South Bank International Criterium - NE

Brisbane, December 8, 2002

White Knight strikes again; McEwen takes overall honours

By Sharon Payne

A Grade Criterium

This one's for me!
Photo: © Tim Francis

US Postal rider, Matt White secured his second win in as many months today, taking out the South Bank International Criterium in Brisbane. A breakaway with 25 year old Western Australian Road Champion, Jaaron Poad, proved beneficial for White who was too strong for Poad in the final straight. The win was not enough to secure the Overall Points Series, with Tour De France maillot vert, Robbie McEwen, taking out the honours.

Grid positions for the start were determined from straight line sprints held on Saturday afternoon. The strong field of fifty-five cyclists also included Brad McGee, stage winner of the Tour De France and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Tour De France rider Baden Cooke, Allan Davis from ONCE and several U23 champions.

The first break came early in the race as White escaped with Poad and Brisbane's Leigh Palmer to put time and distance into the main pack. Robbie McEwen made several valiant attempts to bring back the break but failed until the final stages. The relentless pace of the leaders grew too much for Palmer and left White and Poad continue the race alone.

5 man chasing group
Photo: © Tim Francis

Almost immediately, a strong group of five emerged containing Robbie McEwen, Allan Davis, Ben Litchfield (one of Brisbane's strongest A Graders), Mark Rowland (who had placed second to McEwen in Surfers Paradise one week earlier) and Craig Cahill. Cycling superstars from the Tour, McGee and Cooke were not on the pace today, but managed to finish with the main bunch.

The main bunch was forced to sprint early according to criterium rules for 8th, 9th and 10th placings. White waited until the finishing straight to kick well clear of Poad, giving the crowd his victory salute as he crossed the line. Interest mounted to see who would take on McEwen in the sprint for third. Young Gold Coast rider, Craig Cahill upset the Tour de France sprinter for not cooperating during the chase and outsprinting him to the line. McEwen finished ahead of Davis followed by Litchfield and Rowlands seventh.

Puttin' in the miles
Photo: © Tim Francis

McEwen has had a heavy week of training already, clocking up nearly 800km this week after just a few weeks back in training. "Tomorrow I'll have an easy day," commented McEwen who still has many races in Australia before heading back to Belgium at the end of January.

Jaaron Poad was a surprise last minute entry after training 100km earlier in the day, deciding to enter just half an hour before race start. After four weeks off the bike and five days of training, Poad said he would have been happy just to finish.

Sprint for third
Photo: © Tim Francis

"I thought the break might have been successful though," said Poad. "There're a lot of fit guys and a lot of unfit guys at this time of year, and it would have been hard to bring back a break in this heat." After moving to Queensland in July, Poad has been trying to turn professional. He is hoping that his second in the points series and his placing today may encourage a team like Giant Asia to have a second look at him.

Matt White said a change in attitude over the last couple of months has helped him. "I ride for the best team in the world and it's not usually my role to win races. You can get a bit complacent because you're in the number one team with the best rider but I've got a new attitude and I've got to do some stuff for myself as well." He will race another two races before heading overseas, and is hoping for a ride in the TdF in 2003.

B Grade Criterium

B Grade podium
Photo: © Tim Francis

A large field of B Grade riders rode the South Bank circuit with only one mishap. There were many attempted breaks but it wasn't until halfway that Anthony Wood, Alan Mumford and Daniel Bennett managed to break away from the peloton.

The trio was chased down by Mike's Bikes Jeff Harris, who had been unlucky a week before at Surfers Paradise. When the pack reformed both Harris and Surfers Paradise winner, Tim Bartlett took off at five laps to go. The Hungarian rider, Daniel Zsombok, unleashed to take third from Murwillumbah's Rick Walker with Edward Raben from Brisbane placing fifth.

Photography

Images by Heath Carney

Matt Wilson before Saturday's sprints
Brad McGee ready to sprint
And he's off and racing
Lorian Graham takes the guys on
The FDJeux boys help each other out
Robbie McEwen relaxes before the start
McEwen and McGee at the start
Daddy's gotta go to work now
Hey, are you talkin' to me?
Waiting for the srart
The bunch negotiates the back straight roundabout
The bunch is very unorganised down the main straight
Matt White, Jaaron Poad and Leaigh Palmer made the early break
Same corner, same three riders, different lap
And the bunch arrive about 25 seconds later
Matt White in charge again
Is anyone else going to take a turn?
The bunch arrive at the end of the back straight
The chase group starts to get together
And then there were two
Jaaron Poad takes a turn at the end of the main straight
McEwen leads the chase group through the first corner
The FDJeux boys (2nd, 3rd and 4th) working together to try and bridge the gap
Jaaron Poad hangs on to White's wheel
Robbie and Marcel have a chat after the race

Images by Tim Francis/www.yourfotos.com

The A Grade chase group containing Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Adecco) get a lift from the crowd
The B Grade field roll out
B Grade led by Ian Walker
The B Grade podium - Jeff Harris (Goldstars), Tim Bartlett (Astra), Daniel Zsombok (KSISE/Hungary) and Eduard Raben (Broncos)
Young Gold Coast rider, Craig Cahill, upset Tour de France maillot vert Robbie McEwen by not cooperating during the chase, then outsprinting him for third place
The corporate field is strung out single file
The women's field lines up with the B grade men
Bradley McGee (FDJeux.com) rubs his hands together in anticipation, flanked by his FDJeux.com teammates Baden Cooke and Matt Wilson
Jason Austin (Flight Centre) leads the remnants of the A Grade peloton
Jeff Harris (Goldstars) concentrates before the start of the men's B Grade race
Jeff Harris (Goldstars) comfortably wins B Grade
Matt White (US Postal) comes up behind a lapped rider to win in style
Matt White (US Postal) drives out of a corner
Bradley McGee (FDJeux.com) wasn't in top form today, missing both breaks
The Midstrength boys win the Coporate Challenge
Darren Nightingale (Lifecycle) in talented company
One lap to go
A relaxed atmosphere on the start line
Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Adecco) interveiwed after the race
Sarah Carrigan (AIS) rode well in B Grade
The chase group of five tried hard but failed to pick up the duo of Matt White and Jaaron Poad
The B Grade race was characterised by a number of breakaway attempts, but none managed to stick until five laps to go
A who's who of Australian cycling
The Queensland Uni boys give it some stick
Matt White (US Postal) did some serious legwork to forge the break of the day
The winner of the Corporate race crosses the line, arms aloft

Results

A Grade
 
1 Matt White (US Postal)
2 Jaaron Poad (Glen Parker Cycles)
3 Craig Cahill (Lite Bar/Burke's Bikes)
4 Robbie McEwen (Lotto Adecco)
5 Allan Davis (ONCE)
6 Ben Litchfield (Planet Cycles)
7 Mark Rowlands (Team Down Under)
8 Brendan Hill (Lifecycle)
9 Adrian Booth (Ffast)
10 Darren Nightingale (Lifecycle)
 
Overall Series Point Score
 
1 Robbie McEwen (Lotto Adecco)          17 
2 Matt White (US Postal)                16 
3 Mark Rowlands (Team Down Under)       13
 
B Grade
 
1 Jeff Harris (Goldstars)
2 Tim Bartlett (Astra)
3 Daniel Zsombok (KSISE/Hungary)
4 Rick Walker (Murwillumbah)
5 Edward Raben (Broncos)
 
Women
 
1 Lorian Graham (Astra)
2 Sally Cowman (Victor)
3 Liz Young
 
Corporate
 
1 Carlton Mid-Strength Team 2
2 Carlton Mid-Strength Team 1
3 Treasury Casino