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Scody Cup Cycling Series Tour of Gippsland - NE

Australia, July 30-August 3, 2008

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Stage 8 - August 3: Paynesville crit, 44km

Sulzberger mirrors little brother's Tour

By Rod Morris

Bernard Sulzberger tops the final podium
Photo ©: Shane Goss
(Click for larger image)

For the fifth day in a row, the lead in the Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland changed hands, finally landing with Tasmanian Bernard Sulzberger. Sulzberger (24) mirrored the performance of his younger brother Wesley, who won the 2006 Tour of Gippsland before going on to win the national series, which was then known as the Tattersall's Cup. It is now raced under the Scody Cup banner.

Sulzberger overcame a 16-second deficit in the last stage, a 44-km criterium in the seaside township of Paynesville to win the five-day tour by 18 seconds from overnight leader Timothy Roe, who failed to fire a shot on an exciting last day.

Sulzberger, riding for the Virgin Blue Cycling Team, not only won the tour, but claimed the Most Aggressive title and the lead in the Scody Cup series, with the Australian Cycling Grand Prix at Ballarat, the Tour of the Murray River and the Tour of Tasmania still to come.

How it unfolded

Sulzberger started the day 16 seconds behind Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans) and 14 seconds adrift of West Australian Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS), but had obviously slept well on his race tactics. With 16 intermediate sprints on offer, each time bonuses of 3-2-1 seconds for the first three riders across the line, Sulzberger announced his intention immediately.

Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS) wins his second stage of the Tour
Photo ©: Shane Goss
(Click for larger image)

He won the first two sprints, was second in the next and then won again, reducing the margin to just five seconds. He was second again on sprint six and then moved into the outright lead when he led the field over the line for sprint eight. But Sulzberger wasn't finished yet. He also won sprints 10, 11, 14 & 16 as well as running minor placings in a couple of others.

With King and Roe unable to match Sulzberger's raw sprinting power, they seemed almost resigned to defeat by the Tasmanian. Their only way back was to win the stage and collect enough bonuses, or put time between themselves and Sulzberger. Both scenarios were most unlikely given the form of the Tasmanian, who is just back from America where he has been racing in the famed Superweek.

With the intermediate sprints done and dusted, Sulzberger only had to watch closely the movements of King and Roe, although he was still involved in a tussle for the criterium championship with fellow Tasmanian Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team).

Clarke had not figured in the sprints, saving himself for the final run to the line and although second place gave him the criterium title, he was beaten for the stage victory by Geelong teenage sensation, Leigh Howard.

Howard had a mixed bag tour, winning two stages and being declared an unlikely winner of the king of the mountain championship, mainly because of his sprinting background. However a couple of less than average road stages where he lost time because of punctures, he finished 32nd on general classification.

Third home in the sprint was Savings & Loans rider Russell Gill, claiming his first podium placing for the week.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Shane Goss/www.licoricegallery.com

Results

1 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS)                          1.00.03
2 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team)
3 Russell Gill (Savings & Loans)
4 James Langedyk (Jayco/VIS)
5 Kyle Marwood (Lake Oil Cycling Team)
6 Craig McCartney (Savings & Loans)
7 Joseph Lewis (South Australia/AIS)
8 Adrian Hanson (Lakes Oil Cycling Team)
9 Peter Milostic (GD.Triple Play)                      0.03
10 Abram Manion (Budget Forklifts)
11 Luis Trueba (Drapac Porsche)

Final general classification

1 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling)         14.22.28
2 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans)                        0.18
3 Benjamin King (South Australia/AIS)                  0.19
4 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team)                  0.39
5 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team)               0.44
6 Cameron Hughes (GD.Triple Play)                      1.12
7 Chris Luxton (Savings & Loans)                       1.25
8 Pip Grinter (Drapac Porsche)                         1.32
9 Peter Milostic (GD.Triple Play)                      1.46
10 Travis Meyer (South Australia/AIS)                  1.47

Sprint Championship

1 Malcolm Rudolph (GD Triple Play)

Tourism Victoria King of the Mountain Championship

1 Leigh Howard (Jayco/VIS)

East Gippsland Shire Council Criterium Championship

1 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team)

Bairnsdale Franchised Dealer Group Most Aggressive Rider

1 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling Team)

Scody Cup progressive

1 Bernard Sulzberger (Virgin Blue Cycling Team)          61
2 Ben King (South Australia/AIS)                         50
3 Timothy Roe (Savings & Loans)                          50
4 Nathan Clarke (Praties Cycling Team)                   48
5 Daniel Furmston (Praties Cycling Team)                 48
6 Dylan Newell (Praties Cycling Team)                    43
7 Cameron Hughes (GD.Triple Play                         42

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