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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
Stage 8 - August 3: Paynesville crit, 44km
Sulzberger mirrors little brother's Tour
By Rod Morris
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For the fifth day in a row, the lead in the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland changed hands, finally landing with Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger. Sulzberger (24) mirrored the performance of his younger brother Wesley, who won the 2006 Tour of Gippsland before going on to win the national series, which was then known as the Tattersall's Cup. It is now raced under the Scody Cup banner.
Sulzberger overcame a 16-second deficit in the last stage, a 44-km criterium in the seaside township of Paynesville to win the five-day tour by 18 seconds from overnight leader Timothy Roe, who failed to fire a shot on an exciting last day.
Sulzberger, riding for the Virgin Blue Cycling Team, not only won the tour, but claimed the Most Aggressive title and the lead in the Scody Cup series, with the Australian Cycling Grand Prix at Ballarat, the Tour of the Murray River and the Tour of Tasmania still to come.
How it unfolded
Sulzberger started the day 16 seconds behind Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) and 14 seconds adrift of West Australian Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS), but had obviously slept well on his race tactics. With 16 intermediate sprints on offer, each time bonuses of 3-2-1 seconds for the first three riders across the line, Sulzberger announced his intention immediately.
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He won the first two sprints, was second in the next and then won again, reducing the margin to just five seconds. He was second again on sprint six and then moved into the outright lead when he led the field over the line for sprint eight. But Sulzberger wasn't finished yet. He also won sprints 10, 11, 14 & 16 as well as running minor placings in a couple of others.
With King and Roe unable to match Sulzberger's raw sprinting power, they seemed almost resigned to defeat by the Tasmanian. Their only way back was to win the stage and collect enough bonuses, or put time between themselves and Sulzberger. Both scenarios were most unlikely given the form of the Tasmanian, who is just back from America where he has been racing in the famed Superweek.
With the intermediate sprints done and dusted, Sulzberger only had to watch closely the movements of King and Roe, although he was still involved in a tussle for the criterium championship with fellow Tasmanian Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team).
Clarke had not figured in the sprints, saving himself for the final run to the line and although second place gave him the criterium title, he was beaten for the stage victory by Geelong teenage sensation, Leigh Howard.
Howard had a mixed bag tour, winning two stages and being declared an unlikely winner of the king of the mountain championship, mainly because of his sprinting background. However a couple of less than average road stages where he lost time because of punctures, he finished 32nd on general classification.
Third home in the sprint was Savings & Loans rider Russell Gill, claiming his first podium placing for the week.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com
- Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) was out for sprint points on the final day to get himself into the Tour leader's yellow jersey
- He began well, quickly accumulating points in the sprints (far right) to reduce the 16-second deficit on the Tour leader Timothy Roe
- South Australia.com/AIS's Benjamin King was only two seconds down on the Tour leader, Timothy Roe, heading into the final stage criterium in Paynesville
- Tour leader Timothy Roe (Savings and Loans) is more at home in the hills and had his work cut out on the final day to hold on to his lead
- Jayco/VIS's Patrick Lane was working to get his teammate Leigh Howard into a winning position on the final stage
- No need for tickets - it's free! Spectators can see all the action of the Tour of Gippsland up close for nothing
- Tour leader Timothy Roe (Savings and Loans) was up against it on the final day in the race but will be a rider to watch in the future
- Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) heads towards victory in the 2008 Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland
- Travis Meyer was trying hard to get his South Australia.com/AIS teammate Benjamin King into a winning position on the GC
- Savings and Loans riders trifecta an intermediate sprint on the stage (L-R): Craig McCartney, Will Dickeson and Chris Luxton
- Praties Cycling have been prominent on the Tour with two stage wins and had Daniel Furmston in the Tour leader's yellow jersey
- Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) wins his second stage of the Tour in the Paynesville criterium on the final day of the race
- Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) salutes the crowd as the Tour winner and emulates his brother Wes's success in the same race in 2006
- A disappointed Timothy Roe (Savings and Loans) crosses the line in Paynesville after surrendering the yellow jersey on the final day of the race
- The final stage podium spray (L-R): Nathan Clarke (2nd, Praties), Leigh Howard (1st, Jayco/VIS) and Russell Gill (3rd, Savings and Loans)
- You beauty! Russell Gill (Savings and Loans) releases the champers on the podium
- The stage podium (l-r): Nathan Clarke (2nd, Praties Cycling), Leigh Howard (1st, Jayco/VIS) and Russell Gill (3rd, Savings and Loans)
- Malcolm Rudolph (GD.Triple Play) won the Creditcollect Sprint Points Championship and the green jersey of the Tour
- Jayco/VIS's Leigh Howard won the Tourism Victoria King of the Mountains competition on the Tour
- Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling) took out the East Gippsland Criterium Championship jersey on the Tour
- The final GC podium (l-r): Timothy Roe (2nd, Savings and Loans), Bernard Sulzberger (1st, Virgin Blue Cycling) and Benjamin King (3rd, South Australia.com/AIS)
- Prepare to spray: Roe, Sulzberger and King get ready to crack open the champagne.
- Cheers Burger: The 2008 Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland winner Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) takes a well-earned drink
- Come on! Tour winner Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) does his best Lleyton Hewitt impersonation
Results
1 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) 1.00.03 2 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 3 Russell Gill (Savings & Loans) 4 James Langedyk (Jayco/VIS) 5 Kyle Marwood (Lake Oil Cycling Team) 6 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans) 7 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS) 8 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team) 9 Peter Milostic (GD.Triple Play) 0.03 10 Abram Manion (Budget Forklifts) 11 Luis Trueba (Drapac Porsche) Final general classification 1 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling) 14.22.28 2 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) 0.18 3 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS) 0.19 4 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 0.39 5 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team) 0.44 6 Cameron Hughes (GD.Triple Play) 1.12 7 Chris Luxton (Savings & Loans) 1.25 8 Pip Grinter (Drapac Porsche) 1.32 9 Peter Milostic (GD.Triple Play) 1.46 10 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS) 1.47 Sprint Championship 1 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Triple Play) Tourism Victoria King of the Mountain Championship 1 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) East Gippsland Shire Council Criterium Championship 1 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) Bairnsdale Franchised Dealer Group Most Aggressive Rider 1 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling Team) Scody Cup progressive 1 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling Team) 61 2 Ben King (South Australia/AIS) 50 3 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) 50 4 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team) 48 5 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team) 48 6 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team) 43 7 Cameron Hughes (GD.Triple Play 42
