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6th Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under - 2.3
Australia, January 20-25, 2004
Home Live report Results Next stage
Stage 1: Tuesday Jan 20, East End Adelaide Street Race, 50km
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McEwen triumphs in chaos
By Anthony Tan in Adelaide, with additional reporting by Karen Forman
On an unusually mild summer evening, Lotto-Domo's Robbie McEwen set the streets of Adelaide's East End alight with an aggressive and impressive win on the opening stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under. Within striking distance of victory last year before abandoning the race due to injury, McEwen's victory tonight has set the tone for what may well be the Queenslander's first ever overall victory in the race five days from now.
"It's the first win of the season, mate!" said a delighted McEwen to Cyclingnews, who go into tomorrow's stage from Norwood to Kapunda wearing the first leader's jersey of the JCTDU. "It was very confusing; it was really difficult to get through the bunch. We got through and everything got mixed up together.
"We have a tough day tomorrow. It's a tough race and I'll just take it as it comes. I'm riding in the jersey, and we'll see how it goes."
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The race opener was not without controversy. Panaria sprinter Graeme Brown claimed his arch-rival's win was unfairly assisted in the closing lap by a number of his team-mates, who were in the process of being lapped by a break containing both McEwen and himself. Brown, a member of the world record-breaking team pursuit squad in Stuttgart last year, insisted to race organiser Mike Turtur that the peloton should have been pulled from the race to allow a clean sprint. Turtur's response, however, was simple: he said the break only caught the peloton on the final lap, and with breakaway member Dave McKenzie (Navigators) first to bridge across by himself, it would have been potentially dangerous and virtually impossible to try and pull the peloton from the group.
"I can't believe this could happen in a UCI categorised race," said Brown, unaccepting of Turtur's answer. "I am very disappointed. I think it was not a professional race. It shouldn't have happened. I was blocked. They closed in through the last corner."
Third-placed rider Mark Renshaw (FdJeux.com) agreed with Brown's remarks: "It would have been a totally different podium if it hadn't happened," he said. "We caught the peloton with a lap to go; either they had to pull out or they should have been put to one side. As the break came, they merged in with us. It was dangerous, really dangerous. Guys sprinted who didn't need to."
How it unfolded
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After an animated start, McEwen and 11 others created the race-winning break shortly after the first sprint at the 10 lap/20 kilometre mark, won by Aurielen Clerc (Quick.Step) from Bernhard Eisel (FdJeux.com) and Guillermo Bongiorno (Panaria). In the break were: David McPartland (United Water), Nicolas Portal (Ag2r), Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), Mark Renshaw (FDJeux.com), Rudi Kemna (BankGiroLoterij), Graeme Brown (Panaria), Dave McKenzie (Navigators), Mads Kaggestad and Cedric Herve (Credit Agricole), Nicolas Vogondy (FDJ), Peter Dawson (United Water) and Guiliano Figueras (Panaria).
Despite a mixed bunch, the 12-man group worked superbly, opening up a 40 second gap with 10 laps/20 kilometres to go and with 15 kilometres left in the race, their lead grew to over a minute, with the promise of a concerted chase by the peloton looking doubtful. FdJeux.com's Mark Renshaw, rejuvenated after yesterday's successful qualifying attempt to join the Australian shadow team for the team pursuit leading to Athens, took the second sprint at the 20 lap/40 kilometre mark from Norwegian Mads Kaggestad and Giuliano Figueras (Panaria). By this point however, it was clear a much larger battle was about to be waged just behind.
With four laps to go, the lead group's advantage was 1'25 and the hope of a sprint royale between McEwen, Brown, Kemna and McKenzie was beckoning. However, Nicolas Portal (Ag2r) leapt off the front with four kilometres left in the race, but just before he was about to enter the final lap, the break swallowed Portal and any chance of glory for the Frenchman.
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Confusion soon followed for both riders and race organisers as the reformed group were about to catch the peloton; Victorian Dave McKenzie (Navigators) was first to take the initiative by attacking the lead group, surging past his ten breakaway companions and straight through the field. Though pocket rocket Robbie wasn't ready to give up so fast: the Lotto-Domo sprinter, determined to re-find his form that lead to a brilliant 2002 and the Tour de France green jersey, went right after McKenzie and came through for the win, comfortably accounting for BankGiroLoterij's Rudi Kemna and Mark Renshaw (FDJeux.com), the French team still smarting from their loss of team leader Bradley McGee, who was forced to abandon just hours before the race began from severe food poisoning.
"The form never had gone. I just let people talk and kept training," said McEwen simply.
Photography
Images by Mark Gunter/Cyclingnews/www.pbase.com/gunterphotograph
- Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) in good spirits
- The new Australian Champ Matt Wilson in his first chance to wear his jersey
- Baden Cooke looked confident at the start
- Luke Roberts at the sign on area
- Inigo Chaurreau of Ag2R before the evening's race began
- As usual the Adelaide locals turned out in force
- Philippe Gilbert (FDJeux.com) puts his foot down
- The FDJ boys worked well together
- The peloton flies past during the first stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under
- The peloton in the lowering Adelaide sun
- The race was fast
- Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) salutes as he wins stage 1
- Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) takes in all the aplause
- Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) reflects on his stage win
- Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) being interviewed by the hungry media
- Graeme Brown wasn't happy with the way the race concluded
- Robbie McEwen winner of stage 1
- Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) on the podium in yellow
- McEwen having some fun on the podium
- Russell Van Hout (UniSA) wore the mountains jersey after last year
- Mark Renshaw (FDJeux.com) enjoyed the limelight of sprint champion
Images by Karen Forman/Cyclingnews
- Hilton Clarke (Team Australia) waits for a new wheel to be fitted after he brokes some spokes on the start line.
- Back on the bike: Hilton Clarke (Team Australia) gets some last minute adjustments from a soigneur before rejoining the race after a lap out.
- Early breakaway Frank van Dulmen (Bankgiroloterij) is away with a small gap on the second lap.
- FdJeux.com manager Marc Madiot has some anxious moments as he watches team members Mark Renshaw and Baden Cooke in the early stages of the race. He had just had news that the team's main hope, Brad McGee, had contracted food poisoning.
Results
1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo 1.02.19 (48.1 km/h) 2 Rudi Kemna (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 3 Mark Renshaw (Aus) FDJeux.com 4 Graeme Brown (Aus) Panaria-Margres 5 Nicholas Vogondy (Fra) FDJeux.com 6 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance 7 David McKenzie (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 8 Peter Dawson (Aus) United Water 9 Cedric Herve (Fra) Credit Agricole 10 David McPartland (Aus) Team Australia 11 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Panaria-Margres 12 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole 13 Aaron Kemps (Aus) United Water 14 Aurelien Clerc (Swi) Quick.Step-Davitamon 15 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Credit Agricole 16 Alain Van Katwijk (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 17 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2r Prevoyance 18 Nic Sanderson (Aus) United Water 19 Matthe Pronk (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 20 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance 21 Sergey Matveyev (Ukr) Panaria-Margres 22 Nicolas Inaudi (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance 23 Julien Smink (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 24 Remco Van Der Ven (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 25 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2r Prevoyance 26 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 27 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Credit Agricole 28 Allan Iacuone (Aus) Team Australia 29 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Lotto-Domo 30 Massimiliano Gentili (Ita) Domina Vacanze 31 Guillermo Bongiorno (Arg) Panaria-Margres 32 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) United Water 33 Frank Van Dulmen (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 34 Eric Leblacher (Fra) Credit Agricole 35 Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) Ag2r Prevoyance 36 Gene Bates (Aus) UniSA 37 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Team Australia 38 Antonio Fisher Murillo (Bra) Domina Vacanze 39 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Domina Vacanze 40 Lorenzo Cardellini (Ita) Domina Vacanze 41 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 42 Siro Camponogara (Ita) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 43 Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Quick.Step-Davitamon 44 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Quick.Step-Davitamon 45 Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ag2r Prevoyance 46 Jose Garrido Lima (Spa) Quick.Step-Davitamon 47 Mark Jamieson (Aus) United Water 48 Ben Day (Aus) Team Australia 49 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Panaria-Margres 50 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Lotto-Domo 51 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Domina Vacanze 52 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) FDJeux.com 53 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com 54 Sergio Marinangeli (Ita) Domina Vacanze 55 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole 56 James Hannam (Aus) UniSA 57 Richard Moffat (Aus) United Water 58 Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Team Australia 59 Benoit Poilvet (Fra) Credit Agricole 60 Philip Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 61 Francesco Secchiari (Ita) Domina Vacanze 62 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) FDJeux.com 63 Stephen Wooldridge (Aus) Team Australia 64 Steve Cunningham (Aus) UniSA 65 Jeff Louder (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 66 Luke Roberts (Aus) UniSA 67 Matthew Rex (Aus) UniSA 68 Patrick Jonker (Aus) UniSA 69 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Panaria-Margres 70 Addy Engels (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 71 Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 72 Hans De Clercq (Bel) Lotto-Domo 73 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r Prevoyance 74 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 75 Scott Davis (Aus) Panaria-Margres 76 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) FDJeux.com 77 Frederic Amorison (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 78 Julian Dean (Nzl) Credit Agricole 79 Adrian Laidler (Aus) UniSA 80 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo 81 Russell Van Hout (Aus) UniSA 82 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo 83 Allan Davis (Aus) Team Australia 84 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) United Water 85 Matthew Wilson (Aus) FDJeux.com 86 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo 87 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Domina Vacanze 88 Fabio Gilioli (Ita) Panaria-Margres 89 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Team Australia 90 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Lotto-Domo 91 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 92 Jose Pecharroman Fabian (Spa) Quick.Step-Davitamon 93 Ashley Humbert (Aus) United Water DNS Bradley McGee (Aus) FDJeux.com Sprints Finish Arch - Lap 10 - 20.0 km 1 Aurelien Clerc (Swi) Quick.Step-Davitamon 6 pts 2 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) FDJeux.com 4 3 Guillermo Bongiorno (Arg) Panaria-Margres 2 Finish Arch - Lap 20 - 40.0 km 1 Mark Renshaw (Aus) FDJeux.com 6 pts 2 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole 4 3 Graeme Brown (Aus) Panaria-Margres 2 Finish Arch - Lap 25 - 50 km 1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo 8 pts 2 Rudi Kemna (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 6 3 Mark Renshaw (Aus) FDJeux.com 4 General classification after stage 1 1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo 1.02.19 2 Rudi Kemna (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 3 Mark Renshaw (Aus) FDJeux.com 4 Graeme Brown (Aus) Panaria-Margres 5 Nicholas Vogondy (Fra) FDJeux.com 6 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance 7 David McKenzie (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 8 Peter Dawson (Aus) United Water 9 Cedric Herve (Fra) Credit Agricole 10 David McPartland (Aus) Team Australia 11 Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Panaria-Margres 12 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole 13 Aaron Kemps (Aus) United Water 14 Aurelien Clerc (Swi) Quick.Step-Davitamon 15 Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Credit Agricole 16 Alain Van Katwijk (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 17 Erki Putsep (Est) Ag2r Prevoyance 18 Nic Sanderson (Aus) United Water 19 Matthe Pronk (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 20 Andy Flickinger (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance 21 Sergey Matveyev (Ukr) Panaria-Margres 22 Nicolas Inaudi (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance 23 Julien Smink (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 24 Remco Van Der Ven (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 25 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2r Prevoyance 26 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 27 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Credit Agricole 28 Allan Iacuone (Aus) Team Australia 29 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Lotto-Domo 30 Massimiliano Gentili (Ita) Domina Vacanze 31 Guillermo Bongiorno (Arg) Panaria-Margres 32 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) United Water 33 Frank Van Dulmen (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 34 Eric Leblacher (Fra) Credit Agricole 35 Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) Ag2r Prevoyance 36 Gene Bates (Aus) UniSA 37 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Team Australia 38 Antonio Fisher Murillo (Bra) Domina Vacanze 39 Paolo Valoti (Ita) Domina Vacanze 40 Lorenzo Cardellini (Ita) Domina Vacanze 41 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 42 Siro Camponogara (Ita) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 43 Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Quick.Step-Davitamon 44 Laszlo Bodrogi (Hun) Quick.Step-Davitamon 45 Mark Scanlon (Irl) Ag2r Prevoyance 46 Jose Garrido Lima (Spa) Quick.Step-Davitamon 47 Mark Jamieson (Aus) United Water 48 Ben Day (Aus) Team Australia 49 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Panaria-Margres 50 Piotr Wadecki (Pol) Lotto-Domo 51 Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Domina Vacanze 52 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) FDJeux.com 53 Baden Cooke (Aus) FDJeux.com 54 Sergio Marinangeli (Ita) Domina Vacanze 55 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole 56 James Hannam (Aus) UniSA 57 Richard Moffat (Aus) United Water 58 Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Team Australia 59 Benoit Poilvet (Fra) Credit Agricole 60 Philip Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 61 Francesco Secchiari (Ita) Domina Vacanze 62 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) FDJeux.com 63 Stephen Wooldridge (Aus) Team Australia 64 Steve Cunningham (Aus) UniSA 65 Jeff Louder (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 66 Luke Roberts (Aus) UniSA 67 Matthew Rex (Aus) UniSA 68 Patrick Jonker (Aus) UniSA 69 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Panaria-Margres 70 Addy Engels (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 71 Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 72 Hans De Clercq (Bel) Lotto-Domo 73 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r Prevoyance 74 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 75 Scott Davis (Aus) Panaria-Margres 76 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) FDJeux.com 77 Frederic Amorison (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 78 Julian Dean (Nzl) Credit Agricole 79 Adrian Laidler (Aus) UniSA 80 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo 81 Russell Van Hout (Aus) UniSA 82 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo 83 Allan Davis (Aus) Team Australia 84 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) United Water 85 Matthew Wilson (Aus) FDJeux.com 86 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo 87 Massimo Giunti (Ita) Domina Vacanze 88 Fabio Gilioli (Ita) Panaria-Margres 89 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Team Australia 90 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Lotto-Domo 91 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick.Step-Davitamon 92 Jose Pecharroman Fabian (Spa) Quick.Step-Davitamon 93 Ashley Humbert (Aus) United Water Sprints classification 1 Mark Renshaw (Aus) FDJeux.com 10 pts 2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo 8 3 Aurelien Clerc (Swi) Quick.Step-Davitamon 6 4 Rudi Kemna (Ned) Bankgiroloterij 6 5 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole 4 6 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) FDJeux.com 4 7 Graeme Brown (Aus) Panaria-Margres 2 8 Guillermo Bongiorno (Arg) Panaria-Margres 2 King of the Mountains classification 1 Russell Van Hout (Aus) UniSA Most Aggressive rider classification 1 Frank van Dulmen (Ned) BankGiroLoterij U23 classification 1 Mark Renshaw (Aus) FDJeux.com 1.02.19 2 Peter Dawson (Aus) United Water 3 Aaron Kemps (Aus) United Water 4 Nic Sanderson (Aus) United Water 5 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) United Water 6 Mark Jamieson (Aus) United Water 7 James Hannam (Aus) UniSA 8 Richard Moffat (Aus) United Water 9 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) FDJeux.com 10 Matthew Rex (Aus) UniSA 11 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) FDJeux.com 12 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) United Water 13 Ashley Humbert (Aus) United Water
