2nd Doherty Hotel's Launceston International Classic - NE

Tasmania, Australia, December 27, 2003

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McEwen goes one better

2002 runner-up takes Launceston in perfect finishing move

By John Stevenson in Launceston

McEwen goes one better
Photo: © Shane Goss

On a perfect Tasmanian summer evening with clear skies and temperatures slowly falling from the mid-twenties, Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) took out the $20,000 Launceston International Criterium Saturday with a perfectly-timed move that echoed last year's win by Hilton Clarke. But it looked for a while as though McEwen and other stars including Baden Cooke (FdJeux.com), Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole), Luke Roberts (Comnet-Senges) and Michael Rogers (Quick.Step-Davitamon) were going to be left behind by a trio of local riders that powered a break of six until the very last lap.

The 72-kilometre race started with a series of attacks and breaks as riders tested each others' legs and their own. Robbie McEwen made some of the early running, taking off the front in the fourth lap with TIS-Cyclingnews rider Matt Goss in tow. McEwen has been racking up huge distances in training and seems to be trying to recreate the stunning early-season form he had in 2002 when he won Tour Down Under stages and the Australian championships. That form carried him through numerous successes in 2002, culminating in a Tour de France green jersey.

At this stage, though, McEwen was just testing his legs - and seeing who else was interested in coming along for the ride. McEwen and Goss were soon absorbed, and subsequent breakaway attempts involved British rider Russell Downing - who with his team-mates was active throughout therace and did much to animate a great show for the estimated 15,000 spectators - then Stuart O'Grady and Sean Sullivan took off.

With 20 laps to go, Sullivan and O'Grady were joined by Russell Downing and Kristian House and the four built a 15 second gap before FdJeux.com led the chase and the escapees sat up.

A few unsuccessful breaks followed before the attack that shaped the race. With about ten laps to go, a TIS-Cyclingnews trio of Karl Menzies Caleb Manion, and Darren Young got away, accompanied by Dean Downing (UK team), Jonathan Clarke (SBR) and Brad McGee (FdJeux.com). It was not a completely complementary grouping, but with Menzies and Manion driving the pace in the hope of delivering Young to the line fresh enough to take a sprint finish, the other three had no option but to work enough to stay in contact.

Teammates to be
Photo: © Cyclingnews

The six gradually extended their lead, eventually gapping over 30 seconds on the bunch before Stuart O'Grady kicked it up a couple of gears and led a no-messing chase. O'Grady instantly ripped the field in two, taking 14 riders whose roll-call reads like a who's who of top Australian cycling - with a few not-too-shabby overseas riders for good measure. Matt White (US Postal) provided main support to O'Grady's chase - not surprising as the two will be team-mates at Cofidis in a few day's time. Robbie McEwen wasn't going to let anything get away from him, and he was there, as were Baden Cooke, Luke Roberts, Russell Downing, Kierin Page (UK team), Micheal Rogers, Jame Carney, Jeremy Hunt (UK team), Mark Jamieson (TIS-Cyclingnews)

As the thoroughly revved-up crowd yelled their lungs out for the Tasmanian trio in the lead break, the chasing 15 came howling after them like a swarm of avenging dark angels and from Cyclingnews' vantage point in the neutral support car between the two groups the plight of the six looked hopeless.

Astonishingly though, the front bunch redoubled their efforts and as we pulled over to let the chasers pass, it seemed the 15 plodded up the course's single hill instead of charging after the leaders as they had on the bottom straight. Could they stay away to the end? If the chasers continued to look at each other and wander around the road, as they were still doing with three to go, the leaders might well stay that way.

That's certainly what the crowd wanted, but everyone had reckoned without Luke Roberts. In a show of the pursuiting power that contributed to Australia's world championship gold in the team event at Stuttgart, Roberts got on the front and in mighty last-lap surge he towed the chasers almost single-handedly up to the lead group.

With half a lap to go the jockeying for position started and Robbie McEwen treated the crowd to a display of the sheer speed and positioning that has put him twice on the podium in the Tour green jersey contest. With a left and a right hand turn before the finish straight, McEwen knew that he had to treat the first bend as if it were the line. Diving under the whole group, McEwen threw his bike into the left-hander in a perfectly controlled sprint turn, exiting so fast he needed and used the whole road as his run-out zone.

O'Grady chases
Photo: © Shane Goss

O'Grady tried to challenge, but there was no stopping the man from the Gold Coast as he flew through the final turn and powered to the line. Russell Downing and Keiran Page of the British team took second and third places.

Ten thousand dollars richer, McEwen described those closing moments to the press throng after the prize presentation on the steps of Launceston's Doherty international Hotel. "I was watching Baden Cooke and Mark Renshaw," said McEwen. "I tried to time my run into that headwind straight towards the second-last corner… I wanted to hit that in front and start my sprint from the corner and that's exactly how it went. I got into that corner first... used every inch of road available, hit the last corner going flat out and then it's only a short jump from there to the line. I just gave it everything from the last corner. I had a quick look behind and saw I had a nice little gap. It worked out perfectly."

It was obvious that McEwen had rehearsed this finish. "I learned my lesson from last year," he said, referring to his second place in the inaugural Launceston criterium. "You've got to be first into the last corner. I decided to be first into the second-last corner too."

"It's a nice way to finish off the season, in front of a good crowd here in Tassie, and it's been a fantastic race. I think it's been an exciting race too, everything just came back together in the last lap. I'm rapt to finish off my year like this!"

McEwen acknowledged Luke Roberts' effort that brought the race back together for the finale, saying, "if you don't do anything the race is lost, so you gotta try something. We sort of had an unspoken agreement that we'd ride and keep working towards the end, and it worked out perfectly for me."

Photography

Images by Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com

The TIS/Cyclingnews team prior to the Doherty's Launceston Classic Criterium
Michael Rogers (Quick.Step-Davitamon) at the sign on for the LauncestonÊClassic
A late entry for the Classic!
The crowd builds for the 2003 Dohertys Launceston Classic
Harleys on parade before the start of the Launceston Classic
Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com) making sure the parking meter has enough coins before racing starts!
Matt Wilson of (FDJeux.com), a long way from the Tour De France in Tasmania
The future of Aussie cycling is alive and well with a sprint to the line between budding McEwens and Cookes
Stuart O'Grady is pipped at the post by a young number sixty seven!
On tour with Cyclingnews and John Stevenson (left) and Gerard Knapp
No time for a phone call here, eh Stuey!
Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) in action early in the Doherty's Launceston Classic
Matt White (US Postal) on his new Decathlon in the Launceston Classic Criterium
Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com) shows off the Tour de France's Green jersey in Launceston
A breakaway group in the home straight in Launceston during the 72km Doherty Hotels Classic
Caleb Manion (TIS/Cyclingnews/Avanti), a local hope in the Classic, was part of an early breakaway group
Brad McGee (FDJeux.com) was the director in an early breakaway group during the Classic
Keiren Page of Great Britian, in Tasmania for the Christmas Carnivals on the track, was never far from the front during the Classic
The main field works its way along the back straight in Launceston on a sunny Saturday evening
Sean Sullivan (Barloworld), a top ten placing in the Herald Sun Tour last October and in front of his home crowd in Launceston
The peloton on Launceston's Brisbane street with the CBD in the background
The field of the 2003 Doherty Hotels Classic on the starline with over 100 riders competing
Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) leads a chase group along the back straight in the concluding stages of the Classic
Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) swings round a bend in the Doherty Hotels Classic in Launceston
Wouter Van Mechlen of Belguim, finding the going tough during the Classic Criterium
Tassy duo Bernard Sulzberger (left) and Darren Young (TIS/Cyclingnews/Avanti) in action during the Classic
Stephen Cummings, part of the Great Britian contingent in Australia, in training for the Athens Olympic Games
A thirsty Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) working hard during the 20 000 dollar Doherty Hotels Classic
Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) crosses the line to win the 2003 Doherty Hotels Classic Criterium in Launceston
The main field with a lap to go before a section of the 15,000 fans who watched the Classic
Robbie McEwen holds aloft the winner's cheque of ten thousand dollars after victory in the Doherty Hotels Classic in Launceston
The podium after the running of the Classic from left: Russell Downing (Great Britain, 2nd), Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo, winner) and Keiren Page (Great Britian, 3rd)
Cyclingnews' Gerard Knapp (far right) interviews Robbie McEwen after his victory

Images by Gerard Knapp/Cyclingnews

Tasmanian Institute of Sport head cycling coach Kevin Tabotta discusses race tactics with TIS/Cyclingnews rider Mark Jamieson
Stuart O'Grady, in his last race in Credit Agricole colours, discusses pre-race tactics with Matt White, in his last race for the US Postal Service - Berry Floor team. Both Australians will be team-mates in 2004 for Cofidis
Jonny Clarke (SBR) follows a local Tasmanian rider through one of the circuit's final two bends
Three Launceston locals turned out in their unique TdF-inspired attire and used anything available to make even more noise
Mark Jamieson (TIS/Cyclingnews) powers through a corner
One of the British endurance track riders leads Baden Cooke onto the main straight
Caleb Manion (TIS/Cyclingnews) leads the break-away group
Stuart O'Grady worked hard at the front to erase the break's lead
Darren Young and Caleb Manion (TIS/Cyclingnews) working hard on the front of the break
Three laps to go and the chasing gets serious as Baden Cooke works his way to the front to join O'Grady (Credit Agricole) in pursuit of the leaders
One of the British contingent races under the traffic signs on his way to the finish line
Final corner before the finish line and Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) cuts it fine at full speed, looking every bit the Moto GP rider. But unlike a Mtot GP rider, after the race McEwen declined to reveal the brand of tyres he was using on the day, but suffice to say they allowed a good lean angle on an off-camber bumpy final corner

Results

1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
2 Russell Downing (GBr)
3 Keiran Page (GBr)
4 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Fdjeux.com/NSWIS
5 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Credit Agricole
6 Nathan Clarke (Aus)
7 Brad McGee (Aus) Fdjeux.com
8 David Pell (Aus)
9 Dean Downing (GBr)
10 Leigh De Luca (Aus)
11 Sean Sullivan (Aus)
12 Stephen Cummings
13 Simon Pearce (Aus)
14 Robert Tighello (Aus)
15 Michael Rogers (Aus) Quick.Step-Davitamon
16 Mark Jamieson (Aus) TIS-Cyclingnews
17 Jeremy Hunt (GBr)
18 Baden Cooke (Aus) Fdjeux.com
19 Chris Sutton (Aus) Fdjeux.com/NSWIS
20 Caleb Manion (Aus) TIS-Cyclingnews