a good position early in the tour," he said. "We have a good team of riders here this week and we are all working towards the same aim, keeping the yellow jersey."
The original field of 116 entries had been decimated to 94 after the opening day, highlighted by the hospitalisation of riders Michael Ford (Vic) and Simon Van der Aa (Tas).
The Merbein Criterium (Stage 3) was full of action with the peloton lapping the 1.1 km circuit in an average speed of 46.32 kph. West Australian Olympic gold medallist Peter Dawson, tour leader Simon Clarke, Canberra rocket Robert McLachlan and Adelaide's Chris Jongewaard were the early pacesetters, snatching the majority of the intermediate sprint bonuses, while Nankervis was after bigger fish.
"I'd missed the break in Stage 2 on Wednesday afternoon, so my chances in GC (General Classification) are probably already gone, so I'll spend the rest of the week chasing stage wins," Nankervis said. "I've got a pretty god track background, so it will be interesting to see how I go on the road.
"I enjoyed my time in Canada and America on the criterium circuit there and got a few podium placings. I only came home last week, mainly to help my mum (Cathie) celebrate her 50th birthday, so this win might be a good present for her as well," he said.
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Simon Clarke rode sensibly at the front of the peloton, avoiding danger at the rear of the field and his second placing behind Nankervis and just ahead of Victorian veteran David McKenzie, meant an extension of his overall lead. And while those riders were enjoying time on the podium, Sean Finning (Vic), Grant Irwin (Qld) and Matthew Gilbert (NZ) spent the afternoon lunch break licking their wounds from a fall early in the criterium. All of the trio recovered to finish the stage with Finning only losing 14 seconds to the bunch, while Gilbert lost 1.26 minutes and the backside out of his knicks.
It was Irwin, however, who was the big loser. In the fall, his bike suffered a damaged derailleur and broken front spoke, while he missed five laps with mechanics working overtime. In the end, Irwin limped home in last place, more than 7 minutes behind Nankervis. He would make up for this in the afternoon.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- The National anthem was sung prior to the start of stage three in Merbein
- The field passes by silos in Merbein during the 33km criterium
- David McKenzie (5) looking to finish on the podium in the Tour of the Murray
- Victorian Cameron Wise in action during the 30 lap criterium
- The peloton was game on the streets of Merbein!
- (L-R): Matt Gilbert came down with Sean Finning and Grant Irwin on the back straight
- Queenslander Grant Irwin took his bike and headed for the pits after hitting the road on the back straight
- The mangled derailleur of Grant Irwin's bike after his fall on stage three
- What, no partying?
- Out of juice but not so the Tour of the Murray
- Riders make their way around the streets of Merbein in North West Victoria
- The peloton had to ride 30 laps of a 1.1km circuit
- Kids' corner at the criterium in Merbein
- Andrew Cochrane (centre) revs up the crowd in favour of Cycle City riders from Ballarat
- Either way you can see the Tour of the Murray
- The field gets three to go in the home straight in Merbein
- Tommy Nankervis from Victoria takes out stage three in Merbein
- Tommy Nankervis receives congratulations from tour director John Craven
- The Tour of the Murray is sizzling in Merbein!
- The podium (L-R): Simon Clarke (2nd) Tommy Nankervis (1st) and David McKenzie (3rd)
- Victorian Simon Clarke has his hands full with all his jerseys
Results
1 Tommy Nankervis 42.45 2 Simon Clarke 3 David McKenzie 4 Bernard Sulzberger 5 Robert McLachlan 6 Chris Jongewaard 7 Ben Kersten 8 Mathew Rex 9 Peter Dawson 10 Patrick Shaw 11 John Walker 12 Andrew Graham 13 Bradley Norton 14 Joe McDonnell 15 David Salton 16 Luke Bettany 17 Adrian Salter 18 Nash Kent 19 Greg Rossiter 20 Casey Munro 21 Adrian Hanson 22 Warren Scott 23 Andrew Naylor 24 James Maebus 25 Tim Hucker 26 Michael Hardy 27 Brendan Hill 28 Matt Haydock 29 David Tozer 30 Kyle Marwood 31 Russell Van Hout 32 Scott Brown 33 Scott Peoples 34 Steven Robb 35 Wesley Sulzberger 36 Jason Hegert 37 Peter McDonald 38 Jeremy Davis 39 Brendan O'Connell 40 Aaron Salisbury 41 Simon Pearson 42 Stuart Shaw 43 Peter Mueller 44 Richard Moffatt 45 Stephen Rossendell 46 Darren Lapthorne 47 Scott McGrory 48 Stephen Cunningham 49 Damien Turner 50 Ben Isaksen 51 Nicholas Wood 52 Trent Wilson 53 David Hiley 54 Luke Pledger 55 Brendan Brooks 56 Brad Glennan 57 Alexander Smyth 58 Matthew Goss 59 Robert Cater 60 Troy Glennan 61 George Bunt 62 Peter Herzig 63 Heath Keenan 64 Matthew Jensen 65 Timothy Decker 66 Matthew Delahunty 67 Cameron Bowden 68 Katie Mactier 69 Charles Howlett 70 Samuel Rix 71 Peter Milostic 72 Daniel Furmston 73 Cameron Wise 74 Grant Webster 75 Scott Jensen 76 Vaughan Bowman 77 Trent Stevenson 78 Robert Lyte 79 Steven Pilson 80 Bradley Payne 81 Daniel Burtt 82 Robert Booker 83 Andrew Roe 84 William Murray 85 Daniel Nelms 86 Josh Smith 0.13 87 Sean Finning 0.14 88 Christopher Jenkins 89 Gordon McCauley 0.18 90 Kieren Cameron 0.22 91 Simon Walker 1.26 92 Matthew Gilbert 93 Grant Irwin 7.10 DNF David Kemp Sprints Sprint 1 - End of Lap 6 1 Peter Dawson 3 pts 2 Stephen Rossendell 2 3 Simon Clarke 1 Sprint 2 - End of Lap 8 1 Simon Clarke 3 pts 2 Casey Munro 2 3 Russell Van Hout 1 Sprint 3 - End of Lap 10 1 Robert McLachlan 3 pts 2 Joe McDonnell 2 3 Bernard Sulzberger 1 Sprint 4 - End of Lap 12 1 Greg Rossiter 3 pts 2 Peter Herzig 2 3 Matthew Goss 1 Sprint 5 - End of Lap 14 1 Robert McLachlan 3 pts 2 Chris Jongewaard 2 3 Simon Clarke 1 Sprint 6 - End of Lap 16 1 Bradley Norton 3 pts 2 Chris Jongewaard 2 3 Mathew Rex 1 Sprint 7 - End of Lap 18 1 Peter Dawson 3 pts 2 Robert McLachlan 2 3 Bernard Sulzberger 1 Sprint 8 - End of Lap 20 1 Greg Rossiter 3 pts 2 Russell Van Hout 2 3 Matt Haydock 1 Sprint 9 - End of Lap 22 1 Patrick Shaw 3 pts 2 Jason Hegert 2 3 Andrew Graham 1 Sprint 10 - End of Lap 24 1 Luke Bettany 3 pts 2 Simon Clarke 2 3 Bernard Sulzberger 1 Sprint 11 - End of Lap 26 1 Casey Munro 3 pts 2 Brendan O'Connell 2 3 Patrick Shaw 1 General classification after stage 3 1 Simon Clarke 3.53.13 2 Bernard Sulzberger 0.22 3 Chris Jongewaard 0.31 4 Stephen Cunningham 0.44 5 Troy Glennan 0.46 6 Luke Bettany 0.49 7 Joe McDonnell 0.52 8 Mathew Rex 0.53 9 Richard Moffatt 0.58 10 Sean Finning 1.23 11 Robert McLachlan 1.39 12 Tommy Nankervis 2.00 13 Stuart Shaw 14 David McKenzie 2.08 15 Russell Van Hout 2.11 16 Cameron Wise 2.12 17 Adrian Salter 18 Scott Peoples 19 Patrick Shaw 2.13 20 Peter Milostic 2.15 21 Nash Kent 2.16 22 David Hiley 23 Trent Wilson 24 Aaron Salisbury 2.20 25 Wesley Sulzberger 26 Peter Mueller 2.25 27 Bradley Norton 2.29 28 Andrew Naylor 2.32 29 Tim Hucker 30 Daniel Burtt 31 George Bunt 32 Ben Kersten 33 Scott McGrory 34 Peter Dawson 3.00 35 Peter McDonald 3.09 36 Andrew Graham 3.11 37 Brendan Hill 3.16 38 Brendan Brooks 39 Peter Herzig 3.26 40 David Tozer 3.28 41 Adrian Hanson 42 Vaughan Bowman 43 Timothy Decker 44 Bradley Payne 3.50 45 Kieren Cameron 46 Brendan O'Connell 3.52 47 John Walker 3.54 48 James Maebus 49 Darren Lapthorne 4.01 50 Nicholas Wood 4.06 51 Trent Stevenson 4.17 52 Ben Isaksen 4.51 53 Matthew Goss 5.14 54 Scott Brown 5.53 55 Heath Keenan 7.22 56 Luke Pledger 8.00 57 Michael Hardy 58 Josh Smith 8.25 59 David Salton 8.40 60 Greg Rossiter 9.22 61 Kyle Marwood 9.29 62 Daniel Furmston 63 Steven Pilson 10.07 64 Charles Howlett 65 Steven Robb 12.14 66 Damien Turner 14.33 67 Casey Munro 17.16 68 Matt Haydock 17.28 69 Robert Cater 17.35 70 Matthew Gilbert 17.59 71 Grant Webster 18.00 72 Simon Walker 19.01 73 Christopher Jenkins 19.02 74 Jason Hegert 21.03 75 Gordon McCauley 21.05 76 Jeremy Davis 21.29 77 Cameron Bowden 78 Katie Mactier 79 Alexander Smyth 23.36 80 Warren Scott 81 Scott Jensen 82 Matthew Jensen 83 Matthew Delahunty 24.59 84 Andrew Roe 25.43 85 Samuel Rix 86 Robert Lyte 27.06 87 Simon Pearson 88 Grant Irwin 30.46 89 Brad Glennan 33.31 90 Stephen Rossendell 34.25 91 William Murray 39.07 92 Robert Booker 93 Daniel Nelms 43.57 Road Safe Mildura Sprint Championship 1 Simon Clarke 25 pts 2 Robert McLachlan 21 3 Chris Jongewaard 18 4 Bernard Sulzberger 11 5 Troy Glennan 9 6 Peter Dawson 8 7 Patrick Shaw 7 8 Casey Munro 7 9 Greg Rossiter 6 10 Stuart Shaw 6 11 Russell Van Hout 5 12 Peter McDonald 3 13 Luke Bettany 3 14 Gordon McCauley 3 15 Bradley Norton 3 16 Mathew Rex 3 17 Sean Finning 2 18 David McKenzie 2 19 Matt Haydock 2 20 Richard Moffatt 2 21 Jason Hegert 2 22 Joe McDonnell 2 23 Brendan O'Connell 2 24 Stephen Rossendell 2 25 David Salton 2 26 Peter Herzig 2 27 Matthew Goss 1 28 Andrew Graham 1 29 Peter Milostic 1 30 Stephen Cunningham 1 Tourism Victoria King Of The Mountain Championship 1 Simon Clarke 5 pts 2 Stephen Cunningham 3 3 Chris Jongewaard 2 4 Sean Finning 1 5 Bernard Sulzberger 1 Sunraysia Daily - Criterium Championship 1 Simon Clarke 18 pts 2 Tommy Nankervis 16 3 Robert McLachlan 16 4 Bernard Sulzberger 14 5 Stuart Shaw 8 6 David McKenzie 8 7 Chris Jongewaard 5 8 Gordon McCauley 5 9 Scott Peoples 4 10 Ben Kersten 4 11 Peter Dawson 4 12 Cameron Wise 3 13 Mathew Rex 3 14 Adrian Salter 1 15 Patrick Shaw 1 Subaru Aggressive Rider Awards 1 Chris Jongewaard 4 pts 2 Gordon McCauley 2
