Race leader Frendo claims stage 2 of Crocodile Trophy

Australian Mark Frendo claimed his second Crocodile Trophy stage during a marathon from Cairns into Lake Tinaroo and defended his overall leader's jersey. He increased his race lead, winning ahead of the Austrian pro-road racer Josef Benetseder and the Canadian Marathon National Champion Cory Wallace. Liesbeth Hessens was the fastest woman for the second day in a row, showing a strong performance on the gruelling climbs through the Dinden National Park.

Most of the riders in the Crocodile Trophy race had regarded stage 2 as the real start of the action. After yesterday's lap race at Smithfield for stage 1, the 90km stage 2 had its official start high above town on the road towards Copperlode Dam. A large lead group of almost 30 riders set a high pace right from the start.

After gruelling climbs and steep descends that seemed to never end, the first feed zone was located deep in the tropical bushland of Dinden National Park, and by then, an Austro-Australian breakaway group had formed with race leader Mark Frendo and the two Austrian racers Wolfgang Krenn and Benetseder. With a gap of only a minute, Wallace and the Czech rider Jan Fojtik were in hot pursuit, followed by Matthew Page, Jiri Krivanek and M1 rider Mario Färberböck.

Prooving his strong endurance skills, Benetseder attacked just before the second feed zone and surprised his fellow riders with an impressive climbing ability. On the steep ascent towards Mount Edith, the highest point in Far North Queensland, he was able to increase the gap to over two minutes, with Wallace and Frendo chasing hard.

A more than 10km rapid descend to Kauri Creek was the reward before the finish at Lake Tinaroo and only Frendo was able to catch up, cross the finish line for his second stage win with over a minute gap.

"Benetseder was really strong on the climbs today, but luckily on the last downhill I had an advantage over him," said the mechanical engineer and passionate mountain biker from Brisbane at the finish.

On the picturesque shores of Lake Tinaroo, Wallace finished in third ahead of Krenn and Krivanek. It was bad luck for Fojtik, the young Czech rider, who had started so strongly. He faced sharp, chronic pain in his lower back and had to retire 30km before the finish.

Stage 3 preview

Tomorrow's third stage will be an 80km marathon with more than 2,500m of climbing, featuring a 30km loop on the new Atherton mountain bike trail network before heading towards the historic mining town of Irvinebank across rough Outback roads and spectacular river crossings.

Full Results

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Men stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Mark Frendo (Aus)3:29:56
2Josef Benetseder (Aut) Team Eybl0:01:03
3Cory Wallace (Can) Kona-MBC0:07:12
4Wolfgang Krenn (Aut) Zwillingscraft Stevens - SC Knauf Liezen0:11:24
5Jiri Krivanek (Cze) Prestige0:13:48
6Matthew Page (GBr) A Cycling/Pivot0:17:05
7Steve Rankine (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans0:22:05
8Paul Mashford (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans0:33:46
9Bart Duraj (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home LoansRow 8 - Cell 2
10Patrick Schörkmayer (Aut) Team-Beniva0:41:13
11Sander Cordeel (Bel)0:41:14
12Adam Cobain (Aus) Amy Gillet Foundation0:45:27
13Bevan Spratt (NZl)1:00:31
14Alessandro Bianchi Perugini (Ita) asd s.martino emmedue bikepoint2:00:48
DNFJan Fojtik (Cze) Symbio+ GiantRow 14 - Cell 2
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Women stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Liesbeth Hessens (Bel)4:31:08
2Maria Cristina (Ita) GS Cicli Matteoni FRW1:12:28
3Anne-Mette Mortensen (Den) Team Fit 4 Run1:35:39
4Giordana Sordi (Ita) SKYsport-Italy1:42:03
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M1 stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1333:52:01
2Johan Schrauwen (Bel) Houtambacht - Who killed Joe?0:06:55
3Kristof Schrauwen (Bel) Houtambacht - Who killed Joe?0:14:35
4Huub Tankink (Ned) GT-YellowWings Racing0:47:19
5Jürgen Hofer (Aut)0:56:59
6Vincent Baert (Bel) One life. Live it!0:57:19
7Martin Wisata (Aut) Il Pastaio / Rocky Trail Racing1:01:52
8Matthew Moroney (Aus)1:06:17
9Andreas Ueberrhein (Ger) Mountainbike-Freiburg1:16:20
10Bart Couckuyt (Bel)1:16:57
11David Vermander (Bel) Houtambacht - Who killed Joe?2:06:09
12Kurt Hannes (Bel)2:50:34
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M2 stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Hans Planckaert (Bel) Smart Cycling Team3:51:49
2Hamish Morrin (NZl)0:21:08
3Peter Mühl (Aut)0:27:12
4Dennis Valerius (Ned) Jobkitchen.be0:38:21
5Kristof Roelandts (Bel) One life. Live it!0:46:15
6Phil Welch (GBr) Il Pastaio / Rocky Trail Racing0:50:04
7Andy Tubbs (USA) andy tubbs0:58:25
8Wolfgang Mader (Aut) Dreamteam Tirol1:07:43
9Zbigniew Mossoczy (Pol) Wertykal bikeBoard1:12:21
10Kurt Alderweireldt (Bel)1:13:09
11Steve Bunton (NZl) Cervo Rosso / Flat Out Forty1:20:51
12Georg Vinczencz (Aut) Radsport Waldherr1:21:54
13Christian Wenger (Aut) bikepalast1:26:39
14Giovanni Montini (Ita) SKYsport-Italy1:31:26
15Robert Waters (GBr)1:34:57
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M3 stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Peter Selkrig (Aus) Il Pastaio / Rocky Trail Racing4:21:12
2Simon Gillett (Aus) Amy Gillett Foundation0:42:27
3Gerhard Grassmugg (Aut) Rofa-Sport Graz1:05:04
4Radim Novotny (Cze) Prestige1:15:03
5Daniele Bertozzi (Ita) GS Cicli Matteoni FRW1:22:24
6Robert Topfer (Aus) Amy Gillett Foundation1:26:07
7Chris Wessels (Aus)2:10:35
8Andrew Wily (Aus) Amy Gillett Foundation2:24:57
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Teams stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Franz Schmidhofer (Aut) race4two - carinthia5:27:55
1Mario Slabe (Aut) race4two - carinthiaRow 1 - Cell 2
2Guy Palinckx (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 11:13:14
2Luc Peeters (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 1Row 3 - Cell 2
2Marc Coninx (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 2Row 4 - Cell 2
2Drik Oostvogels (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 2Row 5 - Cell 2
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Teams 2 stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Brendon Skerke (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans CA4:36:24
1Jon Standage (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans CA4:36:25
2Isaac Tonello (Aus) AMDF - Australian Mitochondrial Disease Federation0:28:04
2David Stallan (Aus) AMDF - Australian Mitochondrial Disease FederationRow 3 - Cell 2
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Elite men general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Mark Frendo (Aus)5:00:10
2Josef Benetseder (Aut) Team Eybl0:10:42
3Cory Wallace (Can) Kona-MBC0:11:02
4Wolfgang Krenn (Aut) Zwillingscraft Stevens - SC Knauf Liezen0:13:03
5Jiri Krivanek (Cze) Prestige0:21:17
6Matthew Page (GBr) A Cycling/Pivot0:26:02
7Steve Rankine (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans0:27:02
8Paul Mashford (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans0:40:59
9Bart Duraj (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans0:44:17
10Patrick Schörkmayer (Aut) Team-Beniva0:50:26
11Adam Cobain (Aus) Amy Gillet Foundation0:56:52
12Sander Cordeel (Bel)1:02:58
13Bevan Spratt (NZl)1:16:05
14Alessandro Bianchi Perugini (Ita) asd s.martino emmedue bikepoint2:29:17
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Elite women general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Liesbeth Hessens (Bel)6:25:02
2Maria Cristina (Ita) GS Cicli Matteoni FRW1:28:02
3Anne-Mette Mortensen (Den) Team Fit 4 Run1:58:33
4Giordana Sordi (Ita) SKYsport-Italy2:00:14
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M1 general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Mario Farberbock (Aut)5:30:06
2Johan Schrauwen (Bel) Houtambacht - Who killed Joe?0:06:16
3Kristof Schrauwen (Bel) Houtambacht - Who killed Joe?0:17:53
4Huub Tankink (Ned) GT-YellowWings Racing1:01:09
5Martin Wisata (Aut) Il Pastaio / Rocky Trail Racing1:13:46
6Jürgen Hofer (Aut)1:14:46
7Vincent Baert (Bel) One life. Live it!1:19:02
8Andreas Ueberrhein (Ger) Mountainbike-Freiburg1:31:07
9Bart Couckuyt (Bel)1:40:32
10Matthew Moroney (Aus)1:43:46
11David Vermander (Bel) Houtambacht - Who killed Joe?3:05:04
12Kurt Hannes (Bel)3:12:55
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M2 general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Hans Planckaert (Bel) Smart Cycling Team5:38:27
2Hamish Morrin (NZl)0:19:36
3Dennis Valerius (Ned) Jobkitchen.be0:38:52
4Phil Welch (GBr) Il Pastaio / Rocky Trail Racing0:52:04
5Kristof Roelandts (Bel) One life. Live it!0:55:09
6Andy Tubbs (USA) andy tubbs1:08:48
7Peter Mühl (Aut)1:17:34
8Zbigniew Mossoczy (Pol) Wertykal bikeBoard1:20:30
9Kurt Alderweireldt (Bel)1:28:59
10Steve Bunton (NZl) Cervo Rosso / Flat Out Forty1:38:21
11Christian Wenger (Aut) bikepalast1:39:28
12Georg Vinczencz (Aut) Radsport Waldherr1:41:46
13Robert Waters (GBr)1:47:20
14Giovanni Montini (Ita) SKYsport-Italy1:52:11
15Wolfgang Mader (Aut) Dreamteam Tirol1:58:05
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M3 general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Peter Selkrig (Aus) Il Pastaio / Rocky Trail Racing6:08:42
2Simon Gillett (Aus) Amy Gillett Foundation0:59:18
3Daniele Bertozzi (Ita) GS Cicli Matteoni FRW1:24:50
4Gerhard Grassmugg (Aut) Rofa-Sport Graz1:24:59
5Robert Topfer (Aus) Amy Gillett Foundation1:50:10
6Radim Novotny (Cze) Prestige2:04:33
7Chris Wessels (Aus)2:53:46
8Andrew Wily (Aus) Amy Gillett Foundation3:12:23
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Masters general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Franz Schmidhofer (Aut) race4two - carinthia7:35:41
1Mario Slabe (Aut) race4two - carinthiaRow 1 - Cell 2
2Drik Oostvogels (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 21:17:31
2Marc Coninx (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 20:00:04
3Guy Palinckx (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 10:00:27
3Luc Peeters (Bel) One Eight Five Vets 1Row 5 - Cell 2
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Men open general classification after stage 2
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Brendon Skerke (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans CA6:23:38
1Jon Standage (Aus) Tenni's - Cairns Home Loans CA6:23:39
2Isaac Tonello (Aus) AMDF - Australian Mitochondrial Disease Federation0:34:21
2David Stallan (Aus) AMDF - Australian Mitochondrial Disease FederationRow 3 - Cell 2

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