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Jayco Herald Sun Tour - 2.1
Australia, October 8-14, 2006
Main Page Results Overall standings Stage Details Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 4 - October 11: Mitchelton Winery (Nagambie) to Benalla, 178.4km
Sitoshi takes tight win over local boy Tanner
By John Trevorrow in Benalla
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Local boy David Tanner's dreams of a fairy-tale win into Benalla were dashed by the width of a tyre by Japan's Sitoshi Hirose. The Benalla crowd was screaming for local boy Tanner as he looked to be in control as they raced around a three kilometre circuit of the town's streets. But in the final metres Hirose lunged up on the outside with both riders throwing their bike forward to the line.
Each rider claimed victory and the judges had to go to the photo finish before awarding it to the Japanese star. For 31 year old Hirose, it was a welcome return to form having struggled for three years to recapture the form which delivered him victory in the Tour of Hokkaido in 2003. Despite winning over 30 good races in his native Japan and having taken a ninth placing in a pro stage race in France, the Japanese rider regarded today's as his most significant win in his long career.
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"I had a amateur stage win in Europe, but this is definitely my best win internationally," said Hirose. "With two of us in the lead group, we were able to help each other, but I am happy to be the winner."
Tanner was devastated when the judges announced the decision. "I thought I had just held him off. Yes it's very disappointing, especially since I've had a terrible season finishing second a few times in France. I think I've had 12 second places over the past two years. That's the way it goes I suppose. I've got to work on my sprint a bit. I was in every move and I attacked as hard as I could. Really that was the best selection I could have made and I had to make a big effort to get to them. Once we got clear, Johnny Clarke did some massive turns and had us all hanging."
You stepped into him a little bit near the finish? "Yeah I should have stepped into him a bit more."
Day Four of the 2006 Jayco Herald Sun Tour produced an almost carbon copy version of the previous day, with long breakaway dominating the action for most of the day, before a cat and mouse endured over the final kilometres.
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Like yesterday the attacks were relentless from the start and many breakaway attempt were nullified by the chasing pack. Finally a group of 16 got clear, and it had the right mix, with the most teams represented and no GC riders included.
The race then settled down and the lead group increased their lead to six minutes as the main group rode steady with the HealthNet team of race leader Karl Menzies dominant at the front. That all changed about 25 kilometers from the finish when the race turned into the side winds and the attacks started. The group virtually split in half at one point and the lead got out to 40 seconds but then Hilton Clarke buried himself to bring it back.
Finally it was Hilton's brother, Johnny Clarke, that jumped clear, soon joined by Peter McDonald and then by David Tanner and Satoshi Hirose. For Navigators' lead man, Hilton Clarke it was a day of mixed emotions. Whilst he succeeded in recovering the sprinter's green jersey from Germany's Tobias Erler, he was bitterly disappointed with the news that younger brother Johnny had failed only in the last kilometre to emulate his own efforts of Sunday and win a stage of the Tour.
The race for the sprint crown now looks to have boiled down to a man on man battle between Clarke and Erler. The Victorian made every effort today to push ahead taking second in both intermediate sprints but the German made his presence felt picking up third in Seymour and then getting support from his Giant Asia Racing team mate, Stephen Gallagher, who nudged Clarke out in the win in Violet Town.
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HealthNet's Karl Menzies continues to maintain a lead on general classification over Erler, who reduced the gap to just four seconds after pick up a time bonus today. The Tasmanian was again prominent as the main bunch crossed the line, showing little concern about the earlier arrivals, none of whom were within range of an overall win.
"My HealthNet team mates took up the responsibility again today," said Menzies in yellow. "Just keeping the bunch where it should be. But who knows what is going to happen tomorrow."
There was no change in the other categories with the Jayco Australian national team still with a seemingly unbeatable lead in the teams competition, and Simon Clarke (South Australia.com) maintaining the edge over Jayco rider Trent Lowe in the young rider classification.
Tomorrow's 183km stage is the 2006 Tour's longest, taking the 90-rider field from Benalla through sprints at Buxton and Alexandra, before the testing 22km climb to the finish at Lake Mountain.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Can you see a Tour de France sprint-ace in there somewhere?
- Looking down on the stage four starting area at the Mitchelton Winery
- Tour leader Karl Menzies (HealthNet-Maxxis) on the startline at the Mitchelton Winery
- The Tour leaves Mitchelton Winery for the start of stage four
- Stephen Cunningham (Savings & Loans) out of the saddle during stage four
- Brandon Crichton (L) of the Bicycle Superstore-Canadian team and Jonathan Clarke (South Australia.com) go on the attack
- A leading group emerged after 55kms on stage four
- Will Dickeson (L) of the Savings & Loans team picks his bike up while YoshimitsuTsuji feels the pain after a tumble on stage four
- Wes Sulzberger (South Australia.com) receives assistance after striking trouble on stage four
- The leaders on the narrow roads of country Victoria near Benalla
- The Tour head over a bridge on the 178.4km stage from Mitchelton Winery to Benalla
- Tony Mann (Jayco Australian National Team) was a member of the leading group
- American HealthNet-Maxxis rider Kyle Gritters in the leading group on stage four
- Manuel Cardoso (Carvalhelhos-Boavista) of Portugal found himself in the lead group
- Yoshiyuki Shimizu (L) of the Japan-Latrobe City team and Peter McDonald FRF Couriers Excelpro working hard on the front of the lead group
- The peleton cross a rocky railway-line in search of the leaders
- Satoshi Hirose (Japan-Latrobe City) at the front of the leading group
- Peter McDonald (FRF Couriers Excelpro) and Jonathan Clarke (South Australia.com) were in the thick of the action during stage four
- A member of the Japanese-Latrobe City team feels the strain during the long stage four
- Jonathan Clarke (L) of the South Australia.com team and Brandon Crichton (Bicycle Superstore-Canada) working hard in the lead group
- Four riders enter the final ten kilometres with the race to themselves
- David Tanner (Australian Under 23 Team) was hoping for success on his home turf
- Peter McDonald (L) of the FRF Couriers Excelpro team and Satoshi Hirose (Japan-Latrobe City) put the foot down in the concluding kilometres
- No Lance Armstrong is not in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour… He's on the side of a neutral-spares van
- Peter McDonald (L) of the FRF Couriers Excelpro team and Jonathan Clarke (South Australia.com) tried to sneak away and steal the stage
- The four are back together and approaching the outskirts of Benalla
- Satoshi Hirose (R ), (Japan-Latrobe City), edges out David Tanner (Australia Under 23 team) in a thriller in Benalla
- A happy Satoshi Hirose (Japan-Latrobe City) after taking stage four into Benalla
- Satoshi Hirose (Japan-Latrobe City) celebrates his stage win on the podium in Benalla
- Tasmanian Karl Menzies (HealthNet-Maxxis) sprays the champers in Benalla with a four second lead after four stages
Results
1 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 4.19.07 (41.31 km/h) 2 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 3 Peter McDonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 4 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 0.14 5 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 1.19 6 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 1.21 7 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 8 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 1.23 9 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 1.25 10 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 11 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team 12 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 13 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.28 14 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 2.24 15 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 16 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 4.19 17 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 9.16 18 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 19 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 20 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 21 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 22 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 23 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 24 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 25 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 26 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 27 Michael Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 28 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 29 Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 30 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 31 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 32 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 33 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 34 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 35 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 36 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 37 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 38 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 39 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 40 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 41 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 42 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 43 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 44 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 45 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 46 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 47 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 48 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 49 Joe McDonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 50 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 51 Henk Vogels (Aus) Australian National Team 52 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 53 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 54 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 55 Daniel McConnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 56 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 57 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 58 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 59 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 60 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 61 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 62 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 63 Ghader Mizbani (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 64 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 65 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 66 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 67 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 68 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 69 Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 70 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team 71 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche 72 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 73 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 74 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team 75 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 76 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 77 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 78 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 79 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 80 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 81 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 82 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 83 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 84 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 85 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 86 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 87 Derek McMaster (Can) Canadian National Team 88 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 89 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 90 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 91 Jasper Lenferink (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 91 Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello General classification after stage 4 1 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 14.09.24 2 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.04 3 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 0.15 4 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 0.22 5 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.26 6 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 0.27 7 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 8 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 9 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 10 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 1.13 11 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 12 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.43 13 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 14 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 3.49 15 Henk Vogels (Aus) Australian National Team 4.58 16 Joe McDonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 7.39 17 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 17.33 18 Peter McDonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 18.47 19 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 20.28 20 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 20.48 21 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 21.20 22 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 21.51 23 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 21.57 24 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 22.32 25 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 22.58 26 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 23.15 27 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 24.58 28 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 25.28 29 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 25.30 30 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 25.31 31 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 25.39 32 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 25.43 33 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 25.46 34 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 25.52 35 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 28.07 36 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 28.30 37 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 28.57 38 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 29.46 39 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 29.47 40 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 29.50 41 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 42 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 43 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 44 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 45 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 46 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 47 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 48 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 49 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team 50 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 51 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 52 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 30.10 53 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 30.25 54 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 55 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 56 Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 30.46 57 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 31.00 58 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 59 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 60 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team 61 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 31.03 62 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 63 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 31.52 64 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 33.13 65 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 33.15 66 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 67 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche 68 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 69 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 70 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 33.23 71 Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 72 Derek McMaster (Can) Canadian National Team 73 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 33.30 74 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 75 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team 33.44 76 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 33.53 77 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 33.58 78 Ghader Mizbani (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 79 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 80 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 34.18 81 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 82 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 83 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 34.53 84 Michael Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 85 Daniel McConnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 86 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 87 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 35.08 88 Jasper Lenferink (Ned) Netherlands-Altipower 89 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 35.48 90 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 37.48 91 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 58.24
