Kennaugh and Froome go one-two for Team Sky at Jayco Herald Sun Tour

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On the first road stage of the 2016 Jayco Herald Sun Tour, Peter Kennaugh and Chris Froome blew the race to pieces on the category 1 Mt St Leonard climb, maintaining their lead on the 20km descent into Healesville to assume first and second on the stage with the British national champion moving into the leader’s yellow jersey.

Race leader Will Clarke (Drapac) was distanced on the climb and with 10-bonus seconds for the winner, Kennaugh now leads Froome by seven seconds with Dion Smith, third on today's stage at 17 seconds, sitting 23 seconds back in third place on GC.

A six-man breakaway, Kristian House (ONE Pro Cycling), Giacomo Berlato (Nippo Vini Fantini), Nick Katsonis (State of Matter / MAAP), Alistair Slater (Condor JLT), Craig Evers (Data#3 Cisco Racing Team p/b Scody) and Ben Hill Attaque Team Gusto), was reeled in on the early slopes of the 8.3km climb with Team Sky setting the tempo before Froome launched his attack that only Kennaugh could follow.

“Yeah, awesome. Obviously much better than expected,” said Kennaugh who won last Sunday’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race with a late attack. “Obviously the race last week gave me a lot of confidence going into today and we had a good plan for today’s stage which worked out perfectly.

“It was to make it hard going into the last climb for Froomey to have a go and I was just to follow wheels and sort of judge the situation and if I felt I could come across to him, do that. Massive thanks to the team and especially Froomey, because once I got across to him I basically sat on his wheel the whole way up the climb.”

Froome was first atop the climb, earning himself the king of the mountains jersey, followed by Kennaugh with a chase group led Ben Dyball (KordaMentha – Australia) at 19 seconds. Jack Haig (Orica-GreenEdge), Joe Cooper (AvantiIsowhey), Nathan Earle (Drapac), Chris Hamilton (KordaMentha – Australia), Damien Howson (Orica-GreenEdge), Jai Hindley (Attaque Team Gusto) and Micahel Storer (KordaMentha – Australia) were reported on race radio as the riders next on the road with the peloton split to pieces up the climb.

Kennaugh and Froome’s advantage then hovered around the 15 seconds mark down the descent as Howson and John Clarke (UnitedHealthcare) were reported over the radio to be nearing the catch of the Team Sky riders. While race radio was reporting an immediate catch of the duo, Kennaugh explained that he and Froome were unsure just what advantage they had over the chasers until the final few kilometres into Healesville.

“Once we got onto the flat. I am not sure how long we had over the top of the climb but the guys behind definitely must have gotten on the motorbike on the descent because at one minute we had almost a minute and then next thing, we could see them,” Kennaugh said. “We didn’t have a motorbike or anthing in front of us, so I don’t know what was going on there but it was strange. As soon as the motorbike disappeared from in-between us, we just pulled away again … which was five kilometres to go when we hit those little rollers we kind of had a good idea.”

Kennaugh crossed the line just ahead of Froome, lifting the bands of his national champion's jersey in salute while ONE Pro Cycling’s Dion Smith raised his arms in celebration as he won the bunch kick for third place.

Post-race, Froome explained he enjoyed being able to repay Kennaugh and will ride in support of the 26-year-old as Sky eye off overall victory.

“It’s also a really nice feeling to give something back to Peter Kennaugh, the number of times he’s emptied himself for me out on the road and he’s been part of both of my Tour de France victories,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to so something for him. We are going to try and protect that now, Pete’s in great shape. He won Cadel’s race just a few days ago so we’ll try and keep the jersey on his shoulders now.

The opening
Stage 1 of the 63rd Jayco Herald Sun Tour started under cloudy skies with mist hanging onto the mountains that surround the Yarra Valley. Once the gun was fired to signal the start of the 126.1km Healesville to Healesville stage, the six-man group surged clear to establish a three-minute break inside the first 10 kilometres..

Drapac, riding for Clarke, and Team Sky controlled the tempo in the peloton who were content to let the break ride, safe in the knowledge they could bring it all back before the Mt St Leonard climb.

The breakaway, which had enjoyed a maximum lead of four minutes 34km into the stage, was seeing its advantage fall on approach to the category two Old Warburton climb. Just over half-way down the descent, Katsonis overshot a fast left-hand corner which then slowed Evers.

When the peloton came down three minutes later, Lucas Hamilton (KordaMentha - Australia) and Patrick Sharpe (St George Merida) would also find the corner a little treacherous with both falling at high speed and as a result, withdrawing from the race.

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