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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

Baden Cooke winning in 2002
Photo: © Tom Balks
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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