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6th Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under - 2.3
Australia, January 20-25, 2004
News for January 24, 2004
By Karen Forman in Adelaide
Gilbert gets another jersey
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Stage five of the 2004 Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under was a good one for Belgian Philippe Gilbert (FDJeux.com) to retain his third position on the general classification as well as earning another under 23 leader's jersey. The 21 year old Belgian was awarded the Share the Road Best Young Rider (under 23) jersey after finishing ninth overall on what he told Cyclingnews was "a long day!"
"I stayed on the wheel basically, all day, waiting for the final crunch," he said. "It was a nervous wait. Then I was attacking on the climbs but wasn't that far in front at the top. (Baden) Cooke was in the chasing group so we waited for him to help for the finish."
He said he expected more of the same tomorrow. "I will be trying to sprint with Baden Cooke". Cooke, who finished third in today's stage, is behind Gilbert on the GC. However, as Gilbert said, they are teammates after all, so any good result is a result for the team.
In other FdJeux.com news, Matt Wilson was sporting a bandaged arm today. He told Cyclingnews he was struggling with an old injury. "It started playing up on the first road stage," he said. "I have had it x-rayed and it looks as though there is something wrong with the tendons. It's not broken."
Tiralongo puts Panaria on the podium at last
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The KOM jersey was the last thing on Paolo Tiralongo's mind as he attacked up Old Willunga Hill today to try to get Panaria Margres team mate Giuliano Figueras into a position where he might improve on his seventh on the general classification.
None of their fellow team members had made it into the early breakaway that kept around a minute and a half ahead of the peloton until the 115km mark, and Tiralongo knew that his best chance to get the team's GC rider Figueras forward was to go for it on the steep, windy, leg burning climb. The team hadn't got off to the best start, with Brett Lancaster suffering an asthma attack in the first 10km. The whole team got together to get him to the race doctor, who was travelling in a vehicle behind and, when he was advised to abandon the stage, they team time trialled their way back into the bunch. Tiralongo said Lancaster's absence hadn't made much of a difference to their game plan for the day.
When sprinter Graeme Brown's predictions to Cyclingnews this morning that nobody would let Tiralongo get too far because he was just four minutes down on the GC ladder proved to be correct, it was up to Tiralongo to do his bit for Figueras. "Tiralongo is a good climber and Figueras just needs to get up to the bottom of the climb," Brown said. The sprinter himself was just hoping to get to the bottom of the climb and save his legs as much as possible for the final criterium stage on Sunday.
Tiralongo chose the hill to make his move, taking Figueras with him in a two-man breakaway at the 124 km mark, with 23 kilometres to go. Unfortunately, they didn't quite make it. They were caught and suddenly found themselves in the midst of a mad dash for the line. "In the end it was too windy and we didn't get very far," he said after the race. But the 26 year old from Arvola in Sicily was well rewarded for his considerable effort with the Laubman and Pank King of the Mountain jersey.
The JCTDU represents the beginning of Tiralongo's second season with Panaria Margres. He had a successful 2003, notching up a second in stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia, second overall and second in stage four of the Tour of Méditerranéen and third overall in the Tour of Austria. Before joining the team he spent three years with Fassa Bortolo.
He says he is very happy at the moment. "I am here to prepare for the season, it is important to put the preparation in for the Giro d'Italia this year," he said. "I am aiming for stage wins. If I could do a general classification at the same time that would be great."
It's his first visit to Australia and the Tour Down Under and he says he loved the climb today. Not that he really considered it a mountain. "It was a piccolo mountain," he said. That means little.
In other Panaria news: Today was 28th Figueras' birthday.
Aggression pays off for Ten Dam
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Dutch rider Laurens Ten Dam (Bankgiroloterij) was awarded the most aggressive rider jersey after stage five today as a reward for some strong attacks and consistent hard riding. The 23 year old rode in the front group all day with one of his teammates. "There was one Australian guy who was 12th in the general classification, two minutes behind (race leader Patrick) Jonker, also in the break. I was an half an hour behind and it was better for us to have all the guys at half an hour," he said.
"I attacked twice to try to drop him, (David) McPartland, to get a group with a few people without him. WIth these attacks I got this jersey. It is nice to have that."
Winning the jersey was exciting for the young rider, who is in his first season as a professional. "It is so nice to be on the podium," he said.
He is heading off the Majorca next week for training and racing and hopes to be able to compete in the Amstel Gold Race. Meantime, he says he is enjoying his first trip to Australia. "I like it very much. It is very good with very nice people. It is similar to Dutch people, actually, very relaxed and very nice weather."
Wanted: A job for Hilton
Australian rider Hilton Clarke needs a job - urgently. Currently occupied as a member of the Australian National Team taking part in the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under, Clarke will be out of work as of next week, thanks (or should that be no thanks) to the sudden loss of the contract he had signed with French division II team, MBK Oktos.
"I signed with them in November, then on Christmas eve I was told I have no job," the 24 year old told Cyclingnews today. "They called me and said they have no money and that my contract means nothing. "That's why I so badly need a result here. It's too late to get a contract with another team for the year. I don't know what I am going to do."
In case anyone can help, Clarke's top result for 2003 was second in the USCF Pro-Am Challenge.
Jamieson wants to be second
Australian rider Mark Jamieson had a disappointing result today, dropping one position to third in the under 23 classification with a 47th place finish. The 19 year old Tasmanian sits at 41st in the general classification after today's Willunga to Willunga stage, but told Cyclingnews he was concentrating on the under 23 competition.
"At the start of the week I was definitely focussed on the under 23," he said. "I was second after stage four and I really wanted to hold onto it today. I was hoping to get up the climb. I didn't expect that I would catch up to Gilbert (FdJeux.com) because I was 27 minutes down, especially with his climbing ability. But I like climbs."
Jamo, as he is known to his United Water teammates, is better known for his track ability than his road work. He was the gold medallist in the Track World Cup individual pursuit, first in the individual pursuit a the Australian/Oceania championships, eight in the individual pursuit at the world championships and first in the individual pursuit, second in the road time trial and teams pursuit at the under 19 Australian championships.
However, he has aspirations on the road. This is his first Tour Down Under and he says he is loving it. "The crowds are big and the weather is good," he said. Next up he heads to the Oceania Championships on the track and Italy for the under 23 championships.
"This year I will do both road and track, which is the way I like it," he said. "I will do the individual and team time trial at the Worlds in Melbourne and the road time trial and the under 23 at the world's in Italy."
He holds scholarships with the Australian Institute of Sport for both road and track endurance programs and is hoping to clinch a pro road contract within two years.
"I want to be similar to McGee and Roberts," he said. "I have already pre-signed with Quick.Step this year, which means the national team will look after me in the meantime and then I get first refusal to ride professionally with the team after two years."
No zebras here, just bronchitis
A few people were asking why the "zebra boys" (Domina Vacanze) weren't wearing the distinctive zebra striped knicks at the Tour Down Under yesterday. Well, it seems that the zebra pants were actually LAST year's fashion. The fashion conscious Italians have decided to use that classic colour, black, instead this year.
Rider Sergio Marinangeli, who was fourth in the third stage of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes last year, was a tad surprised when Cyclingnews told him that people around the course were asking where the "zebras" were. "Ah, black is better," he said. "But we still wear the other ones when we are training."
Marinangeli is on his first visit to Australia and says he is loving it - particularly the weather and the relaxed people.
Women urge organisers to continue Advertiser Series with JCTDU
By John Michael-Flynn in Adelaide
The Advertiser Women's Criterium Series has provided a rare opportunity to take women's cycling in Australia to a mass audience, and not surprisingly, the elite riders who've taken part in the inaugural event are anxious to see it continue in 2005. The series, which began in Kapunda on Wednesday, with a race that doubled as the National Criterium Championship, has also proven popular with spectators who simply can't get enough bike racing during the Tour Down Under. Senior AIS team member Olivia Gollan is urging organisers of the JCTDU to continue with the sideline event, which provides valuable exposure for women's cycling in Australia.
"I think any women's racing at this level in Australia is absolutely fantastic," Gollan told Cyclingnews. "These races have just been so well supported by the public and it's just great to be part of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under because it's such a prestigious event."
While many of Australia's elite women are used to racing before enthusiastic crowds in Europe, it's often a different story on home soil, where women's races don't always enjoy a high level of patronage. Perhaps the crowds associated with the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under were what spurred Canberra's Oenone Wood on to an overall victory in The Advertiser Series. Either way, for the dual National Champion, it's been a pleasure racing in Adelaide and its surrounds: "Just the atmosphere you know, this many people at a bike race and all supportive it's great," Wood said.
There are also obvious spin-offs for women's cycling in general according to Wood, who's eager to see more younger girls follow her path into the sport. "Even just having the exposure you know, going through the smaller towns around Adelaide," Wood said. "Hopefully it's going to encourage younger girls to get into racing."
As Sara Carrigan sees it, The Advertiser Series is also perfecly timed and is one of those rare occasions where Australia's international stars who are based in Europe get to compete in a major event on home soil. "This is the only time in fact that domestic riders and international riders can race together," Carrigan said. "So I think that encourages the newer girls and gives them a bit of inspiration and shows them what racing's about.
"And to have the beaches in the sideline is wonderful!"
