Frendo wins opening stage of Crocodile Trophy

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The 19th annual Crocodile Trophy started with a multi-lap race in Smithfield near Cairns on Saturday. More than 80 riders from 15 countries kicked off the race, and with an overall race time of 1:30:14, the Australian Mark Frendo took the stage win and elite leader's jersey with a 1:06 gap overJan Fojtik and Wolfgang Krenn. The women's lead was claimed by Liesbeth Hessens from Belgium.

Frendo had been called the "dark horse" among riders of this year's Crocodile Trophy stage race after the first training rides at the Smithfield World Cup trails over the past few days in Cairns. And the 28-year-old rider from Brisbane didn't disappoint - straight from the start at the James Cook University event centre in Smithfield, he set a high pace, creating himself a 30-second lead right way, which increased to over a minute within five laps of the 6.2km course that was dominated by tight singletrail sections, set out by the hosting Cairns MTB Club.

"I prepared as best as I could for this race, today really suited me because I have a bit of a cross country background, and I just gave it a go and it all went to plan", said the U19 and U23 national mountain bike champion, who plans to keep challenging his fellow elite racers over the coming eight stages.

Czech rider Jan Fojtik, whose older brother Ondrej won the Crocodile Trophy in 2008, also proved to be in top form and said he enjoyed the course layout. "I like such technical trails and today's race was great fun. But my brother warned me that anything can happen at the Crocodile Trophy, we still have eight days ahead of us."

Like so many others, today's third place, the Austrian Wolfgang Krenn, agreed. "I think the real race starts tomorrow. The steep climbs towards Copperlode Dam will be the first endurance test for the field."

Canadian Marathon National Champion Cory Wallace was content with his fourth place today and said that his goal was to race consistent until the long and hot Outback stages on day five and six, which will take them over 163km Mt Mulligan to Granite Creek Dam and then to Laura on a 116km stage where a 50km time trial will be held for stage seven.

Fastest Australian leader jersey goes to Rankine

With Frendo wearing the overall race leader's jersey at tomorrow's stage 2 start at the Cairns Esplande, Steven Rankine, currently fifth in the general classification, was awarded the leader's jersey for the best Australian in the race, a title he claimed in last year's event as well.

The master leader's jersey went to Johan Schrauwen from Belgium, and in the women's field, Liesbeth Hessens won ahead of Maria Cristina Prati and Giordana Sordi. Hessens will start tomorrow's stage with a whopping 15:34 lead.

In the Adventure Team classification, the Cairns local team with Jon Standage and Brendon Skerke is took the lead.

Stage 2 preview

Stage 2 will take the Crocodile Trophy peloton out of Cairns in a neutral ride to the official race start at a look-out high above the town towards Copperlode Dam. Riders will assemble at the Cairns Esplanade from 8:30 am with the inofficial stage two start at 9:30 am. The first finishers are expected to arrive at Lake Tinaroo near Atherton at 1:30 pm.

Full Results for stage 1 and GC after stage 1