Clarke wins stage in bunch sprint

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Defending Canberra Tour champion Will Clarke (Genesys Wealth Advisers) claimed the race’s final stage victory in a small bunch sprint. The victory offered both Clarke and his Tasmanian team some consolation after working hard throughout the event to live up to its pre-race favourites status, but failing to catch the Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans squad.

The Genesys Wealth Advisers team gave its all to close the gap between overnight leader Ben Dyball (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans) and Clarke. The stage victory and its accompanying bonus seconds was everything Clarke could hope to achieve on the stage, however Dyball managed to stay with the lead group and maintain a 34 second lead.

Clarke held off round one winner Luke Durbridge (Jayco-Skins) and Adam Phelan (McDonagh Blake-Witness) in the sprint to the line. Dyball finished the stage in eighth place.

Originally 11 riders until shedding Harry Rassie (Race-Fenton Green & Co) in the final kilometres, the breakaway group put one minute into the chase group by race’s end. The pace was high enough to shatter the peloton, with nearly half the peloton finishing at least 15 minutes behind on the 130 kilometre stage.

Genesys Wealth Advisers also picked up the tour’s mountains classification victory, with Nathan Earle sealing his lead in the standings by increasing his tally to 26 points today. Clarke assisted with securing the jersey by accumulating 16 points on today’s stage, preventing a threat from Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans rider Cameron Peterson from materialising.

Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans sport director Pat Jonker was delighted with the work of his riders in Canberra. “I am very impressed by the team work displayed and the mateship of the guys,” said Jonker. “I couldn’t fault their performance all weekend. They did exactly as we planned and executed our plan perfectly each day.

“There were a number of times that things were in the balance and the guys not only absorbed significant pressure but did it with a steady hand and maturity beyond their years,” he added.

Dyball’s victory is the first overall win for Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans in a Cycling Australia National Road Series round. The squad made its debut at the season opening Mersey Valley Tour, having been formed by Pegasus Racing to replace the Fly V Australia team which is focusing its efforts abroad this year.

Macpherson, Hogan primed for victory

The Prime Estate squad had plenty to celebrate after the Canberra Tour’s final stage. Not only did Jenny Macpherson win the two-up sprint for the final stage, but overnight leader Joanne Hogan’s fifth place was enough to secure her the National Road Series round victory.

Macpherson was one of three riders to lead the race as it headed out of the Cotter valley on the way back to Stromlo. Macpherson was joined at the race’s head by Samantha Hemsley (ACTAS-NTID) and Jessie Maclean (Canberra Cycling Club) towards the end of the 85 kilometre stage.

Maclean was unable to stay with Hemsley and Macpherson on the return to Stromlo’s cycling park. The local rider dropped 54 seconds on the lead pair, while Macpherson only dropped Hemsley over the final metres during an uphill sprint for the finish line into a headwind.

While her team-mate was racing for the stage victory up the road, Hogan was marking her main overall rival Lisa Jacobs. The first stage winner crossed the line in fourth place, 1:27 minutes down on the leaders, with Hogan by her side.

Hogan, who is in her last race with the Prime Estate squad, also collected the mountains classification victory thanks to her unassailable lead in the category. Her round victory in Canberra adds to her second place at the Mersey Valley Tour to give Hogan the women’s NRS lead.

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