October 16, 2006 – It was an exciting finish to the Jayco Herald Sun Tour as the lead changed hands three times in the last two stages. It was hard for anyone to beat Tour de France rider Simon Gerrans, especially with his all-star support, including the likes of Robbie McEwen, Trent Lowe, and Trent Wilson.

The stage 6 time trial was a little over 11 kms on rolling terrain. For Dominique it was a great day as he powered to a 6th place result on the stage. Not only did he did he solidify his presence in the GC, but he got a bit lucky as Trent Lowe flatted, propelling Dom into 5th overall. The rest of the boys rode to survive considering the previous stage. As for me, my power and heart rate numbers seemed to have a lead weight attached to them. Nothing like averaging under 40km/hr.

Stage 7 was a criterium in a beautiful Cafe district of Melbourne. There were hoards of people out to watch and partake in the races spanning the day. There was additional attendance as the “Around the Bay” ride was on that same day and takes over 10,000 riders on a 210km trek.

The final stage was very similar to the stage one criterium. From the two crits I’ve done in Australia they seem to make the courses with tight corners and narrow straights. It doesn’t take much for the field to line out and those tail-gunning to be shot off the back. The Canadian boys had tired legs as we had four guys out within the first 15 minutes. Ryan McKenzie fell victim to a crash on lap one as Gerrans executed a dodgy maneouvre that sent Ryan and himself down. Ryan rejoined the but a banged up knee ended his day early.

The ride of the day went to Brandon Crichton, he used his last bits of energy to close a dangerous gap mid-way through the race. After the crash, the comissaires let Gerrans, McEwen, and a few other “favourites” into a break a few seconds ahead of the field. This caught us and Navigators off guard as we had really missed the move. But as Dom was in the main pack, Brandon got told to hand grenade it, so he shot up the strung out pack, pulled hard for a lap bringing the gap to 5 seconds, then promptly blew out the back. Awesome ride, and a good way to end the race for the team!

Dom and Eric had the toughest job of the day, basically just surviving to the end. They both rode tough and finished in the pack. Our team leaders rode amazing well all week, showing what champions they both are. It was an amazing experience to be part of a project with this team and the Team Superstore staff.

Race Notes:

Not only is the criterium a high-profile competition but I’m sure it is one of the largest new and used marketplaces for cycling gear in the world. Every team and all the pros had kits, helmets, bags, shoes, and bikes for sale. With the big ride the next day, there were thousands of riders out to score gear. It is very lucrative to bring clothing down to sell, it was rumoured that Vogels and McEwen brought a couple 8-kg boxes of team clothing to sell.

It was a good time for the Canadian team as Ryan and I came home with an empty bike box and no bike box at all. Don’t tell anyone at the airport, but I am a walking ATM.