October 8, 2006 — Victorian critierium specialist, Hilton Clarke began the 2006 Jayco Herald Sun Tour where he left last year’s event by winning today’s opening Shepparton Criterium (60 mins + 3 laps, 48 kms)

It was the 27-year-old’s fifth stage win in six starts in Australia’s oldest stage race, now in its 55th year and followed his stirring win in last year’s final stage on Lygon Street in Carlton.

There was action a plenty right from the gun around the streets of the central Victorian city, with Clarke party to a six man breakaway after only two laps of the 1.7km circuit, alongside international riders — German Tobias Erler and Canada’s Dominique Rollin and three other Australians, Tasmanian Karl Menzies and Queenslanders David Kemp and Tony Mann.

The six dominated the racing, building their lead over the peleton to more than 70 seconds just after the race had reached its half way point. Clarke was the strongest of the group in the intermediate sprints, setting himself up for a big collect on the day in the race for the Tour’s sprinter’s jersey.

The breakaway also ensured the race was run at a furious speed, with a dozen riders forced to make an early exit from the day after being lapped by the field.

So quick was the pace on the flat but wind affected course, that both defending champ, Simon Gerrans and Tour drawcard, Robbie McEwen had to takes turns in trying to bring the main bunch closer to the breakaways.

But a little over an hour after racing began the six were still away, with Navigator Team’s Clarke, snatching victory in a desperate dash to line from Erler with Menzies just nudging the gallant Rollin out of third place.

Kemp got some reward for his day’s toil, earning the honour of the Tour’s leading under 23 rider after day one.

Clarke was ecstatic about his victory, “To wear the yellow jersey is great. I’ve won stages before but I have never worn yellow.”

“With Robbie arriving and all that, we needed to go on the offensive straight away. We took him out of the equation and it worked.”

The stage winner was quick to point out that the task had been far from easy. “The first few laps were so hard – our lungs were screaming. But later in the race it was cat and mouse up front and I gambled a little.”

He gave credit to Menzies who brought the other five back to Rollin after the Canadian had attempted to go it alone when the lap counter indicated three circuits to go.

And he was equally philosophical about his chances for the rest of the race. “There is no way I am going to defend the yellow jersey but we could leap frog one of my team meets to a high place on general classification.”

When asked about the day’s effort, Clarke’s response was rapid. “Come and watch me go up Lake Mountain (on Thursday) and see how much it’s taken out of me today.”

Day One of the Tour created plenty of interest before the gun was even fired with McEwen and team mate Henk Vogels only making it to Shepparton by helicopter a little over two hours before the stage start.

It was a rock star like arrival for the three time Tour De France sprint king, who arrived in Brisbane from Indonesia en route from Europe on Saturday evening, before catching a flight to Melbourne early today.

On arrival McEwan had quipped that his mind was ready but it might take a couple of days encouragement for the body to get going. After the race, he confirmed that was most probably the case,

“I blew myself to pieces for the sake of Simon (Gerrans) and the GC. It was the first day back after nine days off the bike but I said to Gerro that if we were going to close the gap we would have to do some of the work ourselves.”

But he was confident about the rest of the week, if not for himself then for his team mate. “Simon has a great to chance to win and we have to keep him in the race. Today was about trying to keep things in check. The race is still wide open.”

He was also clear in his view about the likely outcome if today’s windy conditions were to be repeated on tomorrow’s 176km stage from Shepparton to Bendigo,

“Instead of one, it will be four hours of suffering at the sort of heart rates we experienced today — 193 top, 176 average.”

Results

1 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.05.51
2 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team
3 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
4 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team
5 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 0.02
6 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
7 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.06
8 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
9 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Dutch National Team
10 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
11 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
12 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
13 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Dutch National Team
14 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team
15 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team
16 Robert Mclachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche
17 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
18 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
19 Ci’aran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
20 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team
21 Virgilio Santos (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
22 Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
23 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team
24 David Mccann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team
25 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
26 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
27 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
28 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
29 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team
30 Peter Mcdonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
31 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team
32 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team
33 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
34 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team
35 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche
36 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
37 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
38 Jacek Moraiko (Pol) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
39 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
40 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
41 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
42 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
43 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
44 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Australian National Team 0.19
45 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 0.41
46 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche
47 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team
48 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.02
49 Camiel Denis (Ned) Dutch National Team
50 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team
51 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 1.16
52 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team
53 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
54 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
55 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 1.19
56 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche
57 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche
58 Joshua Marden (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
59 Phillip Thuaux (Aus) Drapac Porsche
60 Matt Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team
61 Leigh Palmer (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
62 Scott Peoples (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
63 Marvin Van Der Pluym (Ned) Dutch National Team
64 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
65 Derek Mcmaster (Can) Canadian National Team
66 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team
67 Doug Ollershaw (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
68 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche
69 Manuel Cardoso (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 0.06
70 Johnnie Walker (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.19
71 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
72 Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
73 Russell Van Hout (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
74 Henk Vogels (Aus) Australian National Team
75 Patrick Shaw (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
76 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team
77 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
78 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team
79 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team
80 Ghader Mizbani (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team
81 Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
82 James Hannam (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
83 Mark O’brien (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
84 Daniel Mcconnell (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
85 Joe Mcdonnell (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
86 Michael Ford (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
87 Cornelius Van Ooijen (Ned) Dutch National Team
88 Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
89 Paul Griffin (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team
90 Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
91 Jasper Lenferink (Ned) Dutch National Team
92 Robert Cater (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
93 Yasuharu Nakajima (Jpn) Japanese National Team
94 Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Japanese National Team
95 Thijs Poelstra (Ned) Dutch National Team

GC after Stage 1

1 Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1.05.35
2 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.07
3 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.12
4 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 0.13
5 Tony Mann (Aus) Australian National Team 0.18
6 David Kemp (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
7 Greg Henderson (NZl) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.22
8 Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
9 Ger Soepenberg (Ned) Dutch National Team
10 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
11 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
12 Grant Irwin (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
13 Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Dutch National Team
14 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team
15 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Giant Asia Racing Team
16 Robert Mclachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche
17 David Harrigan (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
18 Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
19 Ci’aran Power (Irl) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
20 Yoshimitsu Tsuji (Jpn) Japanese National Team
21 Virgilio Santos (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
22 Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
23 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team
24 David Mccann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team
25 Ryan Sullivan (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
26 John Murphy (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
27 Jonathon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
28 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
29 Makoto Iijima (Jpn) Japanese National Team
30 Peter Mcdonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello
31 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team
32 Trent Wilson (Aus) Australian National Team
33 David Tanner (Aus) Australian National U23 Team
34 Hossein Askari (IRI) Giant Asia Racing Team
35 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche
36 Cameron Hughes (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
37 Garrett Peltonen (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
38 Jacek Moraiko (Pol) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
39 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
40 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
41 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS
42 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
43 Stephen Cunningham (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team
44 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Australian National Team 0.35
45 Joaquim Sampaio (Por) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 0.57
46 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche
47 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team
48 Satoshi Hirose (Jpn) Japanese National Team 1.18
49 Camiel Denis (Ned) Dutch National Team
50 Stephen Gallagher (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team
51 Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 1.32
52 Yoshiyuki Abe (Jpn) Japanese National Team
53 Kane Oaley (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed
54 David Pell (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista
55 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed 1.35
56 Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche
57 Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche