By Rod Morris
Tasmanian Wesley Sulzberger has extended his lead to 33-points in the 2006 Tattersall’s Cup cycling series with two multi-stage tours still to be raced. Sulzberger won the opening event of this year’s series, the Tour of Gippsland earlier this month and performed with distinction in last week’s Australian Cycling Grand Prix in Ballarat.
Sulzberger has amassed 122 points and leads NSW rider Cody Stevenson on 89 and Victorian Mitchell Docker on 83. Stevenson won the criterium in the ACPG and Docker was the best overall rider, finishing well up in the time trial, criterium and road race.
The Tattersall’s Cup continues with the third leg - the Tour of the Murray River from August 29 - September 3 and will be finalised in October with the Tour of Tasmania (Oct. 24-29). Riders earn start points in each event, are awarded points if they complete the tours and in each individual stage can earn bonus points depending on their finishing position. Further bonus points are offered to the leading 15 riders in each tour’s general classification.
Sulzberger has been honoured with the No. 1 saddlecloth for the Tour of the Murray River, but will have no shortage of hard nosed opponents to contend with. Included in the start list are Stevenson, Queensland’s Miles Olman, Sydney’s Peter Milostic and talented young Victorian Scott Peoples. Sydney’s 1996 gold medal Olympian Brett Aitken, along with other Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalists, Stephen Wooldridge, Ashley Hutchinson and Sean Finning are others that enhance this quality field of 118 riders.
Tattersall’s Cup progressive leader board
