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Brett Lancaster Wins Final Stage of Tour de SlovenieBrett Lancaster has had plenty of practice celebrating his role in teammates’ wins. A loyal domestique and experienced lead out man, Lancaster has become accustomed to sacrificing himself to put a teammate on the top step. Given the opportunity for a personal result on the final stage of the Tour de Slovénie, Lancaster seized it. He sprinted to victory, earning his first win since taking out stage two of the Amgen Tour of California three years ago. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Shara Gillow Solos to Sarnonico Stage Win at Giro del Trentino Donne Shara Gillow soloed to victory in Sarnonico. The Australian National Time Trial Champion attacked her escape group inside the final two of six circuit laps on the second stage of Giro del Trentino Donne. Her former breakmates were overtaken by the peloton ahead of the finish, and Emma Johansson won the bunch sprint for second place. “We’ve been working really well as a team,” said Gillow. “Emma had three wins last weekend, and she was second yesterday afternoon, which was awesome. Today, I won and Emma got another second place. The way we work together and communicate has played a big role in the results we’ve gotten these last two weeks.” ORICA-AIS planned to race aggressively on the second day of Italian racing. After losing time on the team time trial in yesterday's morning stage, Sport Director Dave McPartland thought those with an interest in the overall might allow his riders to stay up the road. “The race began with a ten kilometre uphill section followed by six laps of hilly circuit,” said McPartland. “Our plan was to send girls up the road after we hit the circuit. I thought we had a good chance to get away with a small group since we were down on the overall.” Gillow put herself into a large breakaway that included three riders from MCipollini-Giordana. The group lacked the composition and organisation required to solidify an advantage. “I got into a move right from the start, and it became clear that it was probably not the winning break,” said Gillow. “We had three riders from MCipollini, and the group was too big. When Noemi Cantele (Be Pink) bridged across, people stopped taking pulls. We were caught after a bit more than a lap away.” The next time Gillow went up the road, the group was smaller. Race leader Evelyn Stevens’ Specialized-lululemon team appeared to give the break its blessing. “In the third lap, Shara went away in a group of four,” said McPartland. “Specialized seemed happy to let it go. The gap grew to about one minute, and then it held there for awhile.” “I was a bit hesitant about the break,” admitted Gillow. “The other girls were already up the road, and Specialized was controlling. They seemed to be bringing it back slowly. I thought the gap was coming back a bit too quickly, and I asked Emma what she thought. She encouraged me to bridge, so I jumped across.” Gillow’s group traded pulls to grow the gap out to nearly two minutes. As the laps ticked down, the advantage began to shrink. “When the gap dropped to 40”, I knew I had to attack,” said Gillow. “I went on the circuit climb coming into the last lap and a half. After that, I was in time trial mode to the finish.” The peloton absorbed the riders Gillow left in her wake. Johansson seized the opportunity to ride herself on her 16th podium of the season, winning the bunch sprint for second place. After three stages over two days, Johansson finished in sixth overall, 1'47 behind Stevens. Gillow was 2" further back in seventh place “I was confident I could hold off the field, but you never know for sure,” said Gillow. “It’s racing. Anything can happen. I had fun time trialing towards the line and trying to pull off the win, but I wasn’t convinced I had it until I crossed the line.” “It was a great ride by both Shara and Emma,” said McPartland. “We were disappointed with our team time trial, but the time Shara lost yesterday set her to win the stage today. I’m proud of the way they raced today.” | ||||||||||||||||||||||
JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Ewan claims final stage & points jersey 38^ THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT under 23 (UCI 2.2U) The final stage didn't look too difficult on paper, with a solid Cat.1 climb mid-stage and still 100km to go from the mountain sprint. Our remaining five riders were weary from a long week but the rest of the field was no better. Attacks from the start as usual with a group of six riders forming and the Rabobank rider the major threat sitting only 2m.52s from the lead, with the gap growing to nearly 5min. by the mountain sprint. Rabobank controlled most of the tempo until the Cat.1 climb when a couple of teams set a bold tempo to reduce the number of capable workers left for the chase. Splits occurred but nothing major with the peloton regrouping at 80km to go. The gap was now around 4m.30s and Rabobank were happy to let the lead keep drifting for their colleague to be virtual leader on the road. The usual negotiations through a few teams and the pace picked up approaching the final 28km finishing circuit. The Aussie guys were keeping Damien Howson and Adam Phelan in check without sacrificing any energy to ensure their G.C. wasn't being harmed and ideally an opportunity to get in a late move if the there could be one last chance of a better G.C. place. Onto the final circuit and the gap was down to 2m. with the lead group reduced to one sole New Zealand riding exceptionally well to hold the peloton at bay. Campbell Flakemore and Brad Linfield then committed to the chase and the final chase was impressive from our guys and brought the race back together at 5km to go. That's when Howson and Phelan controlled the front right to the final km with Ewan hard on Phelan's wheel who then delivered him perfectly at 250mtrs to go. Ewan won comfortably again and has clearly shown his potential for big things to come. Despite struggling over the Cat.1 climb mid-stage, he did most of the work with his group to get back into the race with still 100km of racing left, which followed with his teammates committed drive to the line. Outstanding ride by all of the guys today and a very proud group after the finish. And from Ewan's horrendous crash a month ago he's come back with added determination and worked hard all week without being in his best shape. Howson and Phelan have been outstanding all week and battled hard with the overall contenders. Linfield has learnt a new level of pain and committed every day for the team and Campbell's T.T. stage win and some impressive riding on the front has realised a new level of drive in his ambitions. Clements always worked hard for the team but coming off a great Olympias Tour finish last month, with this week finally taking it's toll on his limited experience at this level. So that was four stage wins from a prologue and seven road stages. Damien 3rd overall, and Adam 4th. Ewan's last stage win earned him just enough points for the overall Points Classification. And the guys finished 2nd on Teams Classification. So a very strong showing by the Aussies this week. A well-earned rest next week before heading to the mountains for a long training camp and the second-half of the European race season starting in late July. STAGE 7 Result - 157.5km, ICHTERSHAUSEN Points Classification
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Cairns Secures 2017 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships In another major event coup for Australia and Northern Queensland, Cairns has secured the rights to host the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships. UCI President Pat McQuaid made the announcement in Norway overnight. “The UCI is delighted that the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships will be held on the iconic Smithfield course in Cairns. We’re certain that athletes from around the globe will relish competing in this beautiful tropical location and we thank Cycling Australia and the Queensland Government for their hard work and commitment.” Cycling Australia President Klaus Mueller echoed McQuaid’s sentiments. “Cycling Australia is thrilled that Cairns has secured this landmark event. We thank the UCI, Tourism and Events Queensland and the State Government for turning an ambitious vision into reality. We look forward to welcoming the world’s best athletes to battle it out in Cairns in 2017.” This announcement comes just weeks after the announcement that the region has secured rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup for 2014 and 2016 and is another key event for the state as it builds towards hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Jann Stuckey, welcomed the UCI announcement that will see thousands of professional riders from 45 countries compete for the coveted Championship title in Tropical North Queensland. “In 2017, Cairns will provide a unique and unforgettable experience for competitors and spectators alike, providing the only World Mountain Bike Championships to be held in a tropical setting,” Ms Stuckey said. “To have secured yet another prestigious mountain biking event in the lead up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, showcases Queensland as a premier sporting event destination.” Ms Stuckey said the mountain bike championships and two world cups announced for Cairns over the past few weeks supported the State Government’s goal of doubling annual overnight visitor expenditure from $15 billion to $30 billion by 2020. The UCI World Mountain Bike and Trials Championships was bid for and secured by Cycling Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Flakemore takes times trial, Aussies 3-4 on GC 38TH THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT (M23 UCI 2.2U) The all important Time Trial stage. After a pre-race recon of the 28.4km loop, the Aussie guys were confident of a good showing on a very testing, undulating course that provided a true test. And into day six of the Tour and any signs of cracking were going to cost critical time. A great ride today would help anyone move into a strong G.C. position with still 2 hard days to go. Alex Clements, Brad Linfield and Caleb Ewan were well down on G.C. and looking to cruise today in the hope that Damien Howson and Adam Phelan's T.T. form would put them back into overall contention, and still 2 days of hard work to go. Campbell Flakemore was chasing a stage result today off the back of his excellent T.T. stage win in Olympias Tour while Howson and Phelan had their sights on climbing the G.C. ladder with a big ride in their favoured discipline. Flakemore showed again his Time Trialling strength and backing up from a solid week in support of Howson's and Phelan's G.C. chances. Followed by a great ride from Howson to finish 2nd in the stage to move from 19th to 3rd overall, and Phelan again still holding strong form to come 6th on the stage and move into 4th overall. The last 2 stages Start and Finish in Ichterhausen with tomorrow's stage having six categorised climbs with three x Cat.1 mountain sprints in the second longest stage of this week's tour. So definitely a lot of pressure on the G.C. contenders and their teams to control through the tough terrain. Saturday's final stage is not as severe and ideally another chance for Caleb to finish off a great week's work by the team, and the finish of the first half of the European season for the Jayco A.I.S. World Tour Academy program. STAGE 5 Result - 28.4km, STREUFDORF Teams Classification
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South Australia's Jessica Mundy awarded Amy Gillett Road Cycling Scholarship Two-time junior world representative Jessica Mundy is the recipient of the eighth Amy Gillett Cycling Scholarship, delivered in partnership with the Amy Gillett Foundation, Cycling Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport. The 18-year-old South Australian commenced cycling as an eleven year old with the Norwood Cycling Club and in the past seven years has progressed through State, National and International competitions. A determined young athlete who has already experienced two years of international competition, Munday has permformed the majority of her training and racing as part of the South Australian Sports Institute and the Jayco/Apollo VIS team in the Cycling Australia Subaru National Road Series. “I was overwhelmed when I received the news. I am really looking forward to being an Ambassador for the Amy Gillett Foundation and with that having the fantastic opportunities it brings”, said Mundy. “I one day hope to join an international cycling team such as Orica-AIS and to compete on the UCI women’s tour,” added Mundy, who will, as a member of the Jayco-AIS Women’s Endurance Squad, will be based in Europe throughout July – September. In honour of Amy Gillett, the Scholarship not only lauds sporting talent, but broader developments such as schooling, career aspirations and community participation. The Scholarship offers a unique opportunity to assist Australia's talented up-and-coming women road cyclists by providing national and international competition and training opportunities. AGF Patron Simon Gillett said “the scholarship provides an important stepping stone as evidenced by previous recipients’ history winning world championship medals, national titles, and securing professional contracts”. CEO of the Amy Gillett Foundation, Tracey Gaudry is delighted by the choice of this year’s recipient and believes Mundy is now ready to take the next step in international senior competition. “The Foundation received applications from many very promising female cyclists, all of whom would be worthy recipients of the Amy Gillett Cycling Scholarship. This year we have placed a focus on development and through the Scholarship, Jessica will take her first steps in the elite international ranks on the path to what we hope becomes a successful road cycling career”, enthused Gaudry. Mundy will now be a member of the Jayco-AIS Women’s Endurance Squad, which will be based in Europe throughout July – September, training and competing in international competitions. The Amy Gillett Foundation was established in 2005 following the death of Amy Gillett while cycling with the Australian Women’s Cycling Team in Germany, when a driver careered across the wrong side of the road into the riders. The Amy Gillett Foundation’s mission is safe bicycle riding in Australia. Its vision is zero bicycle rider fatalities.
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JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Ewan sprints to Thuringen stage victory 38th THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT (M23 UCI 2.2U) The flattest stage of the Tour to date, but lengthy at 171km, although the weary legs haven't dampened the aggression on any day. The peloton was being controlled early by the sprint jersey's team heading into the first two intermediate sprints. Soon after, a group of 12 got clear with Brad Linfield and Adam Phelan amongst a strong but dangerous option for GC contenders. With Phelan the best on GC and considered a strong time trial threat after his early prologue result, there was never going to be any real co-operation. Linfield did a mountain of work to keep the group moving out to a 3min. gap but with German Silvio Herklotz leading on GC in their home tour, this tends to bring a lot more help from the locals in the chases. With the race back together by the halfway mark, constant attacking continued with two riders eventually getting clear and heading for the stage finish with a 2min. gap at 15km to go. With Rabobank still chasing their first stage win and some other noted sprinters looking for their best opportunity this week, the lead two riders were being chased in earnest. Inside 15km to go, the Aussies were all positioned well with Caleb Ewan in tow, but a huge pothole stopped Linfield quickly and a large crash followed including Phelan heading for the grass to avoid the carnage. All of the guys eventually regained the bunch but not enough distance left to reform their own train. The last breakaway rider was caught inside 1km to go with Rabobank setting a high speed for the last 5km, trying to give local favourite Rick Zabel from Rabobank their first stage win. Ewan moved himself onto the back of the Rabobank leadout train with eventual 2nd place Ruben Geerinckx from Belgium team OVY Ovyta-Eijss moving Caleb back to 8th wheel. At 150m to go, Geerinckx moved off the Rabo train alongside Zabel, with Ewan timing his move perfectly into a slight headwind and finished comfortably sitting up and showing his now traditional two-fisted pump for another well-earned win. For Ewan, this was his third win in three different countries (Italy, France, Germany), in his first season of elite racing after arriving in Europe in late March, but today was his first real chance to show his bunch sprinting abilities - with the two previous wins from small groups. After missing racing for one month from a bad crash in early May, he hasn't quite returned to his optimum fitness levels for this Tour, and adding the usual signs of fatigue for an 18-yr-old in such a long difficult week of mixed racing. But his character shone through again today and he always seems to find a little more when a result is in sight. The Aussie guys all rode superbly again and committed all stage for this potential bunch sprint. Damien Howson and Phelan are still a strong chance to regain some places on G.C. with tomorrow's all important 28.4km Time Trial, starting and finishing in Streufdorf. STAGE 4 Result - 171km, LANGEWIESEN OVERALL CLASSIFICATION after STAGE 3
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JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Howson relinquishes yellow after punishing stage 38th THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT (M23 - UCI 2.2U) As anticipated it was a long hard day of climbing, with rain adding spice to the final stages. All teams found it difficult to control moves today, with constant attacks and solid pace-setting through the tough terrain. The Aussies were trying to get onto most of the serious attacks but inside the final hour, and with a constant deluge of rain, it was a brave move from Silvio Herklotz who went clear with another rider. The pair's lead stretch to two minutes, however with a long slow 10km drag to the Cat.2 moutanin sprint and a further 3km slight uphill run to the finish, the lead wasn't quite enough to hold on to the advantage. With the pace of the race damaging the chasing peloton, race leader Damien Howson found it tough in the final 5km, eventually finishing 19th and unfortunately relinquishing the yellow jersey. Adam Phelan came in with the back of the main group and lost a little time but is now the best placed Aussie in sixth overall. A decisive 28km undulating Time Trial on Thursday set to reshape G.C. again, with Wednesday's Start/Finish in Langewiesen and although not as quite as demanding a stage, it is still long and only halfway into the Tour with two Cat.3 climbs over 177km. STAGE 3 Result - 153km, NEUHAUS am RENNWEG OVERALL CLASSIFICATION after STAGE 3
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More success for Australia at South-East Asian Grand Prix Series Following on from the opening round in Kuala Lumpur last weekend, Australia's track sprinters continued their success at the second leg of UCI Category 2 South-East Asian Grand Prix Series. Held at the Cheras Velodrome June 8-10, Australia collected wins through Shane Perkins and Scott Sunderland. Like Perkins, Sunderland equalled his first leg keirin result by taking gold in the keirin ahead of Lewis and Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang who just pipped Perkins on the line for third place. In the women's racing, Kaarle McCulloch took silver behind hometown favourite Fatehah Mustapa in both the women's sprint and keirin. Men's Sprint Women's Sprint Women's Keirin | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Cadel Evans awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Australian cyclist Cadel Evans, 36, was honoured with the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to cycling and to the community in the Queen's Birthday Honours List named at the weekend. Born in the Northern Territory and later moving to Victoria, Evans first made his mark in the world of mountain biking where he claimed the overall World Cup Series title in both 1998 and 1999.
Evans then turned his attentions to the road and in 2011 became the first Australian and first cyclist from the southern hemisphere to win the Tour de France.
Currently a member of the BMC Racing Team, Evans' impressive resume also includes winning the 2009 Road World Championships in in Switzerland, claiming the Tour de Romandie in 2006 and 2011 and the points jersey at 2010 Giro d'Italia.
Evans also represented Australia at the 2000 (MTB), 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, in addition to claiming gold in the road time trial at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Evans has also served as an ambassador for the Amy Gillett Foundation since 2006 and is a strong financial supporter of Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth along with other community bike fund-raising programs to help disadvantaged youth.
"It is both a privilege and an honour for me to be awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), particularly given the quality of person this accolade has been bestowed upon in years past," Evans said. "I am an extremely proud Australian who is proud to represent his country on cycling's world stage every time I compete. "I cherish what it means to be Australian and times such as this encourage us to consider our past and embrace our future.'' Following his third place finish at the Giro d'Italia, Evans will look towards the 100th Edition of the Tour de France commencing on June 29. Cycling Australia Life Member and former Vice President Alex Fulcher was also recognised, receiving a medal (OAM) for his services to cycling. Fulcher, Vice President of Cycling Australia for 15 years, also held the position of Chairman of Selectors for 18 years and chaired the Coaches Commission, which he founded, for a further 16 years. The Australian Road Cycling Coach at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and 1978 (track) and 1982 (road) Commonwealth Games, Fulcher acted as the Training Manager for both track and road cycling at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. He was also the Competition Manager/Director at various events including UCI Track Masters World Championship, Track World Cup and the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. On a State level, Fulcher served as the President of Cycling New South Wales (1985-2001, 04-05) and a State Selector and Coach for almost 20 years. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Aussies relentless in defence of yellow Damian Howson retains yellow by just one second after stage 2. 38th THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT (U23 UCI 2.2U) Stage 2 A lot of early moves trying to establish the breakaway for stage two, with five riders eventually breaking clear with still 155km to go, shifting the responsbility back on the Australians to set the early pace in defence of Damien's overall lead. Campbell Flakemore set most of the tempo on the front while the guys were letting the gap slowly creep out to put some pressure on other teams to contribute. By the feed zone with 90km remaining, the gap was nearing nine minutes and the other teams soon committed and a strong chase ensued. With 15km remaining the gap was still over two mins but the leaders had all split with New Zealander Hayden McCormick going solo to chase the stage win. Rabobank committed for the last 10km and the peoloton caught the remaining leaders at 1km to go. Caleb Ewan was our best finisher in 10th place but some very tired legs from a long day and five hard stages still remaining. Tomorrow's Start/Finish is in Neuhaus am Rennweg with 153km and a full day of climbs including two x Cat.1 and three x Cat.2 mountain sprints, and the 5km neutral start ending at the start of a Cat.1 ascent. STAGE 2 Result - 186km, BEHRINGEN OVERALL CLASSIFICATION after STAGE 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Howson retains yellow38^ THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT under 23 (UCI 2.2U) An eventful first stage with plenty of aggression from the fresh legs on stage 1. Alex Clements and Brad Linfield controlled the peloton superbly to protect Damian Howson's slender overall lead with a group of 5 riders working towards a 4min. gap at 80km to go. As the time gap threatened some teams GC chances there was eventually more co-operation in the chase and the gap quickly came down approaching the finishing circuit in Erfurt. A deluge of rain in the final hour created some havoc on the slippery Erfurt street circuit with Caleb Ewan crashing on the first lap and the next time around Howson crashing in the same spot. Two riders escaped on the last lap and held onto a 6sec. win with a bruised Howson safely in the bunch and Adam Phelan working through a testing first stage to remain in overall contention. The other riders lost some time through hard work on the front during the stage and a couple of unfortunate mishaps on the treachorous circuit. Tomorrow's stage is the Tour's longest with 186km with the Start/Finish in Behringen including 3 categorised climbs. STAGE 1 Result - 171.80km, ERFURT OVERALL CLASSIFICATION after STAGE 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cameron Meyer Wins Tour du Suisse Stage One Time TrialCameron Meyer posted the fastest time on the opening stage time trial at the Tour de Suisse. Ten seconds quicker than Niki Terpstra (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step) in second, Meyer covered the 8.1 kilometre course in 9’40. The Western Australian will wear yellow during the first road stage tomorrow. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
JAYCO-AIS WTA News: Howson nails second win in a week The Jayco-AIS World Tour Academy was back in action this week at the 38th Thuringen Rundfahrt, a prestigious under 23 International Tour and well-sought-after Overall Trophy The event's honour roll reads a who's who of cycling with previous champions including Australia's Rohan Dennis, reigning time trial world champion Tony Martin, plus Wilco Keldermann, John Degenkolb and Pieter Wiening. A quality field assembled again this year, with all of the Australians making Thuringen Rundfahrt except for Damien Howson. A little pressure for Howson to take into a 4.2 km point-to-point Time Trial but he rode very controlled and strong throughout with a high average speed of 51.63km/hr. 38^ THURINGEN RUNDFAHRT under 23 (UCI 2.2U) - James Victor
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Adelaide to host 2013 National CycloCross Series opener this weekend CYCLING AUSTRALIA MEDIA RELEASE The mud is set to fly in Adelaide this weekend with the opening two rounds of the 2013 National Cyclocross Series (NCXS) to be held at the Adelaide Park Lands. Cyclocross is a unique blend of road racing and mountain biking, with riders tackling various terrains including pavement, grass, mud and sand while negotiating obstacles such as rocks, steps and logs. The second edition of the NCXS has attracted record entries, with defending men’s champion Adrian Jackson (Victoria) looking to kick start his 2013 campaign in Adelaide despite limited preparation over the past month. “I am really looking forward to getting back to Adelaide as it was my favourite and I think they were the best races in last year’s Series,” said Jackson, who will come up against a host of cyclists used to the dirt including reigning and former national mountain bike champions in Chris Jongewaard (SA), Andrew Blair (NSW), Sid Taberlay (NSW) and Paul Van Der Ploeg (VIC). 2013 Subaru National Road Series leader Jack Haig (VIC) and Australian road cycling legend and three-time Tour de France points jersey winner Robbie McEwen are also confirmed starters in Adelaide. “It is going to be pretty full on and a lot hotter competition than last year, that’s for sure,” predicted Jackson. “Riders like Paul and Jack are at another level from last year’s racing and I expect them to be out the front early, with guys like Sid, Blairy, Chris and hopefully myself. “It is testament to how popular it (Cyclocross) has become as we are seeing the top guys entering these events now which is great for racing and the sport.” Given the quality field and exciting format of racing, it is no wonder Jackson recommends sports fans to head down to the NCXS opener. “It is a great spectator sport and all the riders really love having people line the sidelines yelling, cheering, even heckling,” he remarked. “It really adds to the atmosphere and creates a great spectacle to go along with the crashes and spills, all the works.” Defending women’s Series champion Lisa Jacobs (VIC) was a late withdrawal due to illness, but has predicted a superb race from the strong women’s field that includes 2013 runner up Mel Ansett (VIC), reigning cross-country national champion Peta Mullens (VIC) and former national MTB champion Rowena Fry (TAS). “I’m pretty keen on seeing how the top XC riders handle the dirt” said Jacobs. “Mel and Rowena are both top riders, but I also think Peta’s strengths make her perfect for CX. She’s got the criterium and MTB skills and I feel she will be the rider to watch.” Racing gets underway for support events at 10.45am, with the National Series events from 1pm. Following the Adelaide opener, the NCXS moves to Sydney's North Shore in mid-July, with Melbourne wrapping up the Series on August 11. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Sprinters fire in Kuala Lumpur at South-East Asian Grand Prix Series Some of Australia's best track cyclists have escaped the winter to contest the UCI Category 2 South-East Asian Grand Prix Series event in Malaysia. Shane Perkins and Scott Sunderland, fresh from the International Keirin circuit in Japan, joined with Peter Lewis in the sprint events held on the 333m concrete Cheras Velodrome in Kuala Lumpur. Perkins defeat Sunderland to take the gold medal, with Lewis was too strong for his Korean competitor Gyeong Son, taking bronze. The following day, Perkins and Lewis had comfortable wins in the first round of the Keirin, progressing through to the final with Sunderland, who finished third in the second semi final. Sunderland then executed a great race plan to take the gold medal ahead of Perkins and Lewis. Men's Sprint Qualification - top 6 results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Dennis jumps into yellow jersey at Criterium du Dauphine Australia's Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp) has taken the race leader's yellow jersey after finishing second in the fourth stage of the "Critérium du Dauphiné. Wednesday's fourth stage 32.5km time-trial was won by Omega-Pharma's Martin reigning world champion Tony Martin, with Dennis finishing 47 seconds behind. Dennis, 23, now sits five seconds ahead of Froome in the overall standings. "I knew my form was good," said Dennis, the 2012 London Olympic silver medalist in the team pursuit. "It can always be a bit of a gamble against guys like Froome and Contador. "I'm surprised to be so close to Martin. This is the best time-trial I've done to date. "I just tried to hold the power ... and instead of dropping towards the end, I realised I had a bit more to give," added Dennis. The 65th "Critérium du Dauphiné" is held from 2-9 June 2013 and consists of eight stages and will cover a total distance of 1,117 kilometres. Thursday's fifth stage is a tough 139km ride from Gresy-sur-Aix to the ski resort of Valmorel.
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