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Scody Cup Cycling Series Tour of Gippsland - NE
Australia, July 30-August 3, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Stage Details Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 7 - August 2: Metung, 128.7km
Yellow jersey shifts camp again
By Rod Morris
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Baby faced South Australian Timothy Roe became the fourth leader in as many days in the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland in the penultimate stage at Omeo.
Roe (19) earlier this year won the Mersey Valley Tour in Tasmania and his performance against older and more experienced riders this week has stamped his as one of the brightest young prospects in Australian cycling.
Roe edged past Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger (Blue Virgin Cycling) who carried the leader's prized yellow jersey from Metung to Omeo, the longest stage of this five day – eight stage tour, which started in Mallacoota last Wednesday.
The mountainous stage was won by another tough Tasmanian bike rider, Nathan Clarke, who was able to out-climb his challengers.
But Roe, riding for the Savings & Loans team, isn't over the line as the winner of this tour yet.
His lead is just two seconds from West Australian teenager Ben King and a further 14 seconds to Sulzberger.
The final stage – a 44-kilometre criterium in Paynseville tomorrow (Sunday) will be full of excitement and expectations. The criterium will include 11 intermediate sprints, each carrying time bonuses of 3-2-1 seconds for the first three riders.
Roe will have to watch King and Sulzberger like hawks for the entire journey.
How it unfolded
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High up in the Snowy Mountains brought a day of high drama as the tour lead swapped hands again and challenges came thick and fast. At 128.7 km from the seaside village to the alps of Omeo, represented the longest and - arguably – the toughest stage of the 2008 Tour of Gippsland.
A small pack of escapees snuck away early, but as none were serious threats on general classification, they were allowed time and space from the peloton.
Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team), Chris Pryor (GD.Triple Play) and Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) were the first to get away and shortly after were joined by David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling). The quartet soon got into a rhythm and collected a number of handy sprint and king of the mountain bonuses along the way. By the time the leaders had hit Swift Creek, which is approximately 15 km out of Omeo, the peloton were starting to find voice and more importantly had the quartet in their sights.
Out of Swift Creek and the race changed complexion dramatically. A new lead group of seven settled, before two of those dropped off leaving Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team), Malcolm Rudolph (GD.Triple Play), Chris Luxton (Savings & Loans), Kemp and Michael England (GD.Triple Play) to make the play.
A Category two hill climb of about 10 km was a tough way to finish the stage, but it also sorted out the men from the boys.
There were numerous casualties up the climb whilst there were a few gutsy performances from riders bridging the gap to the leaders.
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A seven man group had re-established for the final sprint in the main street at Omeo, with Clarke showing his class and brute strength in the run to the line, holding out Kemp and England, while Roe flashed across the line in fourth place which was good enough to give him the tour lead.
Victorian Leigh Howard assured himself of the King of the Mountains championship, while Queensland's Malcolm Rudolph will carry a big lead in the Sprint Championship into Sunday's final stage.
Another race category – the Criterium Championship – will also go to the wire with fellow Tasmanians Bernard Sulzberger and Nathan Clarke locked on points with one race remaining.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- The Tour leader Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) in a windy Metung for the start of stage seven to Omeo.
- The Tour departs the picturesque Metung on their way to Omeo, some 128.7 kilometres away.
- The peloton corners beside the Tambo River early into stage seven.
- The peloton at the top of an early climb with three riders having just escaped.
- An early break with three riders getting away (L-R): Chris Pryor (GD.Triple Play), Joseph Lewis (NSW) and Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling).
- Back in the peloton and the team of Virgin Blue Cycling were on the front protecting their tour leader Bernard Sulzberger.
- Virgin Blue Cycling Team spent a lot of the time at the front of the peloton during the early kilometres on stage seven.
- Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling) in cruise control during the three rider breakaway on stage seven.
- Peter Herzig drives the Virgin Blue Cycling team with their tour leader, Bernard Sulzberger, in sixth wheel.
- Hey Kyle (right), do you think we can stay away all-day and win the stage?.
- Joseph Lewis from New South Wales was working hard to keep the trio ahead of the chasing peloton.
- BOO! The leading trio faces a scary moment in the 2008 Tour of Gippsland.
- Aussies love a bit of 'dead horse' (Australian rhyming slang for sauce) on their hamburgers and sausages.
- The Virgin Blue Cycling and Praties Cycling trains lead the way in search of three leading riders.
- The leading trio were caught by another three riders with the peloton closing in heading towards the category two climb near Swifts Creek.
- Then the attacks started coming between the lead group and the race was on.
- Travis Meyer (South Australia.com/AIS) took charge but the peloton was getting closer.
- Four riders made a move knowing that the difficult climb up towards Omeo could prove critical for positions on the GC.
- More adept to the sprints of the Tour; Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling) and Malcolm Rudolph (GD.Triple Play) set up the winning move.
- They were joined by five other riders and there was no response from the peloton.
- Creditcollect Sprint Points leader Malcolm Rudolph (GD.Triple Play) drives the leaders to the bottom of the climb.
- Seven became four and it was left to (L-R): Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling), David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling), Michael England (GD.Triple Play) and Chris Luxton (Savings and Loans).
- The ten kilometre climb kicked up sharply in parts and would fracture the peloton behind the leaders.
- The leaders were maintaining around a minute-and-a-half break on a chasing group on the climb.
- The Praties Cycling boys were driving the chase group up the climb.
- It's easy for you guys to smile and chat, I'm the one doing all the work: William Clarke leads his Praties Cycling teammates up the climb.
- And the strain is beginning to show .
- Okay that's it, I've had enough - its over to you guys: Praties Cyclings William Clarke's job is done.
- The Tour leader Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) back in the peloton and in danger of losing his yellow jersey.
- It's off road for some as Praties Cycling were still pulling the chase group up the climb.
- The chase group were finding it difficult to bridge the gap to the leaders ahead in the final ten kilometres.
- The leading quartet were joined by Tim Guy from New South Wales who didn't mind doing some hard yards on the front.
- Could they stay away? (R-L): Tim Guy, Chris Luxton, Michael England and David Kemp head towards the finish with Nathan Clarke obscured.
- Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling) takes stage seven into Omeo after starting the initial break on the flat before reaching the climb.
- Chris Jory (New South Wales) brings home the remnants of the chase group ahead of Travis Meyer (South Australia.com/AIS).
- The stage seven podium spray (L-R): David Kemp (2nd, Virgin Blue Cycling), Nathan Clarke (1st, Praties Cycling) and Michael England (3rd, GD.Triple Play).
- Tim Guy from New South Wales was awarded the Bairnsdale Dealership Most Aggressive rider of the stage.
- Malcolm Rudolph (GD.Triple Play) tries on another of his Creditcollect Sprint Points leader's green jersey.
- Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) will win the Tourism Victoria King of the Mountains competition with the final stage criterium to come.
- Timothy Roe (Savings and Loans) is the new leader of the 2008 Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland with one stage remaining.
Results
1 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 3.25.03 2 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 3 Michael England (GD Investments) 4 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) 5 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 6 Tim Guy (South Australia/AIS) 7 Christopher Luxton (Savings & Loans) 8 Chris Jory (South Australia/AIS) 0.42 9 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 10 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) 11 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team) 12 Brett Tivers (Drapac-Porsche) 13 Pip Grinter (Drapac-Porsche) 14 Cameron Hughes (GD Investments) 15 Jonathon Lovelock (Jayco/VIS) 16 Jay Bourke (Budget Forklifts) 17 Peter Milostic (GD Investments) 18 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 19 William Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 1.55 20 Shaun Mccarthy (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 21 Damien Turner (Budget Forklifts) 1.57 22 Peter Herzig (Virgin Blue Cycling) 23 Henry Morley (Drapac-Porsche) 2.53 24 Luis Trueba (Drapac-Porsche) 25 Harry Rassie (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 26 Grieve-Johnson (Praties Cycling Team) 27 Peter Smith (Credit Collect) 28 Elliott Wells (Drapac-Porsche) 2.56 29 Charles Howlett (Gold 1242) 3.57 30 Reece Stephens (Credit Collect) 31 Graeme Allbon (Gold 1242) 32 Jason Rigg (Praties Cycling Team) 33 Patrick Lane (Jayco/VIS) 34 Brock Roberts (Budget Forklifts) 35 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans) 4.04 36 Stuart Payne (Credit Collect) 5.14 37 Sam Moorhouse (Budget Forklifts) 5.15 38 Scott Kilmartin (GD Investments) 39 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 40 Casey Munro (Drapac-Porsche) 41 Nathan Wise (Credit Collect) 42 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 9.53 43 James Langedyk (Jayco/VIS) 44 Samuel Rix (Credit Collect) 45 James Henry (Gold 1242) 46 Steven Pilson (Gold 1242) 47 Brad Edmunds (Savings & Loans) 48 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 49 Will Dickeson (Savings & Loans) 50 Joel Fahy (Drapac-Porsche) 51 Stefan Kirsch (Hart-Ridewiser) 52 Kyle Bateson (GD Investments) 53 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Investments) 54 Guy Green (Hart-Ridewiser) 55 Mark Isaacs (Cycle City) 15.54 56 William Alexander (Virgin Blue Cycling) 57 Abram Manion (Budget Forklifts) 58 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) 59 Jay Callaghan (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 60 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 61 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 62 Ian Coker (Gold 1242) 63 Gregory Campbell (Virgin Blue Cycling) 64 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans) 65 Craig Gibbs (Cycle City) 66 Blair Windsor (Budget Forklifts) 67 Russell Gill (Savings & Loans) 68 Timothy Walker (Praties Cycling Team) 69 Anthony Chandler (Hart-Ridewiser) 33.57 70 David Shanahan (Gold 1242) 46.05 71 Peter Shanahan (Gold 1242) 1.11.28 DNF Damian Harris (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) DNF Robert Crowe (Hart-Ridewiser) Sprints Mocka 22 Metung 1 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 3 pts 2 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 2 3 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 1 Mocka 44 Tambo U 1 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 3 pts 2 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 2 3 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 1 Mocka 55 Bruthen 1 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 3 pts 2 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 2 3 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 1 Mocka 112 Ensay 1 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 3 pts 2 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 2 3 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 1 Mocka 115 Ensay 1 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 3 pts 2 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 2 3 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 1 Mocka 127 Swifts C 1 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 3 pts 2 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Investments) 2 3 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 1 Mountains Cat 4 Mocka 9 Clea 1 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 3 pts 2 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 2 3 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 1 Cat 4 Mocka 39 Ho 1 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 3 pts 2 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 2 3 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 1 Cat 3 Mocka 73 Wa 1 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 5 pts 2 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 3 3 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 2 Cat 4 Mocka 103 D 1 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 3 pts 2 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 2 3 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 1 Cat 2 Mocka 139 K 1 Tim Guy (South Australia/AIS) 7 pts 2 Christopher Luxton (Savings & Loans) 5 3 Michael England (GD Investments) 3 Teams 1 South Australia/AIS 10.15.51 2 Praties Cycling Team 0.42 3 GD Investments 4 Virgin Blue Cycling 1.57 5 Savings & Loans 3.22 6 Drapac-Porsche 3.35 7 Budget Forklifts 5.54 8 Credit Collect 11.22 9 Jayco/VIS 13.50 10 Gold 1242 17.05 11 Lakes Oil Cycling Team 20.00 12 Hart-Ridewiser 53.01 General classification after stage 7 1 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) 13.22.40 2 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 0.02 3 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) 0.16 4 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 0.24 5 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team) 0.26 6 Cameron Hughes (GD Investments) 0.54 7 Christopher Luxton (Savings & Loans) 1.08 8 Pip Grinter (Drapac-Porsche) 1.09 9 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 1.35 10 Peter Milostic (GD Investments) 1.36 11 Jonathon Lovelock (Jayco/VIS) 1.52 12 Chris Jory (South Australia/AIS) 1.53 13 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 5.45 14 Michael England (GD Investments) 6.45 15 Brett Tivers (Drapac-Porsche) 9.10 16 Shaun Mccarthy (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 11.25 17 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 11.38 18 Tim Guy (South Australia/AIS) 13.09 19 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans) 13.16 20 William Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 15.19 21 Damien Turner (Budget Forklifts) 15.21 22 Reece Stephens (Credit Collect) 15.28 23 Grieve-Johnson (Praties Cycling Team) 16.24 24 Charles Howlett (Gold 1242) 16.27 25 Casey Munro (Drapac-Porsche) 18.13 26 Scott Kilmartin (GD Investments) 18.46 27 Jay Bourke (Budget Forklifts) 18.53 28 Patrick Lane (Jayco/VIS) 20.24 29 Henry Morley (Drapac-Porsche) 20.58 30 Peter Herzig (Virgin Blue Cycling) 23.09 31 Luis Trueba (Drapac-Porsche) 23.52 32 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 24.54 33 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 26.40 34 Jason Rigg (Praties Cycling Team) 27.09 35 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 27.33 36 Harry Rassie (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 28.58 37 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) 30.10 38 Graeme Allbon (Gold 1242) 31.09 39 Will Dickeson (Savings & Loans) 31.14 40 Nathan Wise (Credit Collect) 33.36 41 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 36.29 42 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Investments) 36.52 43 Brock Roberts (Budget Forklifts) 44 Peter Smith (Credit Collect) 37.09 45 Stuart Payne (Credit Collect) 37.29 46 Elliott Wells (Drapac-Porsche) 39.11 47 Kyle Bateson (GD Investments) 50.32 48 Joel Fahy (Drapac-Porsche) 51.32 49 Brad Edmunds (Savings & Loans) 53.17 50 Russell Gill (Savings & Loans) 53.29 51 Stefan Kirsch (Hart-Ridewiser) 54.58 52 Steven Pilson (Gold 1242) 57.45 53 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 57.59 54 James Langedyk (Jayco/VIS) 1.00.02 55 James Henry (Gold 1242) 1.04.35 56 Timothy Walker (Praties Cycling Team) 1.04.38 57 Sam Moorhouse (Budget Forklifts) 1.05.14 58 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans) 1.08.01 59 Guy Green (Hart-Ridewiser) 1.09.16 60 Samuel Rix (Credit Collect) 1.09.45 61 Abram Manion (Budget Forklifts) 1.16.35 62 Gregory Campbell (Virgin Blue Cycling) 1.16.48 63 Jay Callaghan (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 1.17.58 64 Mark Isaacs (Cycle City) 1.21.00 65 Ian Coker (Gold 1242) 1.31.53 66 Craig Gibbs (Cycle City) 1.32.14 67 Anthony Chandler (Hart-Ridewiser) 1.34.38 68 Blair Windsor (Budget Forklifts) 1.43.47 69 William Alexander (Virgin Blue Cycling) 1.46.12 70 David Shanahan (Gold 1242) 2.06.48 71 Peter Shanahan (Gold 1242) 4.16.56 Sprint classification 1 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Investments) 54 pts 2 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 27 3 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) 21 4 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 20 5 Will Dickeson (Savings & Loans) 17 6 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 16 7 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 14 8 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 12 9 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 11 10 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 11 11 Blair Windsor (Budget Forklifts) 7 12 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 7 13 Peter Herzig (Virgin Blue Cycling) 6 14 Pip Grinter (Drapac-Porsche) 6 15 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 5 16 Charles Howlett (Gold 1242) 5 17 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans) 4 18 Cameron Hughes (GD Investments) 4 19 James Langedyk (Jayco/VIS) 4 20 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) 3 21 Timothy Walker (Praties Cycling Team) 3 22 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team) 3 23 Christopher Luxton (Savings & Loans) 3 24 Abram Manion (Budget Forklifts) 3 25 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 3 26 Jason Rigg (Praties Cycling Team) 3 27 Shaun Mccarthy (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 3 28 Tim Guy (South Australia/AIS) 2 29 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) 2 30 Casey Munro (Drapac-Porsche) 2 31 Kyle Bateson (GD Investments) 2 32 Michael England (GD Investments) 2 33 Jay Bourke (Budget Forklifts) 2 34 Brad Edmunds (Savings & Loans) 2 35 Russell Gill (Savings & Loans) 1 36 Luis Trueba (Drapac-Porsche) 1 37 Peter Milostic (GD Investments) 1 Mountains classification 1 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 36 pts 2 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team) 25 3 Michael England (GD Investments) 22 4 Peter Herzig (Virgin Blue Cycling) 21 5 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) 18 6 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 17 7 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 13 8 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 12 9 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) 12 10 Tim Guy (South Australia/AIS) 12 11 Chris Pryor (GD Investments) 12 12 Charles Howlett (Gold 1242) 5 13 Christopher Luxton (Savings & Loans) 5 14 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 5 15 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 3 16 Will Dickeson (Savings & Loans) 2 17 Harry Rassie (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 2 18 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 2 19 Peter Smith (Credit Collect) 2 20 Shaun Mccarthy (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 2 21 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 1 22 Jonathon Lovelock (Jayco/VIS) 1 Criterium classification 1 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 24 pts 2 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) 24 3 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 21 4 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 12 5 Casey Munro (Drapac-Porsche) 10 6 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 10 7 Kyle Marwood (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 10 8 James Langedyk (Jayco/VIS) 8 9 Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans) 7 10 Abram Manion (Budget Forklifts) 7 11 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Investments) 6 12 Peter Milostic (GD Investments) 5 13 Pip Grinter (Drapac-Porsche) 5 14 Cameron Hughes (GD Investments) 4 15 Russell Gill (Savings & Loans) 3 16 Will Dickeson (Savings & Loans) 3 17 Luis Trueba (Drapac-Porsche) 2 18 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 2 19 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 1 20 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 1 Teams classification 1 GD Investments 40.11.02 2 South Australia/AIS 0.36 3 Praties Cycling Team 6.11 4 Savings & Loans 9.41 5 Drapac-Porsche 23.01 6 Virgin Blue Cycling 26.53 7 Jayco/VIS 44.15 8 Budget Forklifts 1.02.32 9 Lakes Oil Cycling Team 1.03.34 10 Credit Collect 1.11.21 11 Gold 1242 1.41.17 12 Hart-Ridewiser 3.24.10 Most aggressive rider classification 1 Michael England (GD Investments) 2 pts 2 Will Dickeson (Savings & Loans) 2 3 Tim Guy (South Australia/AIS) 2 4 Peter Herzig (Virgin Blue Cycling) 2 5 Darren Rolfe (Virgin Blue Cycling) 2 6 David Kemp (Virgin Blue Cycling) 2 7 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 2
