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Tattersall's Cup Series Tour of Gippsland - NE
Australia, August 2-6, 2006
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage
Stage 9 - August 6: Warragul - Warragul, 134.8kms
Stomping Sulzberger snatches eleventh-hour victory
By Rod Morris in Warragul
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Tasmanian rider Wes Sulzberger turned an overnight 54 second deficit into championship victory in the opening event of this year's Tattersall's Cup cycling series, the five day Tour of Gippsland. Finishing in Warragul after a tough 134 km out and back road stage, Sulzberger and his South Australia.com teammates, fought tooth and nail to reel in tour leader Dean Windsor and his Drapac Porsche team, and succeeded in impressive style.
Sulzberger finished second in the stage behind local rider Daniel McConnell, but more importantly, claimed overall honours, 1'28 ahead of Queenslander Miles Olman, while McConnell elevated his status from 15th to third. All three are part of the South Australia.com-AIS team.
Windsor's horror final day, saw him finish in the main bunch, 5'32 behind and for the first time for the whole tour, he missed his time on the podium. Windsor fell from first to sixth and finished 4'51 behind Sulzberger in the tour. Windsor admitted on Saturday that he was worried about Sulzberger. 24 hours later his stance was justified.
Sulzberger forged his way ahead of the main bunch about 60 km into the stage with a group of eight others including teammates Miles Olman, Michael Ford and Daniel McConnell. The group worked hard, quickly gaining time on the chasing peloton and punishing Windsor's Drapac Porsche team for missing the break.
Sulzberger wasn't too concerned about not winning the stage, but he was clearly THE rider of the tour. Outside of general classification honours, Sulzberger also won the sprint, criterium and most aggressive rider championships. A rare feat indeed for the one rider to win so many individual awards in the same tour.
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"It was all on the line in the final stage," Sulzberger said. "My team was fantastic and I really wouldn't have got to this podium position without them."
In a great result for the South Australia.com-AIS team, Miles Olman and Daniel McConnell completed the trifecta in GC placings. To add further success to the team, Michael Ford finished third to McConnell and Sulzberger in the final stage, giving the team the top four there as well.
Windsor was shattered post race, but realistic. "It was always going to be a tough stage and I knew we had to watch Sulzberger and his team so closely," he said.
"But full credit to Wes, I'm happy to have worn yellow for as long as I did and if I had to turn it over to anyone, then it couldn't have gone to a better rider."
Sulzberger has also jumped to the lead in the prestigious Tattersall's Cup, a series of races which includes the Australian Grand Prix in Ballarat, Tour of the Murray River and the Tour of Tasmania. "It has been an awesome week and I am really proud to have started the series so well," he said.
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"There is still a lot of racing to go yet, but I'll be trying just as hard in all the others as this one. I was bit rusty early in the week, but got better as the tour went along."
The final stage took its toll on the bunch, but only because the lead group had the hammer down for so long. Outside of the South Australia.com-AIS team, others in the group included Victorian Mark O'Brien and NSW trio, Cameron Peterson, Chris Jory and veteran Peter Milostic.
In the sprint to the final line, McConnell opened up a gap of 15 seconds to the chasers, while the bunch was more than five minutes down the road, led home by David Pell and the despondent overnight leader Dean Windsor.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Dean Windsor (Drapac Porsche) contemplates a 54 second lead over South Australia.com's Wes Sulzberger going into the final stage
- The final stage started at the Warragul Country Club golf course where the yellow jersey was among three-woods and nine-irons
- A police-solo and the chief-judge were called upon to herd some stray sheep early into the 134.8km final stage
- The field climb their way out of Warragul on an 134.8km out-and-back course on the final day of the tour
- Riders at the back of the peloton about to descend into the country-side around Warragul
- A lead group opened up a gap on the peloton early into the final stage
- Peter Ladd from Victoria was one of eight riders in the leading group after twenty kilometres
- Peter Milostic from New South Wales was fourteenth overall heading into the final stage and found himself in the leading pack
- Nick Both from New South Wales 29th overall going into the final stage and got himself into the leading group
- Jason Hegert of Victoria, 27th overall and 7.22 minutes behind tour leader Dean Windsor and in the lead group early into the final stage
- The main field descend in search of the leading group of eight riders
- Even going downhill can split the peloton up as some riders descend better than others
- Mark O'Bien (Jayco/VIS, R) tows the leaders up a category two climb on the final stage
- Peter Milostic (L) and Chris Jory working hard to keep the group out in front on the climb
- Mark O'Brien leads Jack Alexander and Peter Milostic over the category two climb at Toorongo River
- Christopher Fry leads fellow Victorian Patrick Shaw over the category two climb at Toorongo River
- The yellow jersey of the tour leader,Dean Windsor, found the going tough up the climb at Toorongo River where his lead was quickly dwindling
- Riders string out after the tough grind up the climb at Toorongo River
- Riders at the back of the race weave around towering 'gums' on narrow roads heading towards Trafalgar
- Cody Stevenson (FRF Couriers/Caravello, R) was third overall just 1.07 minutes behind Windsor going into the final stage but missed the break and struggled on this climb
- Miles Olman (SA.com) had been attacking for most of the week and found himself in a new lead group which established a break after the category two climb at Toorongo River
- Wes Sulzberger (SA.com) was just 54 seconds from the tour lead going into the final stage; Sulzberger got into the leading group and rode like a man possesed to snatch the yellow jersey
- The yellow jersey group, over four minutes behind the leaders with around twenty-five kilometres to go
- Tour leader Dean Windsor in yellow has Robert McLachlan in his ear urging him on in the concluding stages of the race
- A South Australia.com trio in front: Daniel McConnell leads Miles Olman and Wes Sulzberger towards the finish in Warragul
- Daniel McConnell (SA.com) takes out the final stage in Warragul and makes it four out of nine stage victories for their outfit
- The race for the minor-placings and it's SA.com again… Wes Sulzberger (2nd, C) and Michael Ford (3rd, L)
- Partners in crime…stage winner Daniel McConnell (L) and Wes Sulzberger the Tour of Gippsland winner
- The boys from South Australia.com make it a trifecta on the podium after the final stage of the tour
- The jerseys and trophies of the Tattersall's Cup Cycling Series… four races make up the series and the Tour of Gippsland has got the ball…I mean wheel rolling
- Tasmanian Wes Sulzberger on the green in green and the winner of the Mid Valley Shopping Centre Morwell Sprint Points Competition
- Wes Sulzberger , on the attack again and winner of the Subaru Most Aggressive rider of the tour competition
- Wes Sulzberger from Flowery Gully near Beaconsfield in Northern Tasmania winner of the 2006 Tour of Gippsland
Results
1 Daniel McConnell 3.20.23 2 Wesley Sulzberger 0.15 3 Michael Ford 4 Miles Olman 5 Mark O'Brien 6 Cameron Peterson 7 Chris Jory 8 Peter Milostic 9 David Pell 5.32 10 Dean Windsor 11 Patrick Shaw 12 Robert McLachlan 13 Christopher Fry 14 Jacob Sutherland 15 Chris Jongewaard 16 Tony Mann 17 Bradley Clarke 18 Richie Porte 19 Jason Hegert 20 Peter Ladd 21 Lachlan Norris 22 Edwin Crossling 23 Darren Lapthorne 24 Brendan Brooks 25 Aaron Wheeler 26 Jack Alexander 7.14 27 Nick Both 28 Scott Peoples 13.06 29 Michael Tolhurst 13.20 30 Robert Cater 31 Mitchell Docker 32 Damien Turner 33 Tom Middleton 34 Stephen Isbel 35 Stuart Shaw 36 Daniel Furmston 37 Fabio Calabria 38 Casey Munro 39 Cody Stevenson 40 Will Dickeson 41 Alistair Crossling 13.33 42 Andrew Hanigan 22.59 43 Benjamin Juzwin 44 Vaughan Bowman 45 Michael Gallagher 46 Andrew Ward 47 Tim Hucker 48 Tim Buchanan 49 Timothy Walker 50 Brett Franklin 23.23 51 Chris Steffanoni 52 Kym Howard 53 Matthew Delahunty 54 Peter Smith 55 Steven Robb 56 Stephen Cunningham 30.15 57 Simon Pearson 58 David Hiley 59 Allan Sieper 60 William Zammit 61 Will Wettenhall 62 Steven Pilson 63 Grant Webster 64 Glen Peterson 65 James Henry 66 William Murray 67 Samuel Rix 68 Phillip Stokes 69 Trent Stevenson 70 Jack Hudson 71 Damon De Angelis Sprints Sprint 1 - Rokeby Town Hall 1 Nick Both 3 pts 2 Peter Ladd 2 3 Jack Alexander 1 Sprint 2 - Police Station 1 Peter Ladd 3 pts 2 Peter Milostic 2 3 Jack Alexander 1 Sprint 3 - Soldiers Memorial 1 Mark O'Brien 3 pts 2 Peter Ladd 2 3 Jack Alexander 1 Sprint 4 - Noojee Hotel 1 Peter Milostic 3 pts 2 Peter Ladd 2 3 Jason Hegert 1 Sprint 5 - St James Anglican Church 1 Nick Both 3 pts 2 Michael Ford 2 3 Peter Milostic 1 Sprint 6 - Willow Grove Farm 1 Wesley Sulzberger 3 pts 2 Daniel McConnell 2 3 Miles Olman 1 Sprint 7 - Trafalgar Recreation Reserve 1 Miles Olman 3 pts 2 Wesley Sulzberger 2 3 Michael Ford 1 Sprint 8 - Burn Bank House 1 Miles Olman 3 pts 2 Wesley Sulzberger 2 3 Cameron Peterson 1 Sprint 9 - Shady Creek Primary School 1 Wesley Sulzberger 3 pts 2 Cameron Peterson 2 3 Daniel McConnell 1 Mountains Climb 1 - Cat.4 Mocka 13 - White House 1 Brendan Brooks 3 pts 2 Chris Jory 2 3 Miles Olman 1 Climb 2 - Cat.4 Mocka 21 - Traffic Island 1 Chris Jory 3 pts 2 Michael Ford 2 3 Peter Ladd 1 Climb 3 - Cat.3 Mocka 36 - Thorngrove Hometead 1 Mark O'Brien 5 pts 2 Peter Ladd 3 3 Peter Milostic 2 Climb 4 - Cat.2 Mocka 51 - Toorongo River 1 Mark O'Brien 7 pts 2 Jack Alexander 5 3 Peter Milostic 3 Climb 5 - Cat.2 Mocka 58 - Pass Crossings Rd 1 Wesley Sulzberger 7 pts 2 Daniel McConnell 5 3 Miles Olman 3 Climb 6 - Cat.4 Mocka 90 - White Letterbox on Right 1 Wesley Sulzberger 3 pts 2 Peter Milostic 2 3 Mark O'Brien 1 Final general classification 1 Wesley Sulzberger 15.26.49 2 Miles Olman 1.28 3 Daniel McConnell 3.50 4 Peter Milostic 3.59 5 Mark O'Brien 4.33 6 Dean Windsor 4.51 7 Chris Jongewaard 6.23 8 Michael Ford 6.51 9 Tony Mann 6.52 10 Darren Lapthorne 7.37 11 Patrick Shaw 9.16 12 David Pell 9.19 13 Robert McLachlan 9.20 14 Brendan Brooks 9.58 15 Jacob Sutherland 10.09 16 Lachlan Norris 10.11 17 Edwin Crossling 10.21 18 Jason Hegert 12.12 19 Cody Stevenson 13.46 20 Nick Both 14.11 21 Fabio Calabria 15.08 22 Mitchell Docker 16.27 23 Robert Cater 17.39 24 Stuart Shaw 18.07 25 Scott Peoples 18.11 26 Michael Tolhurst 18.12 27 Casey Munro 18.39 28 Cameron Peterson 20.19 29 Bradley Clarke 21.30 30 Chris Jory 23.14 31 Stephen Isbel 25.27 32 Richie Porte 25.36 33 Tim Buchanan 26.05 34 Tim Hucker 28.04 35 Jack Alexander 36 Aaron Wheeler 28.36 37 Chris Steffanoni 31.28 38 Peter Ladd 31.54 39 Will Dickeson 34.05 40 Tom Middleton 34.44 41 Vaughan Bowman 37.00 42 Benjamin Juzwin 37.53 43 Christopher Fry 38.28 44 Daniel Furmston 39.08 45 Alistair Crossling 40.53 46 Matthew Delahunty 44.50 47 Andrew Ward 46.03 48 Peter Smith 47.26 49 Damien Turner 47.30 50 Timothy Walker 48.10 51 Brett Franklin 52.49 52 Allan Sieper 52.56 53 Kym Howard 55.04 54 Trent Stevenson 57.59 55 Steven Robb 58.32 56 Stephen Cunningham 58.47 57 Simon Pearson 1.03.28 58 Andrew Hanigan 1.04.26 59 Grant Webster 1.04.38 60 David Hiley 1.05.01 61 Jack Hudson 1.09.44 62 Phillip Stokes 1.17.12 63 Glen Peterson 1.17.55 64 William Zammit 1.18.04 65 Michael Gallagher 1.24.11 66 Steven Pilson 1.25.09 67 Samuel Rix 1.31.25 68 Will Wettenhall 1.34.59 69 Damon De Angelis 1.46.03 70 William Murray 1.52.18 71 James Henry 2.02.39 Sprint classification 1 Wesley Sulzberger 94 pts 2 Dean Windsor 48 3 Patrick Shaw 27 4 Mitchell Docker 25 5 Chris Jongewaard 20 6 Scott Peoples 20 7 Will Dickeson 19 8 Peter Ladd 13 9 Mark O'Brien 11 10 Robert McLachlan 11 11 Miles Olman 8 12 Nick Both 8 13 Michael Tolhurst 8 14 Tony Mann 8 15 David Pell 8 16 Cody Stevenson 7 17 Peter Milostic 6 18 Darren Lapthorne 6 19 Robert Cater 6 20 Cameron Peterson 6 21 Tim Buchanan 6 22 Casey Munro 5 23 Vaughan Bowman 4 24 Michael Ford 4 25 Brendan Brooks 4 26 Daniel McConnell 3 27 Jack Alexander 3 28 Richie Porte 2 29 Steven Robb 2 30 Jason Hegert 2 31 Simon Pearson 1 32 Stuart Shaw 1 33 Trent Stevenson 1 Mountains classification 1 Tony Mann 36 pts 2 Darren Lapthorne 33 3 Brendan Brooks 28 4 Wesley Sulzberger 22 5 Will Dickeson 20 6 David Pell 13 7 Mark O'Brien 13 8 Miles Olman 9 9 Scott Peoples 8 10 Daniel McConnell 7 11 Peter Milostic 7 12 Richie Porte 7 13 Peter Ladd 6 14 Simon Pearson 6 15 Jack Alexander 5 16 Chris Jory 5 17 Michael Tolhurst 5 18 Bradley Clarke 2 19 Jason Hegert 2 20 Casey Munro 2 21 Michael Ford 2 22 Chris Jongewaard 2 23 Tim Buchanan 2 24 Stuart Shaw 1 Most aggressive rider classification 1 Wesley Sulzberger 6 pts 2 Sean Finning 2 3 Tony Mann 2 4 Mitchell Docker 2 5 Scott Peoples 2 6 Will Dickeson 2 7 Mark O'Brien 2 8 Darren Lapthorne 2 Criterium championship classification 1 Wesley Sulzberger 35 pts 2 Dean Windsor 27 3 Cody Stevenson 20 4 Scott Peoples 13 5 Darren Lapthorne 13 6 Mitchell Docker 10 7 Robert McLachlan 10 8 Patrick Shaw 10 9 Miles Olman 9 10 Mark O'Brien 7 11 Chris Jongewaard 7 12 Tim Buchanan 7 13 Peter Milostic 6 14 Brendan Brooks 6 15 David Pell 5 16 Cameron Peterson 5 17 Richie Porte 5 18 Will Dickeson 4 19 Stuart Shaw 3 20 Tom Middleton 3 21 Robert Cater 2 22 Michael Ford 1 23 Jason Hegert 1
