Sokoll wins stage one year after billabong crash

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Christoph Sokoll made a name for himself in cycling by riding 190km at the front as a first-year elite rider during the 2009 Mendrisio Road World Championship, which was won by Cadel Evans. Now the mountain bikers know him, too, after his stage 7 win at the Crocodile Trophy.

In contrast, it was a most unfortunate day for Belgian Mike Mulkens, who has been trying for three years to claim a stage win at the Crocodile Trophy. With 1km to go to today's finish in Laura, he punctured while in the lead with Sokoll, who was thought to be slower in the sprint. Dutchman Jeroen Boelen kept his red leader's jersey, but lost some precious seconds to challenger and former race leader Urs Huber.

"This is a very special victory for me," said Sokoll. "Exactly on this stage last year, I crashed and broke three ribs and a collarbone. Despite that, I managed to finish the stage at the time, but it was the hardest the day in my life. When we passed that infamous billabong where I crashed today, I felt already better having survived that creek crossing. In the mean time, I was also riding in the front. The whole day I felt really strong."

Sokoll made part of an early break consisting of his compatriot René Haselbacher, Australian Mark Griffin and the Belgians Mike Mulkens and Kevin Hulsmans. Those five would stay in the front for the entire stage.

The road from Mt Mulgrave to Laura was long but not too demanding. The road riders had an advantage. And it would become a tactical road race with riders pretending, riders faking and riders seeking for allies. The peloton didn't seem to be worried about the breakaway as it gained a maximum of five minutes.

Even Wolfgang Krenn, who saw his third overall place in jeopardy, did not panic. "I had confidence that they would never get more of an advantage. We kept the pace in the peloton (of 22 riders) at a good level but not too high. They would have never surprised us."

"That's correct," said race leader Boelen. "We kept everything under control. It was like in a road race where the leader of the race gives a breakaway a go. If some others in my group wanted a stage victory, they needed to cooperate with me. They didn't, so the break managed to stay in the front."

The only problem was that there was no real harmony in the front group. The presence of two Austrians and two Belgians lead to rivalry and discussions. "There were a lot of discussions," said Griffin. The Australian was a bit of a surprise in the break.

"The other riders were not so happy with the behaviour of Mike Mulkens. Mulkens was complaining the whole time that he was not strong enough to cooperate and that he had some problems with the valve of his tube."

Griffin was happy just to be in the front. The Sydney rider, who has been hanging all week around 10th and 11th place, arrived by coincidence at the Crocodile Trophy. He was the best rider in a series of Australian events by Rocky Trail Entertainment, which is supported by Bernard Beer, one of the Crocodile Trophy sponsors, and he won an entry ticket for the 1200 kilometer adventure through North Queensland.

"I won't complain. I didn't want to finish the Crocodile Trophy without having given it a go. Today I did. I also had in mind to eventually take that leader's jersey in the masters category. Unfortunately the stage was 20km too long for me. The corrugations and the headwind were too much for me. On the other hand, I trained for this race. My Ashfield Cycles Team and I completed a seven-month training program. I also watched all Tour de France stages on my home trainer. That delivered."

It wasn't just the distance that made the race too hard for Griffin. The Sydney rider was not used to the road riders' behaviour in the front. "Mulkens said he had a flat tyre," said Hulsmans. "For 20km, he did not work with us. I was irritated, also as I expected him to have made an agreement with the Austrians. That's why I attacked."

With less than 30km to go, Hulsmans attacked. Griffin dropped and Hulsmans was able to take one minute. Now Mulkens had to chase. Together with Sokoll and Haselbacher, he did. They came closer and closer. After 12km chasing, they caught the Belgian rider. "Kevin went too early", said Haselbacher. "And indeed there was no cohesion in the front. I always said to the others to keep on going. Today was really like a Paris-Roubaix stage. Relatively flat but hard, and you just needed to keep on going."

"Too hard on those corrugated, Bois de Wallers roads indeed," said Hulsmans afterwards. "But it was nice. Dust, mud, sand, this is heroic cycling. I played the game, but I lost. This is no UCI race, but everybody starts here to win. It is hard, but I will try again. Maybe again tomorrow."

Only Mulkens and Sokoll were left in the game at the 10km to go mark as Haselbacher paid for his efforts. Sokoll and Mulkens went into the last kilometer and a small climb. And then Mulkens just stepped off his bike with a flat rear tyre. Instead of continuing on his punctured wheel, he stopped, put some air in the tube, but Sokoll was of course gone in the meantime.

"Honestly, I think I had also more power in my legs than Mulkens at that moment," said Sokoll. And that could be right as Mulkens, with only 500 meters to go, and sure of a second place in the stage, stopped again. He ripped off his shirt and went off the road. Just sitting, just deeply breathing or was it crying? The two-time third overall in the Crocodile Trophy would again not be able to claim a stage at the Crocodile Trophy.

"I was 'done'. I could not handle my handlebars anymore. I was empty. I don't know how a heart attack feels, but I was really scared," said Mulkens, who finally went over the finsh line 11:36 later than Sokoll. It was drama for the Belgian rider. "Of course, I could have won here in Laura."

In the end, the peloton with Huber and Boelen came close, and Huber even managed to take 16 seconds back on Boelen. "I knew that last sharp corner from last year," said Huber. "Many riders crashed there in the gravel. I took care to take that corner as first rider, which was good as Jeroen Boelen crashed behind me. I don't give up on the overall. Every second counts."

For Boelen, there were no major injuries, just some bruises and road rash on his left leg.

The happiest man in Laura today was stage winner Sokoll, a third-year elite road rider. After his Mendrisio raid, Bernard Eisel's training mate got an offer from Footon-Servetto but stuck with the Austrian Corratec-Vorarlberg Team. For 2012, he has an agreement with Tyrol Team, a continental team. "Mountain biking is no priority for me. Before this race, I was on the mountain bike only three times. Maybe I should do this more often, but then, like most of the favourites here, also with 29-inch wheels."

Tommorrow's stage will bring 89km from Laura to Kalpowar. It will be without the two heroic handbikers who arrived at the Crocodile Trophy camp after 18 hours on their bikes yesterday. This morning, they were not able to start in today's stage, due to heat stroke and fever cramps suffered by Patrik Doak and an open skin wound for Carlos Moleda, who was sitting on a stone while cycling for hours during yesterday's stage. Their teammate and supporter Andrew Chafer on a mountain bike will continue and finish the Crocodile Trophy and will be welcomed by Patrik and Carlos at Cooktown's Grassy Hill.

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