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Tour Of Tasmania Day 1 – Stages 1 & 2

Second Meyer Fire In A Week, West Australian Blazes To Tour Lead

By Rod Morris - 3rd October 2007 - Back to News

Three time junior world track champion Cameron Meyer surged to the outright lead on the opening day of the Jayco Tour of Tasmania cycling race today in a history making event.

Meyer (19) and his younger brother Travis became the first siblings to score a quinella when they ran one-two in the Devonport to Sheffield afternoon stage, which followed a 21 km morning criterium in Devonport which was won by Geelong teenage sensation Leigh Howard.

Never in the 126 race history of the Timbercorp Cup National Cycling series which dates back to 1996 have brothers filled the first two placings.

Meyer’s afternoon win the in the longest stage of the race catapulted him into the outright lead, just 20 seconds ahead of brother Travis.

The Meyer brothers boast eight world junior track championships between them over the last two years, whilst the opening stage winner, Howard – was a member of this year’s successful Australian Under 19 4000 m pursuit team.

Defending champion, Englishman Kristian House surrendered his opening stage lead to the young West Australian brothers, but with a deficit of just 1.56 minutes and with nine stages still to race, this tour is still wide open.

In the Timbercorp Cup series, there has been little change to the leading placings with Queensland’s Grant Irwin edging back one point on Peter McDonald.

How the day unfolded –

STAGE 1

A lightning fast criterium around Devonport’s CBD saw the field finish with an average speed of 41.63 kph, with Howard holding on to win by half a wheel from defending Tour of Tasmania champion, Kristian House of England.

But neither Howard or House featured in the early intermediate sprints, instead allowing Timbercorp Cup series leader Peter McDonald (NSW) and South Australian "pocket rocket" Brett Aitken to stage their own private battle.

In the end, McDonald claimed the sprinter’s distinctive green jersey on a countback from Aitken, although it was relinquished later in the day to the Englishman, House.

Howard and House broke clear of the chasing pack with about five laps of the 700 km street circuit remaining and were never headed, holding on to win claim the stage’s two major placings by 7-seconds.

Leading the peloton home was NSW rider Joel Pearson, with Tasmania’s noted hill climber Sid Taberlay surprising most of the sprinters with his fourth placing.

The more favoured pre-race chances as Brett Aitken (5^th), Nicholas Sanderson (7^th), Grant Irwin (10^th), Patrick Shaw (15^th) and Sean Finning (73^rd) missed the opening stage spoils.

STAGE 2

The afternoon’s second stage – the longest of the tour – was always going to claim its share of casualties as it featured four hill climbs including a Category 2 at Paloona.

The Meyer brothers however made light work of any suggestion that the stage was too tough, racing to their history making quinella.

A number of unsuccessful early breakaways were reeled in with regularity before Travis Meyer hit them again after the field went under the finish banner for the first time with about 30 km still to race.

Cameron took the initiative from the chasers and within about 10 km caught his younger sibling.

Through Railton the pair stuck together and were still in tandem as they crossed into Sheffield on the return journey.

It was then Cameron shrugged off "Little Bruv" and opened up a race winning margin.

After more than two hours of hard racing, Cameron crossed the line, 16 seconds in front and almost 2 minutes ahead of the third placed Shaun Higgerson, who won the Tour of Tasmania in 2005.

Cameron also claimed the King of the Mountain Championship, but warned that the much more coveted leader’s yellow jersey was the one he was after.

"I won a stage of the Tour of Gippsland in August in the first round of this series, but was never really in contention for GC honours," he said.

"That (winning GC) is my goal this week and I know I’ve got the team around me to do it."

Meyer is riding for the powerful southaustralia.com team - the Australian Under 23 squad - and joining him in Tasmania this week is Mark Jamieson, Miles Olman, Sean Finning, Nicholas Sanderson and William Ford.

In the inaugural Municipal Cup Challenge, the Launceston team of Bernard Sulzberger, Sid Taberlay, Benjamin King, Ben Grenda and Suki Stone have opened a 7-point lead over Devonport, while Burnie is floundering on 1-point, 16 points adrift.

The tour continues on the North-West Coast for two more days with Wednesday’s action including a criterium in Ulverstone in the morning and an afternoon road race from Ulverstone to Penguin.

Brief results –

STAGE 1

DEVONPORT CRITERIUM, 21 km

1. Leigh Howard (Vic), 30.16 minutes
2. Kristian House (England), same tieme
3. Joel Pearson (NSW), +7 seconds
4. Sid Taberlay (Tas), same time
5. Brett Aitken (SA), same time
6. Bernard Sulzberger (Tas), same time
7. Nicholas Sanderson (Vic), same time
8. Robbie Cater (NSW), same time
9. Jonathon Cantwell (Qld), same time
10. Grant Irwin (Qld), same time

STAGE 2

DEVONPORT to SHEFFIELD, 90.1 km

1. Cameron Meyer (WA), 2 hours 18.48 minutes
2. Travis Meyer (WA), +16 seconds
3. Shaun Higgerson (NSW), +1.46 minutes
4. Tom Middleton (SA), +1.51 minutes
5. Mark Jamieson (Tas), +1.58 minutes
6. Nicholas Walker (Vic), +2.00 minutes
7. Stuart Shaw (ACT), +2.01 minutes
8. Jack Anderson (Qld), same time
9. Joshua Wilson (Tas), same time
10. Darcy Rosenlund (Qld), same time

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Cameron Meyer (WA), 2 hours 48.49 minutes
2. Travis Meyer (WA), +20 seconds
3. Kristian House (England), +1.56 minutes
4. Shaun Higgerson (NSW), +2.00 minutes
5. Tom Southam (England), +2.02 minutes
6. Leigh Howard (Vic), +2.03 minutes
7. Tom Middleton (SA), +2.09 minutes
8. Peter McDonald (NSW), +2.13 minutes
9. Joel Pearson (NSW), 2.14 minutes
10. Joshua Wilson (Tas), 2.16 minutes

Championship categories -

Timbercorp Sprint Championship: Kristian House (England)

Central Coast King of the Mountain Championship: Cameron Meyer (WA)

Country Club Criterium Championship: Leigh Howard (Vic)

George Town Most Aggressive Rider: Tom Southam (England)

Gunns Ltd Leading Tasmanian: Joshua Wilson

Municipal Cup Challenge: Launceston, 18 points; Devonport, 11 points; Burnie, 1.

Timbercorp Cup National Series: Peter McDonald (NSW), 173 pts; Grant Irwin (Qld), 163; Patrick Shaw (Vic), 142.

To come –

Wednesday: Stage 3 Ulverstone Criterium, 36 km, 11 a.m. till 11.50 p.m.

Stage 4, Ulverstone to Penguin, 78.5 km, 1.30 p.m. till 3.30 p.m.

Thursday: Stage 5, Burnie to Sulphur Creek, 71.4 km, 11 a.m. till 12.45 p.m.

Stage 6: Burnie Criterium, 24 km, 5 p.m. till 5.45 p.m.

Friday: Stage 7: Westbury Criterium, 42 km, 11.30 a.m. till 12.25 p.m.

Stage 8: Westbury to Westbury, 78.7 km, 1.45 p.m. till 3.40 p.m.

Saturday: Stage 9: Launceston to Grindelwald, 49.9 km, 11 a.m. till 12.10 p.m.

Stage 10: Grindelwald to George Town, 69.1 km, 2 p.m. till 3.40 p.m.

Sunday: Stage 11: Launceston Criterium, 34 km, 11.30 a.m. till 12.20 p.m.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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