Edmondson catches break inside last kilometre to win in Yinnar

Alex Edmondson (Euride Racing) has put weary track legs and jet lag behind him to claim the third stage of the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland. Edmondson also moved into the overall lead by 5 seconds and continues the purple patch for Adelaide based Euride racing as they claimed their second win in as many stages.

Budget Forklifts duo Jack Anderson and Sam Horgan claimed the minor placings.

"I’m pretty ecstatic, it’s a pretty cool feeling to finally get a stage win," Edmondson said. "This is huge for me; it’s been all about the track for the last two years since I came out of the juniors, so to finally get a result on the road is great.

"I hope this can be the start of something big and it’s great to be able to continue the winning for Euride," he said with teammate Russell Gill claiming the win on Phillip Island on stage 2.

"I didn’t come here thinking I was going to be in the yellow but I know we have a strong team here so bring it on."

Alexander Morgan (Jayco/Apollo VIS Men's Road Team) had made a valiant break for home with four kilometres to race but was reeled in within the final kilometre as Edmondson dashed home to claim the spoils.

By placing three riders in the day's break Budget Forklifts moved into the overall lead on teams GC by nearly two minutes. This could prove a crucial time gap as the Queensland based outfit seeks to regain ground lost to Huon-Genesys after the first five rounds of the Subaru National Road Series (NRS). The overall team classification winner for an NRS tour takes home 12 points with the runner-up bagging 10. Thus if the standings remained as they are, Budget would only close their 30 point deficit to Huon-Genesys by two points. Nonetheless, every point counts and the bragging rights of being the 'best team in Australia' is something that team sponsors take very seriously.

The typical early aggression was on as the peloton climbed the non categorised drag up to Marden South. A group of 12 slipped off the front early on and with most of the major teams represented it had the potential to go the distance. Kristan Juel (Budget Forklifts), Stuart Smith (search2retain p/b health.com.au) and Thomas Hamilton (Jayco/Apollo VIS Men's Road Team) jumped away from the already established break of 12, but that signalled the end as the entire peloton had regrouped by the start of the day's first KOM to Limonite.

As the peloton attacked the 3km 6% hill the Huon-Genesys and Budget Forklifts teams were particularly aggressive. Joseph Cooper (Huon-Genesys) claimed the spoils atop the first KOM as the bunch behind began to split up.

On the undulating roads that followed a group of three - Nathan Earle and Jai Crawford (Huon-Genesys), and Jack Anderson (Budget Forklifts) - formed a healthy lead. A group of seven riders including Sam Horgan and Blair Windsor (Budget Forklifts), Alex Edmondson and Harry Carpenter (Euride Racing), Oliver Kent-Spark and Eric Sheppard (search2retain p/b health.com.au), and Morgan attempted to bridge the gap to the leading three riders.

After 58km the two groups off the front had merged and the peloton lead by the defending Polygon Australia team was under pressure. The breakaway's advantage grew rapidly and with less than 30km to go the gap was hovering around the two minute mark.

All eyes turned to the final KOM of the day up Grand Ridge Road as the cooperation in the breakaway dissolved in a flurry of attacks. Kiwi strongman Sam Horgan was the first to establish a sizeable lead as he struck out for home. The former Oceania time trial champion claimed the second KOM and second intermediate sprint but was reeled in by the breakaway with around 15km remaining after some big turns by Crawford.

The tour continues tomorrow with an opening criterium in Sale and an afternoon road race from Sale to Licola. The afternoon road race is the queen stage of this year's tour with cross winds and plenty of climbing on the menu

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