Pollock grabs snowy stage win, race lead

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Part-time bike rider Rhys Pollock (Drapac) displayed his liking for brutal conditions by claiming the Tour of Tasmania’s lead after the gruelling opening two stages today. The 127-man field was pummelled by wind, rain, hail and snow in the 89km road stage from Strahan to Rosebery.

Veteran cycling observers described the conditions as the worst ever experienced in the 15-year history of the Scody Cup - the four-part, three-state domestic cycling series of which the Tassie Tour is the fourth and final round this year.

Pollock, who attracted attention with a gutsy second placing behind Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger in last year’s rain and snow-battered inaugural Launceston to New Norfolk Classic, mixes cycling with a university building administration course in his home town of Albury, NSW.

But he performed like the ultimate seasoned professional today. Pollock, Chris Jory (Shortis.com.au) and young New South Welshman Ben Dyball (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) attacked the peloton soon after the departure from Strahan and had crept to a 1:20 min lead when snow fell on the field at the 25km mark.

Dyball eventually succumbed to the freezing conditions and it was left to reigning Victorian open road champion Cameron Peterson to launch a solo attack and scrape into third placing, only 12 seconds behind the leaders.

“That was unbelievably tough,” the jubilant Pollock said after he unleashed a victory screech upon conquering Jory in the uphill finish in Rosebery’s main street.

Jory was more direct: “That was crazy. I couldn’t believe it when it started snowing,” he said.

The luckless Ben Grenda (Genesys Wealth Advisers), neatly placed in third position overall after his Strahan criterium triumph, punctured six kilometres from Rosebery and saw his winning tour chance disappear.

South Australian Andrew Roe was forced to withdraw from the event after sustaining facial injuries in a crash on a sharp, slippery descent during the Strahan - Rosebery stage.

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