Junior World Champion Palmer wins in Geelong

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World Junior Kilo Champion Tom Palmer (City of Greater Geelong) held off Victorian Gary Mueller (Total Rush) to win stage 5 of the GMHBA Tour of Geelong and 2009 Victorian Open Road Championships. Joel Pearson (Savings & Loans) placed third.

It was an edgy start for the 110 men in the field, delayed by half an hour as ambulance drivers attended to the riders injured in a crash during the women’s criterium.

Jonathon Cantwell (Fly V Australia), who placed sixth in yesterday’s elite individual time trial, pushed out hard in the opening stages of the criterium. He won the first, second and 14th sprint legs and now holds the Sprint Jersey, 7 points ahead of Charles Howlett (Cycle City) - but with 12 sprint legs tomorrow he will need to remain vigilant.

Today Cantwell’s claimed the much sort after Criterium Jersey, 1 point ahead of Dale Scarfe (Mace-McDonagh Blake).

"I ran out of legs just before the end but our main concern was to keep the yellow jersey, hopefully we can keep it tomorrow," said Cantwell after the race.

Resolved to hold on to the leaders jersey, Cantwell's Fly V teammate Darren Rolfe remained tucked with in the peloton, although he still leads fellow rider David Kemp (Fly V Australia) by two minutes in the general classification.

"I’m feeling good and I’m starting to get used to wearing the yellow jersey, I rolled through the motion today and stayed out the way and let the other boys go for the sprint jersey," Rolfe said.

Yesterday’s stage winner, William Clarke (Praties) remains the next closest in general classifications trailing Rolfe by 2:16.

David Kemp (Fly V Australia) is edging closer to Leigh Howard in the overall placing’s for the Scody Cup. Kemp needs to hold onto his second placing and finish the race tomorrow to secure the top position.

The seaside town of Portarlington will play host to tomorrow's 152 kilometre road race and the final stage of the GMHBA Tour of Geelong.

Victorian Womens Criterium Championship

Jenny MacPherson claimed the 2009 Victorian Womens Criterium championships in a hectic final sprint. Fellow Victorian Peta Mullins was second while Davina Summers from Western Australia claimed the bronze.

The race was marred by a massive crash in the closing stages of the race, with several riders hospitalised as a result of the incident. Following the accident 32-year-old MacPherson tried to keep a cool head as she stepped up to the podium to accept the gold medal.

The women will finish the weekend with the final day of racing in the 2009 Victorian Open Road Championships, a 93.6 kilometre road race to be held in Portarlington tomorrow.

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