Von Hoff takes final stage

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Exuberant Ballarat rider Patrick Shaw (Genesys Wealth Advisers) claimed the biggest reward of his victory- studded career with a well-earned triumph in the Tour of the Murray River.

Shaw, 25, won by a slender two seconds from teammate Steele Von Hoff, with Melbourne Commonwealth Games time trial gold medallist Ben Kersten a further 27 seconds back in third place.

The final stage of the eight-day 847km tour, a 66km kermesse on Mildura's riverfront, was won by Von Hoff from the "Taree Terrier" Philip Grenfell (Bikebug.com), with Kersten (Swan Hill Heart of the Murray) third.

The dazzling Von Hoff won five tour stages to add to the five he claimed in the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland in July and the two he took in the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong in mid-August.

Von Hoff, a full-time boilermaker in Dandenong until six months ago, has bolted to an unbeatable lead in the 2011 Scody Cup, the four-event series which concludes with the Caterpillar Underground Mining Tour of Tasmania, October 4 – 9.

Shaw will go into the Tassie tour loaded with confidence after a superb all-round display in the Murray event, holding the yellow jersey since the Stage 2 road race from Yarrawonga to Cobram on Sunday, August 28.

"I never thought I would be on the honor roll for this race," Shaw said, referring to the quality of some of the previous winners, including Sydney Olympic gold medallist Brett Aitken, New Zealand's world track champion Greg Henderson, reigning Australian criterium titleholder Jonathan Cantwell, and international representatives Simon Clarke, William Walker, Robert McLachlan, Leigh Howard and Peter McDonald.

"It was hard to hold on to the jersey because of all the intermediate sprints (131) and the depth of talent in the field, but my Genesys teammates were fantastic.

"For me, winning was the icing on the cake."

Shaw tried his hand in Europe in 2008-9, but returned to Australia last year believing he wasn't quite ready for the rigors of international cycling.

He had a tremendous 2010 on the Australian domestic scene, winning the Tour of Gippsland, the Launceston to New Norfolk Classic and the Scody Cup.

"The Gippsland victory reinvigorated me and I am in a terrific place right now," he said. "With my teammates at Genesys, life is so much more fulfilling."

The 16th Murray Tour was conducted in near-perfect sunshine over most of its eight days, but was marred by a chain of crashes which saw about 75 of the original 107-man field hit the bitumen.

Twenty-six riders crashed in the grand finale 20-lap Mildura stage, with Queenslander Brian McLeod (Budget Forklifts) sustaining abrasions to an elbow.

Johnnie Walker, William's younger brother, won the Tasco Inland sprint championship by 11 points from Shaw, with Canberra's Adam Phelan third.

Phelan, 20, claimed the Fonterra Rising Star award and also finished fourth overall.

Gutsy New Zealander Alexander Ray claimed the Merbein Community Bank Most Aggressive Rider title, while Newcastle's Joe Lewis surprised with his victory in the Tourism Victoria King of the Mountains championship.

Von Hoff won the WHK criterium championship by a single point from Kersten.

The tour, backed by Tourism Victoria and the NSW Government, was a feature event on Cycling Australia's national road series.