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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 5 - October 12: Benalla to Lake Mountain, 182.9km
Lloyd wins as classification battle brews
By John Trevorrow in Lake Mountain
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Another day, another breakaway, and the stage is set for the closest finish in the history of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Matthew Lloyd, South Australia.com, rode away from his 16 companions soon after Marysville to stamp himself as the best climber in the race. But it was fellow Aussie and defending champion Simon Gerrans, Jayco National Team, who grabbed the yellow jersey.
As the race headed up Lake Mountain, Lloyd's lead was 2 minutes 30 seconds at the first time check and at the 20 km to go mark it was still 2 minutes. After a super impressive ride, the 23 year-old from Melbourne was ecstatic as he crossed the line pumping his fists in the air.
"That was just what I needed," Lloyd said. "I came into this race and the first criterium I crashed and then missed the move on the first road stage, and I was shattered not to be on GC. I saw the move going early, I wasn't worrying about Gerro or anyone, I just did my own thing. I thought I might as well get amongst it. This just means so much to me.
"The team has done a great job in fixing me up since the fall, my arm's still a bit puffy but who cares, and I started to feel pretty good today. I hit 'em at the bottom and I thought 2 and a half minutes is enough for me.
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"I spoke to Cadel Evans who has been a remarkable help over the last two years and he said to take it easy - try get a stage win if I could but don't be unsafe about it. So that's the way I approached it."
Just like every day so far, the attacks were on from the start and finally, just like most days, a large break got clear. But, as good as Lloyd's win was, it was the race going on behind that had everyone enthralled.
As expected big Tasmanian HealthNet rider Karl Menzies, couldn't hold the true climbers on the steep early slopes of Lake Mountain and he soon dropped out of contention. The Jayco National team had the diminutive Trent Lowe on the front setting the pace for most of the climb. The peloton quickly shrunk down to the 10 top guns and it was an intriguing battle of tactics as the true contenders jostled for an advantage.
Once Lowe pulled off the front in the final five kilometres all the contenders looked at each other to take the initiative and finally it was Lanky Irishman David McCann who burst clear after Docker. But it ended up costing him as Gerrans, and the quiet American Phil Zajicek, managed to counter attack past him and grab a vital seven seconds.
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The race is now down to four. Leader Gerrans, Zajicek at five seconds, Australian mountain bike star Chris Jongewaard at 10 seconds and McCann at 11. With Zajicek and McCann being time trial specialists, Gerrans is going to have his work cut out in Kew.
"I am looking forward to the time trial. It's what I do best and I think the course will suit me," a confident Zajicek said. "I think I'll go to Melbourne tonight so I can check out the course in the morning."
McCann was also confident. "I felt good on the climb but I need a bit of support near the end. I attacked in the final kilometres and it back fired but I'm only a few seconds down and I feel very strong," McCann said.
Jayco Australia team director, Dave Sanders was full of praise for the efforts of his charges, "It was fantastic to see guys like Robbie McEwen laying it on the line for their mates. It is war out there. Everything was planned and everyone played their part."
Interesting whilst the rest of the team climbed into Sanders' car, Gerrans hopped on his bike and headed off back down the mountain to Marysville, before returning to Melbourne for the night in the comfort of his own bed. Gerrans indicated in his post race interview that he is acutely aware of what lies ahead, "The team did an awesome job. Trent (Lowe) was superb and Willo (Trent) did a ripper turn at the start of the week, everyone said the race would be decided today and tomorrow.
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"As it happens it's now really tight but at the same time I'm glad I'm five seconds in front not five seconds behind. But the other guys are good bike riders and I've got my work cut out."
Another impressive ride was that of Mitch Docker, the 20 year-old Drapac Porshe rider, who not only jumped clear in the final two kilometres to snare second on the stage, but punctured earlier on the final climb and rode back to the peloton with ridiculous ease.
The early break was good for Hilton Clarke who dominated the early sprints and is virtually home and hosed now in the race for the sprinters jersey. With the distinct possibility the race could be decided on Saturday by a handful of seconds, it could even come down to the surreal scenario that would see Simon Gerrans being led out by team-mate Robbie McEwen, while Phil Zajicek would be led out by his team-mate Hilton Clarke, and Dave McCann assisted by his man in Tobias Erler, as they race for the vital seconds that are up for grabs in the sprints and stage win at Lygon St. Now that would be worth going a long way to see.
Tomorrow's 11.3km stage is the 2006 Tour's shortest and takes the form on an individual time trial through Studley Park and Yarra Boulevard in Kew.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Riders from the Navigators team relax before the longest stage of the Tour - 182.9kms from Benalla to Lake Mountain
- It’s sign on time for team Navigators in Benalla for the start to stage five
- Canadian Eric Wohlberg is the oldest rider on the Tour at 41 years of age
- Simon Gerrans (1) of the Jayco Australian National Team was on the tail of Tour leader Karl Menzies (HealthNet-Maxxis) in the early kilometres of the stage
- Ryan Sullivan (Australian Under 23 Team) was a member of a large group that escaped the peloton on stage five
- Riders were going bananas over the Tour… I hope they realise how much they cost in Australia!
- Ryan MacKenzie (BicycleSuperstore-Canada) in action during stage five
- A member of the American HealthNet-Maxxis team working hard for their Tour leader, Karl Menzies
- The boys from the HealthNet-Maxxis team on the front with their Tour leader Karl Menzies in yellow, and challenger Simon Gerrans is looking for the gap
- Things were hotting up on the Tour and not even a fire-ban will stop this race from exploding!
- Channel Ten's Ian Cohen performs a rolling interview on the road with South Australia.com's Matt Lloyd
- The peloton were around seven minutes behind the lead group when they passed through Alexandra
- Daniel Lloyd (Giant Asia Racing Team) from England in action during stage five
- Trent Lowe (Jayco Australian National Team) drives a chasing group and teammate Simon Gerrans towards Matt Lloyd and the yellow jersey respectively
- Simon Gerrans (Centre) of the Jayco Australian National Team climbs Lake Mountain and into the Tour lead
- David McCann (Giant Asia Racing Team) is heading for another podium place on GC in Melbourne on Saturday
- Matt Lloyd (South Australia.com) takes out the longest stage of the Tour to the top of Lake Mountain
- Nariyuki Masuda (Japan-Latrobe City) is offered a drink after suffering under the blistering sun and the climb up Lake Mountain
- It's a man's drink - Solo - quenching the thirst of Simon Clarke (South Australia.com) after a tough time on the mountain
- Stage winner Matt Lloyd (South Australia.com), conquered Mt.Baw Baw in 2004, and now Lake Mountain in 2006
- Hilton Clarke (Navigators) is leading the Portfolio Partners Sprint Points competition after five stages of the Tour
- Trent Lowe (Jayco Australian National Team) was cool under pressure and powered Simon Gerrans up Lake Mountain and into the Tour lead
- The new Tour leader, Simon Gerrans (Jayco Australian National Team) with the traditional podium spray
Results
1 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 4.39.25 2 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.38 3 Peter Mcdonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 1.53 4 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 2.00 5 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 6 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 2.05 7 David Mccann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 2.07 8 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 2.20 9 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 10 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 2.37 11 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 12 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 3.50 13 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 14 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 15 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 5.14 16 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 17 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 18 Kirk O'bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 19 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 20 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team 21 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 22 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 23 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 24 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 25 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 26 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 5.52 27 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 28 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 6.51 29 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 7.41 30 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 31 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 8.02 32 Robert Mclachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 8.12 33 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 8.52 34 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 9.31 35 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 36 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 37 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 10.18 38 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 11.30 39 Joe Mcdonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 40 Derek Mcmaster (Can) Canadian National Team 41 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 12.21 42 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 13.30 43 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 44 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 14.09 45 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 14.27 46 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 14.34 47 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 15.04 48 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 15.28 49 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team 50 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 18.48 51 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 52 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 53 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 54 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 55 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 56 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 57 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 58 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 59 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 60 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 61 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 62 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 63 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 64 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 65 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 66 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 67 Michael Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 68 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 69 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 70 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 71 Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 72 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 73 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 74 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 75 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 76 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team 77 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 78 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 79 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 80 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 81 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 19.50 82 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 24.24 83 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Australian National Team 24.48 84 Doug Ollershaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 85 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 86 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 26.05 87 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 88 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche DNF Jasper Lenferink (Ned) Netherlands Altipower DNF Henk Vogels (Aus) Australian National Team DNS Ghader Mizbani (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team General classification after stage 5 1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 18.51.11 2 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.05 3 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.10 4 David Mccann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.11 5 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 1.28 6 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 1.43 7 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 2.41 8 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 2.52 9 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 2.56 10 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 2.59 11 Kirk O'bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3.19 12 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 4.35 13 Robert Mclachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 6.17 14 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 8.52 15 Joe Mcdonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 16.47 16 Peter Mcdonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 18.14 17 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 19.01 18 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 25.56 19 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 25.58 20 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 26.26 21 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 30.02 22 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 30.23 23 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 30.36 24 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 31.36 25 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 26 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 31.49 27 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 32.40 28 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 32.42 29 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 30 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 33.17 31 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 33.21 32 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 33.27 33 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team 33.52 34 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 35.57 35 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 36.19 36 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 36.22 37 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 36.48 38 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 37.14 39 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 37.30 40 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 37.46 41 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 38.00 42 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 38.17 43 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 39.24 44 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 39.37 45 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 41.07 46 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 41.51 47 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 41.54 48 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 42.05 49 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 42.12 50 Derek Mcmaster (Can) Canadian National Team 42.31 51 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 42.56 52 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 43.20 53 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 43.26 54 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 46.10 55 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 46.12 56 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 46.16 57 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 58 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 59 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 60 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 61 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team 62 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 46.36 63 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team 46.50 64 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 46.51 65 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 46.58 66 Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 47.12 67 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 47.26 68 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 47.29 69 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 49.13 70 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 49.41 71 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Netherlands Altipower 72 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 73 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 74 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 49.56 75 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 50.19 76 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 50.44 77 Michael Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 51.19 78 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 79 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 80 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 51.52 81 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 52.14 82 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 52.16 83 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 54.14 84 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 54.46 85 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Australian National Team 55.39 86 Doug Ollershaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 55.49 87 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche 56.58 88 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.14.50
