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Malaysia Airlines Herald Sun Tour of Provincial Victoria - 2.3
Australia, October 14-24, 2004
Stage List Results Preview Past winners
Cooke aims for Sun Tour win
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FdJeux.com sprinter Baden Cooke hopes to salvage a lackluster season when he returns home to Australia for the Malaysia Airlines Herald Sun Tour of Provincial Victoria (October 14 - 24). Cooke won the Herald Sun Tour of in 2002, becoming the first Australian to do so in 16 years, and demonstrating the sprinting talent that gained him the 2003 Tour de France green jersey.
The decision to ride the Herald Sun Tour was a last-minute one as Cooke realized he was coming into good form when he was second in the first stage of the Circuit Franco-Belge on September 23." I hadn't actually planned on doing the tour at all after having a really tough year, but the legs are now turning well," Cooke said. "I will ride and I will ride to win. The last two times I have ridden and had success, I have had very good support, so I have asked Mark Renshaw (Athens Olympian) to be in my team."
Riders in the Herald Sun Tour are usually assembled into one-off teams outside their usual European sponsors and Cooke will captain the Subaru team in the Malaysia Airlines Herald Sun Tour of Provincial Victoria, which will also include Colombian mountain specialist Ruber Marin.
Several other top Australian riders will be vying with Cooke for stage and overall victories. Henk Vogels will lead the Bicycle Superstore team while up-and-coming rider Simon Gerrans, recently recognized as the top Elite 2 in France, will head the Jayco team.
The Active For life team, which dominated last year's race, has assembled a powerful line-up, led by Canadians Eric Wohlberg and Dominique Perras, and Uruguayan Jorge Libonatti.
Credit Agricole, one of Europe's most successful squads, will send two members, Benoit Poilvet and Christophe Le Mevel, to ride with the newly-formed Provincial Victoria team.
The Stages
- Stage 1 - October 14: Melbourne, Lygon Street Criterium, 33 km
- Stage 2 - October 15: Werribee Criterium, 36 km
- Stage 3 - October 15: Werribee - You Yangs, 77.7 km
- Stage 4 - October 16: Portarlington Circuit race, 117 km
- Stage 5 - October 17: Geelong, 77 km
- Stage 6 - October 18: Colac, 178.7 km
- Stage 7 - October 19: Creswick - Daylesford, 154.8 km
- Stage 8 - October 20: Bendigo Kermesse, 69 km
- Stage 9 - October 21: Nagambie - Mansfield, 151.8 km
- Stage 10 - October 22: Mansfield Criterium, 33 km
- Stage 11 - October 22: Mansfield - Jamieson, 38.0 km
- Stage 12 - October 23: Warragul - Mt Baw Baw, 87.7 km
- Stage 13 - October 24: Traralgon Kermesse, 57 km
Past winners
2003 Tim Johnson (USA) Active For Life 2002 Baden Cooke (Aus) Jayco 2001 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Ballarat*Eureka! 2000 Eugen Wacker (Kgz) Echuca-Moama 1999 Michael Blaudzun (Den) Home-Jack&Jones 1998 Alessandro Pozzi (Ita) Italy 1997 Norm Alvis (USA) USA 1996 Scott Moninger (USA) USA 1995 Andy Bishop (USA) USA 1994 Christian Henn (Ger) Germany 1993 David Mann (GBr) England 1992 Bart Bowen (USA) USA 1991 Michael Engleman (USA) USA 1990 Udo Bolts (Ger) Germany 1989 Marcel Arntz (Ned) Netherlands 1988 Adri Van Der Poel (Ned) Netherlands 1987 Stefano Tomasini (Ita) Italy 1986 Neil Stephens (Aus) ACT 1985 Malcolm Elliot (GBr) England 1984 Gary Sutton (Aus) New South Wales 1983 Shane Sutton (Aus) New South Wales 1982 Terry Hammond (Aus) Victoria 1981 Clyde Sefton (Aus) Victoria 1980 David Allan (Aus) Victoria 1979 John Trevorrow (Aus) Victoria 1978 Terry Hammond (Aus) Victoria 1977 John Trevorrow (Aus) Victoria 1976 Peter Besanko (Aus) Victoria 1975 John Trevorrow (Aus) Victoria 1974 Graham McVilly (Aus) Tasmania 1973 Graham McVilly (Aus) Tasmania 1972 Ken Evans (Aus) Victoria 1971 Graham McVilly (Aus) Tasmania 1970 Trevor Williamson (Aus) Victoria 1969 Keith Oliver (Aus) New South Wales 1968 Barry Waddell (Aus) WA 1967 Barry Waddell (Aus) WA 1966 Barry Waddell (Aus) WA 1965 Barry Waddell (Aus) WA 1964 Barry Waddell (Aus) WA 1963 Bill Lawrie (Aus) Queensland 1962 Bill Knevitt (Aus) Victoria 1961 John Young (Aus) Victoria 1960 Peter Panton (Aus) WA 1959 Peter Panton (Aus) WA 1958 John Young (Aus) Victoria 1957 Russell Mockridge (Aus) Victoria 1956 George Goodwin (Aus) Victoria 1955 Allan Geddes (Aus) Victoria 1954 Hec Sutherland (Aus) Victoria 1953 Basil Halsall (Aus) Victoria 1952 Keith Rowley (Aus) Victoria Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com
