Timbercorp Cup Tour of the Murray River - NE

Australia, August 31-September 7, 2008

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Stage 7 - September 3: Balranald, 63km

Matthews shine in Balranald

By John Craven

The sun shone brightly on rural Balranald today. So did some of the cream of Australia's young cyclists. The star was Canberra teenager Michael Matthews.

Balranald and its citizens hosted a leg of the Timbercorp Tour of the Murray River for the first time. Normal prizemoney for a stage is $1700, but the Balranald people kicked it up to $5500.

The 68 riders remaining in the eight-day tour raced like demons in the 63 km kermesse. It was conducted over 35 laps of a 1.8 km circuit which embraced two local schools.

Matthews needed the money. At 17, he is a full-time cyclist and is coached by Glen Doney at the ACT Academy of Sport. His previous best performance was eighth in the World junior road championship in South Africa in June.

Matthews spearheaded a 12-man breakaway in Balranald and at one stage scooted to a 53-second margin. By the time the Canberra lad beat Joel Pearson by centimetres across the finishing line, the advantage was down to 18-seconds.

"Wow, this is awesome, I'm stoked," Matthews exclaimed when told that his share of the loot was $2500.

Pearson's performance was exemplary. He is still recovering from a nightmare car accident in France in mid-June which saw him spend six weeks in a French hospital and a further six weeks in a Melbourne medical centre. He sustained severe head injuries and was in a coma for a month.

Pearson won five of the 14 intermediate sprints and claimed $2250 prizemoney. He is now in seventh place overall, only 1 minute 13-seconds behind tour leader, Queenslander David Kemp.

"The Savings and Loans team have been great to me and I'm looking forward to riding for them in the Tour of Tasmania and Herald Sun Tour," Pearson said.

"I was lucky enough to get in the right break today but I was beaten by a better man on the day," Pearson said.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com

A photo opportunity for a spectator in Balranald on stage seven of the Tour
Riders corner in Balranald during the 63km kermesse
The field corner into We Street on a 35 lap stage of a 1.8km circuit
Craig McCartney (Savings and Loans) corners in Balranald
Tasmanian Nathan Clarke (Praties) leans into a bend during stage seven of the Tour
Ashley Baines (Cycle City Ballarat) has had his fair share of falls in recent times but stayed upright in Balranald
Mark Hooper (SRT Titans) leans into a bend back in the peloton
Michael Matthews (ACTAS) leads Nicholas Walker (Jayco/VIS) and Luis Trueba (Swan Hill Rural City Council Pioneers) in a breakaway
Tour leader David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) struck some bad luck with a puncture but received a lap-out and rejoined the race soon after
The leaders sprint under the banner after opening up a gap of forty seconds on the peloton
Darren Rolfe leads his Virgin Blue Cycling teammates at the front of the chasing peloton
Daniel Furmston (Praties) gives Savings and Loans David Pell a helping hand in the lead group
Fans in Balranald were giving the Tour the thumbs-up as they watched stage seven of the Tour
Well played: Great game Shirley, now lets watch the Tour of the Murray River
The chasing peloton were closing the gap on the lead group in the concluding laps
The attacks began in the lead group with two laps to go
The peloton were beginning to realise they had left their run a little too late
Michael Matthews (left) of the ACTAS team edges out Savings and Loans Joel Pearson to win a thriller in Balranald
Leigh Howard (right) of the Jayco/VIS team brings home the peloton
The stage seven podium (L-R): Joel Pearson (2nd,Savings and Loans), Michael Matthews (1st,ACTAS) and Malcolm Rudolph (3rd,Team Budget Forklifts)
Malcolm Rudolph (right) will be hoping to take his good form and Team Budget Forklifts into the Herald Sun Tour in October
Shaun McCarthy (Dixon Homes Cycling Team) was awarded the MADEC Most Aggressive riders jersey for stage seven
Timothy Decker's son sports a trendy hair-style during the podium presentations in Balranald
David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) remains in the Tasco Inland Sprint Points leaders jersey after seven stages
David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) still holds a 24 second lead over Jayco/VIS's Leigh Howard after seven stages
David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) tries on his Tour leader's yellow jersey on the podium in Balranald in southern New South Wales

Results

1 Michael Matthews (ACTAS)                              1.26.25 (43.741 km/h)
2 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans)                               
3 Malcolm Rudolph (Team Budget Forklifts)                      
4 Nicholas Walker (VIS)                                        
5 Joseph Lewis (NSWIS)                                         
6 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling)                            
7 Shaun Mccarthy (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                    
8 Jamie Crass (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                      
9 Patrick Lane (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))                 
10 Luis Trueba (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)                
11 Gregory Campbell (Virgin Blue Cycling)                      
12 Cameron Hughes (Team Budget Forklifts)                      
13 David Pell (Savings & Loans)                            0.18
14 Leigh Howard (VIS)                                          
15 Kyle Marwood (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                     
16 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling)                             
17 Alex Carver (NSWIS)                                         
18 Scott Law (NSWIS)                                           
19 Alastair Loutit (ACTAS)                                     
20 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling)                            
21 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans)                           
22 Bernar Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling)                     
23 Benjamin King (Team Budget Forklifts)                       
24 Charles Howlett (Cycle City Ballarat)                       
25 Peter Milostic (Team Budget Forklifts)                      
26 Rohan Dennis (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                    
27 Joel Stewart (ACTAS)                                        
28 Hayden Brooks (Virgin Blue Cycling)                         
29 Nathan Wise (Cycle City Ballarat)                           
30 Glenn O'Shea (VIS)                                          
31 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling)                          
32 Ashley Baines (Cycle City Ballarat)                         
33 James Ibrahim (Moama Bowling Club)                          
34 Brendan Brooks (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)             
35 Anthony Bennett (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)            
36 Luke Aggett (SRT Titans)                                0.26
37 Richard Lang (NSWIS)                                    0.27
38 Robert Lyte (NSWIS)                                         
39 James Langedyk (VIS)                                        
40 Cameron Peterson (Euston Bowling & Recreation)              
41 Brendan Schultz (SRT Titans)                                
42 Adrian Hanson (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                    
43 Luke Durbridge (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                  
44 Mark Hooper (SRT Titans)                                    
45 Jonothan Lovelock (VIS)                                 0.35
46 Peter Johnstone (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))         0.38
47 Sean Finning (VIS)                                      0.44
48 William Clarke (Praties Cycling)                        0.55
49 Will Tehan (Total Rush)                                 1.02
50 Ryan Brodie (Euston Bowling & Recreation)               1.43
51 Timothy Decker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                  
52 Jeremy Hills (Praties Cycling)                              
53 Matthew Davis (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                 
54 Bradley Norton (Praties Cycling)                        1.50
55 William Alexander (Virgin Blue Cycling)                 2.28
56 Sean Boyle (Euston Bowling & Recreation)                    
57 Samuel Genge (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))            4.56
58 Craig Gibbs (Cycle City Ballarat)                           
59 Peter Ladd (Team Budget Forklifts)                          
60 Abram Manion (Team Budget Forklifts)                        
61 Joshua Gundry (SRT Titans)                              7.24
62 Scot Cronly-Dillon (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)     9.52
63 Kane Walker (Moama Bowling Club)                       12.20
64 Matt Meisel-Dennis (ACTAS)                                  
65 Glen Peterson (Total Rush)                                  
66 Trent Williams (Moama Bowling Club)                    14.48
67 Matthew Jensen (Total Rush)                            19.44
68 Peter Smith (Euston Bowling & Recreation)              28.56
DNS Timothy Hucker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                 
 
General Classification after Stage 7
 
1 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling)                     10.39.22
2 Leigh Howard (VIS)                                       0.24
3 Bernar Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling)                  0.34
4 Cameron Hughes (Team Budget Forklifts)                   0.54
5 Glenn O'Shea (VIS)                                       1.04
6 Kyle Marwood (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)                  1.11
7 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans)                           1.13
8 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling)                          1.15
9 Benjamin King (Team Budget Forklifts)                    1.18
10 James Langedyk (VIS)                                    1.34
11 Peter Milostic (Team Budget Forklifts)                  1.55
12 Hayden Brooks (Virgin Blue Cycling)                     1.57
13 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling)                      3.05
14 Joseph Lewis (NSWIS)                                    4.29
15 David Pell (Savings & Loans)                            4.37
16 Patrick Lane (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))            6.49
17 Mark Hooper (SRT Titans)                                7.32
18 Shaun Mccarthy (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)              11.45
19 Michael Matthews (ACTAS)                               13.07
20 Luis Trueba (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)           13.46
21 Rohan Dennis (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)               14.18
22 Jamie Crass (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)                15.14
23 Nicholas Walker (VIS)                                  15.39
24 Malcolm Rudolph (Team Budget Forklifts)                16.43
25 Sean Finning (VIS)                                     17.14
26 Alex Carver (NSWIS)                                    17.35
27 William Clarke (Praties Cycling)                       17.44
28 Brendan Schultz (SRT Titans)                           17.46
29 Luke Durbridge (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)             17.55
30 Richard Lang (NSWIS)                                   17.59
31 Alastair Loutit (ACTAS)                                18.35
32 Brendan Brooks (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)        21.33
33 Will Tehan (Total Rush)                                22.29
34 Peter Johnstone (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))        23.29
35 Charles Howlett (Cycle City Ballarat)                  23.45
36 James Ibrahim (Moama Bowling Club)                     23.47
37 Ryan Brodie (Euston Bowling & Recreation)              24.00
38 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling)                      24.36
39 Jeremy Hills (Praties Cycling)                         25.03
40 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans)                      25.21
41 Joel Stewart (ACTAS)                                   25.29
42 Ashley Baines (Cycle City Ballarat)                    26.28
43 Nathan Wise (Cycle City Ballarat)                      26.49
44 Robert Lyte (NSWIS)                                    26.59
45 Matthew Davis (Euston Bowling & Recreation)            27.16
46 Anthony Bennett (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)       27.49
47 Adrian Hanson (Dixon Homes Cycling Team)               27.50
48 William Alexander (Virgin Blue Cycling)                30.22
49 Abram Manion (Team Budget Forklifts)                   31.43
50 Cameron Peterson (Euston Bowling & Recreation)         31.44
51 Scott Law (NSWIS)                                      31.52
52 Luke Aggett (SRT Titans)                               32.22
53 Kane Walker (Moama Bowling Club)                       34.28
54 Gregory Campbell (Virgin Blue Cycling)                 35.38
55 Timothy Decker (NSWIS/Roadsafe Mildura/De)             35.50
56 Sean Boyle (Euston Bowling & Recreation)               36.30
57 Bradley Norton (Praties Cycling)                       37.45
58 Samuel Genge (Australian Road Cycling (ARC))           42.08
59 Matt Meisel-Dennis (ACTAS)                             45.33
60 Peter Smith (Euston Bowling & Recreation)              46.17
61 Jonothan Lovelock (VIS)                                49.01
62 Glen Peterson (Total Rush)                             50.03
63 Joshua Gundry (SRT Titans)                             55.51
64 Scot Cronly-Dillon (Swan Hill Rural City Council P)         
65 Peter Ladd (Team Budget Forklifts)                     57.49
66 Craig Gibbs (Cycle City Ballarat)                    1.14.56
67 Matthew Jensen (Total Rush)                          1.15.00
68 Trent Williams (Moama Bowling Club)                  1.27.08