Lane lands stage victory

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Patrick Lane made the most of his Jayco-Skins team’s efforts to pull back a breakaway by winning the Tour of Geelong’s third stage. Lane held off Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans) to claim the stage victory after the pair escaped in the final laps.

Glenn Chadwick and Adam Phelan formed the early breakaway before being joined by Michael Smith. Smith bridged to the leader’s group halfway through the 30 lap race, when the trio had a 16 second margin over the peloton.

The leader’s margin never surpassed 30 seconds and the peloton was brought back together with three laps remaining as Drapac and Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans gave chase. Peterson and Lane attacked soon-after in what proved to be a race-winning move.

Drapac’s Joe Lewis claimed third place on the stage while team-mate Rhys Pollack continues to lead the race. Pollack holds a 42 second margin over Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco-Skins) heading into tomorrow’s 20 kilometre individual time trial, the discipline in which Dennis is the current Under 23 national champion.

Stage winner Patrick Lane is coached by Brian Stephens of the AIS. Stephens was delighted by his protégé's victory. “It’s a great victory for him and will do his confidence the world of good," he said. At just 18 years of age, Lane has plenty of scope for further development and the diminutive rider from St. Kilda was hugely impressive in taking this victory. However, Stephens feels that Lane's real talent lies when the road goes uphill. “We don’t have too many good climbers in Australia but Patrick is showing all the hallmarks of being able to get over a big hill,” Stephens said.

Race leader Rhys Pollock recognises that he faces a serious challenge from Rohan Dennis in tomorrow's time trial, but he negotiated today's treacherous conditions without any great difficulty. “I finished ninth behind Bradley Wiggins in last year’s Herald Sun Tour time trial and I reckon I’m just about in the best form of my life,” he said.

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