Hansen wins 2005 Crocodile Trophy

Number 1

Number 1 (Image credit: Mark Watson)

Italy's World Cup Bettin champion wins final stage

By John-Michael Flynn at Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas Australia

At the end of thirteen soul destroying days, the Crocodile Trophy of 2005 finished as it began, on a palm fringed beach in a tropical paradise.

And while the final stage belonged to Italy's champion Mauro Bettin, it was Adam Hansen, the local hero, who raised the biggest cheers from the crowd on magnificent Four Mile Beach, as he claimed his second successive Crocodile Trophy Victory.

It was a tribute to the rediscovered mental toughness of the Australian that after a season of self-doubt on the lonely roads of Europe where he is yet to make a name for himself in road cycling, he could return home and beat the best in the world, in a race which he has made his own.

When the minutes were finally tallied for the general classification at the end of today's beach criterium, Hansen had maintained a fifteen minute margin over his nearest rival Bettin, bringing to an end a memorable contest.

The entire 2005 Crocodile Trophy mountain bike stage race reports, results and photos

  • Stage 1 - October 18: Townsville - Townsville, 70 km
  • Stage 2 - October 19: Kirkland Downs – Paluma Dam, 112 km
  • Stage 3 - October 20: Paluma Dam – Lake Lucy, 148 km
  • Stage 4 - October 21: Lake Lucy – Blancoe Falls, 134 km
  • Stage 5 - October 22: Blancoe Fall - Koombooloomba, 104 km
  • Stage 6 - October 23: Koombooloomba - Irvinebank, 98 km
  • Stage 7 - October 24: Irvinebank - Chillagoe, 115 km
  • Stage 8 - October 25: Chillagoe Time trial, 30 km
  • Stage 9 - October 26: Chillagoe - Mt. Mulgrave, 125 km
  • Stage 10 - October 27: Mt. Mulgrave - Laura, 138 km
  • Stage 11 - October 28: Laura - Cooktown, 142 km
  • Stage 12 - October 29: Cooktown - Daintree, 139 km
  • Stage 13 - October 30: Port Douglas – Port Douglas, 45 km

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