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Jayco Tour of Queensland - 2.5
Australia, November 1-6, 2004
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Stage 8 - November 6: Bundaberg Criterium, 42 km
Ljungblad wins in dramatic turnaround
Hutchinson takes final stage
By Rod Morris in Bundaberg
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Swedish rider Jonas Ljungblad will be a marked man when he returns to Europe this week after claiming the second annual Jayco Tour of Queensland today - his second major road cycling race in Australia within a month. Ljungblad overcame a 15 second deficit in the final stage of the TOQ, a criterium around the streets of Bundaberg to jump ahead of overnight leader, Thomas Liese (Germany).
Ljungblad - riding for Bendigo Bank - won the Herald Sun Tour last month and was considered one of the main dangers in the TOQ, but didn't really get into calculations until the dual stage day on Friday, when he was well placed in the Gin Gin to Mount Perry road race and then won the individual time trial from Mount Perry to the Normanby Range Lookout. "I really can't believe I have won two big races in Australia, I owe a lot of thanks to my teammates and our support crew," he said.
Whilst the centre of attention was placed on overall honours, popular Queensland rider Ashley Hutchinson (Mirvac) finished the tour in the same fashion - winning! Hutchinson won the opening stage last Monday, a criterium in Maryborough and produced a sizzling final sprint to repeat that performance in Bundaberg, just ahead of Englishman Russell Downing (Radio 4BU - KIX FM) and Victorian Dylan Boone, who was riding the luckless UNO Clothing, which had been decimated from five riders to two through injury earlier in the week.
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Ljungblad was unplaced in the Bundaberg Criterium, but the work he and his teammates did during the race set up the win. Eleven intermediate sprints were on offer during the 33 km race, Ljungblad showed his undoubted class when he won five of them and placed second in another, picking up 17 seconds bonus and when Liese was unable to fire a shot, the tour had taken on a completely different complexion.
Whilst Ljungblad appeared to have Liese's measure, he still had to watch out for two other riders who could have pinched the race from under his nose with only the final sprint to the line remaining. Ljungblad finished down the peloton, but thankfully for him, his main challengers, Corey Sweet (Lysaght) and Russell Van Hout (Subaru) didn't make an impact either.
In the final wash-up, Ljungblad was declared the 2004 Tour of Queensland champion, 2 seconds ahead of Liese, with Sweet pinching third place from Van Hout in a countback after both finished 9 seconds adrift of the Swedish rider. "It was a very hard race to counter, as at the start of the day there were up to six riders who could have won the tour," Ljungblad said. "My teammates did a fantastic job in ensuring most moves were covered and getting me to the sprint line."
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With Ljungblad claiming 17 seconds in time bonuses, Sweet won back 8, Van Hout, 6, Russell Downing, 6 and defending TOQ champion, David McKenzie (Jayco), 4. The above mentioned riders started the final stage ranked second to sixth, leaving the leader, Thomas Liese out in the cold.
The German's Malaysia Airlines teammates (Felix Odebrecht, Jorn Reuss and Bernard Sulzberger) failed to get their GC rider into the right position and they will now sit back and rue the lost opportunity. "I am very disappointed not to have put up a better defence on the final day," Liese said. "However as I said yesterday, I am not a noted criterium rider."
Liese was however declared the Across The Waves King of the Mountains champion and did hold onto win the tour's Yamaha Most Aggressive rider award. But the 36-year-old is considering retirement. "I'll never say never, but I don't how much longer I can keep going," he said.
One rider who will be back, however, is Ljungblad. He has developed a love affair with Australia, after a winning a stage of the Herald Sun Tour in 2002; the Sprint Championship in the 2003 Tour of Queensland, two stages plus GC in this year's HST and repeating that effort in Queensland this week. "I like coming to Australia, the racing suits me and John Craven is a great organiser of good bike races," Ljungblad said.
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Developing English rider Keiran Page (Radio 4BU - KIX FM) won the Malaysia Airlines Sprint Championship; Ashley Hutchinson (Mirvac), the Bundaberg City Council Criterium Championship and Tony Mann (Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello) the Courier Mail Leading Queensland Rider.
The second annual TOQ was declared an outstanding success and promoter John Craven has announced grand plans for the 2005 version, including two extra days, increased prizemoney and a stage finish in Rockhampton.
Photography
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Cool man!!
- Russell 'Reggie' Downing (Radio 4BU-KIX FM) flying the flag for the UK on the final stage of the Jayco Tour of Queensland.
- Thomas Liese (Malaysian Airlines) hungry for a win.
- Rob Sharman (Centracks) looking cool for the final stage of the Jayco Tour of Queensland.
- "But we've only got two riders left!" explains Brent "Boof" McCaig prior to the final stage
- Jonas Ljungblad (Bendigo Bank, far L) and Thomas Liese (Malaysian Airlines, far R) battling it out to become the overall winner.
- Tony Mann (Argon 18 Bikes-Caravello) on the attack during the final stage in Bundaberg.
- Eric Wohlberg (Team Jayco, L) leads the field during the final stage in Bundaberg.
- Riders make their way past Jayco Caravans.
- The orange jersey makes its way past Jayco Caravans
- "Wow, is that the Jayco Tour of Queensland flashing by?"
- The peloton prepares to corner during the final stage in Bundaberg.
- The peloton makes its way under the banner.
- Ashley Hutchinson (Mirvac) wins another stage for the Queenslanders.
- The stage eight podium - (L to R) Russell Downing (Radio 4BU-KIX FM, 2nd), Ashley Hutchinson (Mirvac, 1st) and Dillan Boone (Uno Clothing, 3rd).
- Jonas Ljungblad (Bendigo Bank) celebrates winning the Jayco Tour of Queensland.
- The podium after the final stage - (L-R) Thomas Liese (Malaysian Airlines, 2nd), Jonas Ljungblad (Bendigo Bank, 1st) and Corey Sweet (Lysaght, 3rd).
- The team from Bendigo Bank with winning rider Jonas Ljungblad are interviewed after the final stage.
- The winning team from Jayco on the podium.
Results
1 Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Mirvac 42.50 (46.23 km/h) 2 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 3 Dillan Boone (Aus) Uno Clothing 4 David Harrigan (Aus) Europcar 5 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 6 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 7 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 8 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 9 Jorn Reuss (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 10 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 11 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 12 Brad Edmunds (Aus) Europcar 13 Jose Rodriguez (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 14 Paul Healion (Irl) Centracks 15 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Malaysia Airlines 16 Philip Finnegan (Irl) Centracks 17 Dean Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 18 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Mirvac 19 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 20 Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 21 Andrew Graham (Aus) Uno Clothing 22 Matthew Goold (Aus) Jayco 23 Ruber Marin (Col) Subaru 24 Kristian House (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 25 Thomas Liese (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 26 Dominique Perras (Can) Jayco 27 Richard Vollebregt (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 28 Kieran Page (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 29 Mathew Rex (Aus) Lysaght 30 Jorge Libonatti (Uru) Europcar 31 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Mirvac 32 Steven De Decker (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 33 Tomas Buchacek (Cze) Subaru 34 Peter McDonald (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 35 James Hannam (Aus) Lysaght 36 Rob Sharman (GBr) Centracks 37 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Jayco 38 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Bundaberg Sugar 39 Matthew Newlands (Aus) Mirvac 40 Mark Roland (Aus) Jayco 41 Josh Wilson (Aus) Bundaberg Sugar 42 Benoit Poilvet (Fra) Bundaberg Sugar 43 Gilbert Gutowski (Aus) Europcar 44 Daniel Newnham (Aus) Mirvac 44 Brian Kenneally (Irl) Centracks 46 Jamie Burrow (GBr) Bendigo Bank 47 Chris George (Aus) Lysaght 0.12 48 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 0.48 49 Thomas Gronqvist (Swe) Bendigo Bank 1.26 50 Artur Kraeszowiec (Pol) Bendigo Bank 51 Mateusz Mroz (Pol) Bendigo Bank 52 Bradley Mills (Aus) Subaru 2.01 53 Trent Wilson (Aus) Subaru 2.52 Sprints Sprint 1 - End of Lap 6 1 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 3 pts 2 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 2 3 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 1 Sprint 2 - End of Lap 8 1 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 3 pts 2 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 2 3 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 1 Sprint 3 - End of Lap 10 1 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 3 pts 2 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 2 3 Kieran Page (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 1 Sprint 4 - End of Lap 12 1 Kieran Page (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 3 pts 2 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 2 3 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Mirvac 1 Sprint 5 - End of Lap 14 1 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 3 pts 2 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 2 3 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 1 Sprint 6 - End of Lap 16 1 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 3 pts 2 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 2 3 Matthew Goold (Aus) Jayco 1 Sprint 7 - End of Lap 18 1 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 3 pts 2 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 2 3 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 1 Sprint 8 - End of Lap 20 1 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 3 pts 2 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 2 3 Artur Kraeszowiec (Pol) Bendigo Bank 1 Sprint 9 - End of Lap 22 1 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 3 pts 2 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 2 3 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 1 Sprint 10 - End of Lap 24 1 Kristian House (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 3 pts 2 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 2 3 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 1 Sprint 11 - End of Lap 26 1 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 3 pts 2 Matthew Goold (Aus) Jayco 2 3 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Malaysia Airlines 1 Final general classification 1 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 9.11.02 2 Thomas Liese (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 0.02 3 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 0.09 4 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 5 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 0.12 6 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 0.43 7 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 0.56 8 Jorge Libonatti (Uru) Europcar 1.03 9 Dominique Perras (Can) Jayco 1.21 10 Kristian House (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 1.24 11 Jorn Reuss (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 1.42 12 Tomas Buchacek (Cze) Subaru 2.08 13 Matthew Goold (Aus) Jayco 2.20 14 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Mirvac 2.38 15 David Harrigan (Aus) Europcar 3.20 16 Rob Sharman (GBr) Centracks 3.38 17 Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 3.39 18 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Mirvac 3.59 19 Jamie Burrow (GBr) Bendigo Bank 4.07 20 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 4.09 21 Kieran Page (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 4.18 22 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Bundaberg Sugar 4.24 23 Ruber Marin (Col) Subaru 4.32 24 Peter McDonald (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 4.33 25 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Jayco 4.38 26 Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Mirvac 4.48 27 Mark Roland (Aus) Jayco 5.11 28 Richard Vollebregt (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 5.21 29 Jose Rodriguez (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 5.50 30 Matthew Newlands (Aus) Mirvac 5.54 31 Steven De Decker (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 6.00 32 Thomas Gronqvist (Swe) Bendigo Bank 6.40 33 Daniel Newnham (Aus) Mirvac 6.49 34 Mathew Rex (Aus) Lysaght 8.11 35 Benoit Poilvet (Fra) Bundaberg Sugar 8.13 36 Trent Wilson (Aus) Subaru 9.15 37 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 11.26 38 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Malaysia Airlines 12.56 39 Dean Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 13.23 40 James Hannam (Aus) Lysaght 14.38 41 Mateusz Mroz (Pol) Bendigo Bank 14.47 42 Bradley Mills (Aus) Subaru 15.20 43 Andrew Graham (Aus) Uno Clothing 16.26 44 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 16.59 45 Josh Wilson (Aus) Bundaberg Sugar 19.50 46 Dillan Boone (Aus) Uno Clothing 21.34 47 Gilbert Gutowski (Aus) Europcar 21.40 48 Philip Finnegan (Irl) Centracks 22.45 49 Brad Edmunds (Aus) Europcar 23.14 50 Paul Healion (Irl) Centracks 34.37 51 Chris George (Aus) Lysaght 36.26 52 Artur Kraeszowiec (Pol) Bendigo Bank 37.36 53 Brian Kenneally (Irl) Centracks 44.05 Sprint Championship 1 Kieran Page (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 44 pts 2 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 29 3 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 26 4 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 20 5 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 20 6 David Harrigan (Aus) Europcar 15 7 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 15 8 Mateusz Mroz (Pol) Bendigo Bank 15 9 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 13 10 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 12 11 Kristian House (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 12 12 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Jayco 11 13 Daniel Newnham (Aus) Mirvac 9 14 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Mirvac 7 15 Thomas Liese (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 7 16 Dominique Perras (Can) Jayco 7 17 Jose Rodriguez (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 7 18 Peter McDonald (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 7 19 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 6 20 Tomas Buchacek (Cze) Subaru 6 21 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 6 22 Trent Wilson (Aus) Subaru 6 23 Steven De Decker (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 5 24 Bradley Mills (Aus) Subaru 5 25 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Malaysia Airlines 5 26 Jorge Libonatti (Uru) Europcar 4 27 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Mirvac 4 28 Mark Roland (Aus) Jayco 3 29 Rob Sharman (GBr) Centracks 3 30 Matthew Goold (Aus) Jayco 3 31 Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 3 32 Artur Kraeszowiec (Pol) Bendigo Bank 2 33 Richard Vollebregt (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 2 34 Benoit Poilvet (Fra) Bundaberg Sugar 1 35 Ruber Marin (Col) Subaru 1 36 Dean Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 1 King Of The Mountain Championship 1 Thomas Liese (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 26 pts 2 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 14 3 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 12 4 Stephen Cummings (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 6 5 David Harrigan (Aus) Europcar 5 6 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 5 7 Jorge Libonatti (Uru) Europcar 4 8 Rob Sharman (GBr) Centracks 4 9 Trent Wilson (Aus) Subaru 4 10 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 4 11 Tomas Buchacek (Cze) Subaru 3 12 Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 3 13 Richard Vollebregt (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 1 14 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 1 15 Benoit Poilvet (Fra) Bundaberg Sugar 1 Criterium championship 1 Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Mirvac 28 pts 2 David McKenzie (Aus) Jayco 24 3 Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 24 4 Russell Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 19 5 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 19 6 David Harrigan (Aus) Europcar 15 7 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Subaru 14 8 Dean Downing (GBr) Radio 4BU-KIX FM 13 9 Bart Heirewegh (Bel) Bundaberg Sugar 12 10 Mathew Rex (Aus) Lysaght 11 11 Mateusz Mroz (Pol) Bendigo Bank 8 12 Dillan Boone (Aus) Uno Clothing 8 13 Jorn Reuss (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 8 14 Artur Kraeszowiec (Pol) Bendigo Bank 7 15 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 5 16 Paul Healion (Irl) Centracks 2 17 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Malaysia Airlines 1 18 Corey Sweet (Aus) Lysaght 1 19 Jonas Ljungblad (Swe) Bendigo Bank 1 Leading Queensland Rider Award 1 Tony Mann (Aus) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 2 Cameron Jennings (Aus) Mirvac 3 Ashley Hutchinson (Aus) Mirvac 4 Mark Roland (Aus) Jayco 5 Matthew Newlands (Aus) Mirvac 6 Daniel Newnham (Aus) Mirvac 7 Gilbert Gutowski (Aus) Europcar Aggressive Rider Awards 1 Thomas Liese (Ger) Malaysia Airlines 5 pts 2 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Jayco 2 3 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Mirvac 2 4 Trent Wilson (Aus) Subaru 2 5 Jaaron Poad (NZl) Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 2 Team Classification 1 Jayco 27.38.49 2 Malaysia Airlines 2.19 3 Subaru 2.34 4 Radio 4BU-KIX FM 5 Argon 18 Bikes - Caravello 5.29 6 Bendigo Bank 6.26 7 Mirvac 6.38 8 Bundaberg Sugar 7.50 9 Lysaght 17.27 10 Europcar 21.31 11 Centracks 55.50 12 UNO Clothing
