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Jayco Herald Sun Tour - 2.1Australia, October 8-14, 2006Main Page Results Overall standings Stage Details Previous Stage Stage 7 - October 14: Lygon Street Criterium, 80 minutes plus 3 laps - 65km approxGerrans take his second HST in a super-close finishDead heat for overall classification leading into final sprintBy John Trevorrow and Brian Roe in Carlton The final stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour produced a battle royal. It was a magnificent showdown with some of the world's best sprinters going shoulder to shoulder around the streets of Carlton. The tactical smorgasbord had the huge crowd roaring in excitement. With the top three riders separated by one second and the fourth only six seconds back, the 80 minute stage produced an exciting finish. In a brutal encounter, more akin to a boxing duel than a bike race, overnight leader Chris Jongewaard and Simon Gerrans managed to avoid the crashes and produce the ultimate nail biting finale around the streets of Carlton, with Gerrans finally snatching his second straight tour title by a mere five seconds. As they approached the final laps Gerrans and Jongewaard were locked together on exactly the same time and if both riders finished outside the time bonuses, Jongewaard would have won on a count back because his superior time trial. But it was Gerrans who followed teammate Robbie McEwen's wheel to snatch third in the stage and, more importantly, the crucial four bonus seconds and his second consecutive title. Just metres from the line Gerrans glanced back to see Jongewaard two places behind and pumped both fists to the sky in unison with McEwen who was also celebrating his stage win. "That was just fantastic," Gerrans said. "I wasn't thinking about winning back to back, I was just trying to win. The team rode a brilliant race, not just today but all week. But I've got to admit that I was worried as we approached the final laps. I was glad to see HealthNet get on the front leading out Menzies and Henderson for the stage. That took a bit of pressure off the boys who had done a stack of work." "I gave it everything and the team did everything they could," an obviously disappointed Jongewaard said. "It really sucks to get so close and then get pipped on the post but the Jayco crew is so professional and Simon is a great champion." Gerrans' Jayco Team Australia was on song from the gun and gave their man all the support that he needed to become the first back to back winner of Australia's oldest stage race in 32 years. (Not since Tasmanian Graham McVilly won in both 1973 and 1974 has a rider triumphed two years in a row.) And they needed to be. With the bonus seconds on offer from today's two intermediate sprints, as well as at the stage finish likely to determine the results on general classification, every move had the potential to be critical. Controversy entered the race almost as quickly as the stage had begun with a number of riders in a thirteen rider early breakaway gesturing to the officials as they crossed the line from lap seven onwards. Little of that was coming from the Australian team, which had all of it remaining squad except for Tony Mann in the lead group. But some of those complaints seemed to be directed at the fact that McEwen, who had fallen, was allowed to resume the race with the leaders. All of the drama reached a crescendo at the 25 minute mark, when the first of the sprints was contested. McEwen, playing an unfamiliar role for the team, led Gerrans out in an attempt to edge him into the overall lead. But chief commissar, "Nobby" Matsukura relegated McEwen for failing to maintain his line and causing interference to another rider, leaving overnight leader, Chris Jongewaard as the recipient of the three bonus seconds. But with Gerrans picking up two and the other main contender for the Tour win, David McCann getting the remaining one, the contest remained a race director's dream and a team director's nightmare – Jongewaard by two over Gerrans, with McCann just a further second behind. The big crowd lined up behind the barricades was spellbound by what was continuing to unfold before their very eyes. The 25 minutes between the sprints was only a fraction quieter than the opening stanza. Stage three winner Trent Wilson and young star, Trent Lowe were the most prominent during the quieter periods although a power of work was also done by both David Kemp and David Tanner from the Australia Under 23 team. Navigator's Hilton Clarke's grasp on the green sprinters' jersey looked to be at risk when he crashed heavily just before the second sprint. He was ordered by the race commissaries to retire from the stage, with several cuts and lacerations the cause for concern. But when his nearest rival for the sprint crown, Germany's Tobias failed to figure in the points for sprint number two, the same race officials declared Clarke the winner of the sprint classification. That second sprint provided almost as much drama as the first, not so much because Gerrans was able to get up for the win and to secure the three bonus seconds but because McEwen was able to throw his wheel into second place and deny Jongewaard what could have been a crucial extra second. The outcome left Gerrans and Jongewaard locked together on exactly the same time to the second - after six and half days, and more than 750 kilometres, of riding. The dead-lock sent officials scrambling for the rule books to determine what would happen if that remained the case after the final sprint. They declared that Jongewaard would prevail as he had the better performance in Friday's individual time trial. The task for Gerrans and his team mates was thus immediately clear – the defending champ had to finish in the top four and earn bonus time in the final sprint, as well as ensuring the Commonwealth Games mountain biker finished behind him. "We had Dave Sanders on race radio telling us the situation on the road. Our aim was to try and wrap it up before the finish line but to come down to the wire was amazing," Gerrans said. With two laps to go the team plan was clear to all – with Gerrans slotted in behind the power provided by four riders from early Tour leader Karl Menzies' HealthNet squad and the guile and experience of his mate, McEwen. And it worked to perfection with McEwen dashing to the line ahead of HealthNet's Greg Henderson for the stage win but more importantly with a jubilant Gerrans, arms raised in third spot and in possession of those four precious bonus seconds. The always smiling Gerrans when talking about his win was quick to apportion credit, "Robbie looked after me. He's such an awesome professional. He knew exactly what had to do. I couldn't have asked for anything more - although I wanted to take that first sprint. But it didn't work quite to plan. It put that little more pressure on us to take that second sprint." McEwen, completed the acknowledgements, "The first intermediate sprint didn't go our way but we just kept battling on and took it second by second. The team just rode so well. What Simon and I did was just completing what they set us up for. They did a fantastic job." The world's greatest cyclist, Eddy Merckx, was the special guest and awarded the Portfolio Partners sprint jersey. Merckx sat enthralled through the final stage, checking times and enjoying the battle. "It was a very exciting race and it is always exciting if a race can be decided in the final sprint," Merckx said. "Cycling must be very popular here. There is a big crowd, it is live on television and there is good coverage in the paper." Three young riders – Lowe, Simon Clarke (South Australia.com) and Mitchell Docker (Drapac Porsche) battled all week for the white jersey awarded to the best under 23 rider on general classification, with Lowe finally triumphant over Clarke. Their battle and the presence of all three in the top eleven places overall is an encouraging sign for Australian cycling, which can also look forward to the contribution that will undoubtedly be made in a big way by king of the mountains and stage five winner, Matt Lloyd who is just a year out of the young rider age group.
PhotographyFor a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
Images by Greg Johnson
Results1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 1.26.01 (45.34 km/h) 2 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 4 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 5 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.01 6 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 0.03 7 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 8 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 0.05 9 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 0.06 10 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 11 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 12 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 13 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 14 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 15 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 0.15 16 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 0.18 17 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 0.22 18 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 19 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 0.25 20 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 21 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 22 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 23 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 24 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 25 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 26 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.28 27 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 0.34 28 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 0.50 29 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 1.03 30 Daniel McConnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 31 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.07 32 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.09 33 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 34 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.15 35 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.18 36 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 1.22 37 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 38 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 1.35 39 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 1.52 40 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS Lapped riders 41 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team 1.27.53 42 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 43 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 44 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 45 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 46 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 47 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 48 Joe McDonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 49 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 50 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 51 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 52 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 53 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 54 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 55 Derek McMaster (Can) Canadian National Team 56 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 57 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 58 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 59 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 60 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 61 Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 62 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 63 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 64 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 65 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team 66 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 67 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 68 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 69 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 70 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 71 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 72 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 73 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 74 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 75 Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 76 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 77 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 78 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 79 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 80 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team 81 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 82 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche 83 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 84 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 85 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team DNF Peter McDonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello DNF Michael Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS DNS Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed Points 1 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 10 pts 2 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 8 3 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 6 4 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 4 5 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 2 Sprints Sprint 1 1 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 6 pts 2 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 4 3 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 2 Sprint 2 1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 6 pts 2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 4 3 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 2 Final general classification 1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 20.33.01 2 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.05 3 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.14 4 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.39 5 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 2.06 6 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 2.18 7 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3.19 8 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 3.22 9 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 3.48 10 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 4.03 11 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 4.07 12 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 9.24 13 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 10.21 14 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 12.02 15 Joe McDonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 21.34 16 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 26.38 17 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 28.17 18 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 29.36 19 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 31.09 20 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 32.14 21 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 33.42 22 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 34.23 23 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 34.43 24 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 36.26 25 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 36.31 26 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 38.37 27 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 39.08 28 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 39.16 29 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 39.22 30 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 39.24 31 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 39.31 32 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 40.32 33 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team 41.10 34 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 41.12 35 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 41.37 36 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team 41.41 37 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 42.19 38 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 43.15 39 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 43.19 40 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 44.14 41 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 44.28 42 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 44.48 43 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 46.34 44 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 46.38 45 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 46.39 46 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 48.19 47 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 48.19 48 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 48.37 49 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 48.38 50 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 48.41 51 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 49.45 52 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 50.01 53 Derek McMaster (Can) Canadian National Team 50.24 54 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 50.24 55 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 50.35 56 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 50.55 57 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team 51.03 58 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 51.32 59 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 51.33 60 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 51.59 61 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 52.09 62 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 53.06 63 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 53.19 64 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 53.37 65 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 53.49 66 Daniel McConnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 53.59 67 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 54.01 68 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 54.15 69 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 54.28 70 Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 55.05 71 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 55.48 72 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 56.05 73 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team 56.39 74 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 56.47 75 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 57.30 76 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 57.53 77 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 58.09 78 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 58.59 79 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 1.00.09 80 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 1.00.53 81 Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.04.42 82 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.05.07 83 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.07.11 84 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 1.07.24 85 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.23.33 Points classification 1 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 42 pts 2 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 28 3 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 28 4 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 20 5 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 20 6 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 18 7 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 16 8 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 16 9 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Australian National Team 14 10 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 12 11 Peter McDonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 12 12 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 10 13 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 10 14 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 8 15 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 8 16 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 8 17 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 6 18 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 6 19 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 6 20 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 6 21 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 4 22 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 4 23 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 4 24 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 4 25 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 4 26 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 2 27 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 2 Mountains 1 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 38 pts 2 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 14 3 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team 10 4 Peter McDonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 8 5 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team 8 6 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 8 7 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 6 8 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche 4 9 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 4 10 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 2 U23 classification 1 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 20.35.19 2 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 1.03 3 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.48 4 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 31.23 5 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 34.08 6 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 37.04 7 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 37.05 8 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 37.13 9 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 40.57 10 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 41.56 11 Mark O'brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 44.20 12 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 46.01 13 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 46.18 14 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 47.27 15 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 47.42 16 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 49.14 17 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 49.15 18 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 49.40 19 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Netherlands - Altipower 51.18 20 Daniel McConnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 51.41 21 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche 54.29 22 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 58.34 23 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.02.49 24 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.21.15 Teams classification 1 Jayco Australian National Team 61.36.35 2 Giant Asia Racing Team 25.17 3 Drapac Porsche 30.13 4 Navigators 39.02 5 Health Net Presented By Maxxis 50.13 6 South Australia.com - AIS 1.08.52 7 Bicycle Superstore –Canada 1.12.43 8 Savings & Loans 1.23.50 9 FRF Couriers Excelpro 1.25.10 10 Australia Under 23 1.31.46 11 Carvalhelhos – Boavista 1.44.09 12 Japan – La Trobe City 1.47.18 13 DFL/Cyclingnews 1.49.28 14 Netherlands – Altipower 1.59.03 |
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