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Herald Sun Tour, Australia, October 14-24, 2004
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Matt Goold's Sun Tour diary
Although it's one of the two biggest stage races his home country hosts, Australian Matthew Goold is riding the Malaysia Airlines Herald Sun Tour of Provincial Victoria as part of the multi-national Active for Life Team, alongside Canadians Eric Wohlberg and Dominique Perras, New Zealander Glen Mitchell and Jorge Libonatti from Uruguay.
Hailing from the Southern Australian state of Victoria, Goold is a former state road champion whose role in the team will be to ride support for Wohlberg in the hunt for stage victories.
Stage 9 - October 21: Nagambie - Mansfield, 151.8 km
No progress
Today was not an exceptionally good day. We didn't lose any time - but we didn't gain any either, and that is a disappointment.
The stage was fast and furious from the gun, with Eric Wohlberg, Dominique Perras and myself getting away with a group of 15, around the 20km mark. We stayed away for close to 60km, but the gap was down to 20 seconds before the first major cat 2 climb.
The climbs were really interesting, and gave a clear indication of who will still be in contention come Saturday, after the climb up Mt Baw Baw. Our entire team managed to stay together, and we got over all the climbs in the leading group, but the group was quite large and any attempt by our team to break away was quickly nullified.
There were a few casualties during today's stage with a young rider coming down heavily on one of the carpeted bridges, and the tour leader, Karl Menzies crashing - but he managed to get back on, and join the leaders.
The Latrobe City, McGee NSWIS and Europcar-Pelaco teams are riding really well, and it is going to be difficult to overtake them. But we now have an insight into how these, and the other teams handle the steeper climbs. We believe there is still a chance of getting Active For Life on the podium on the final day, following the last major climb of the tour, up Mt Baw Baw.
