October 9, 2006 – Tasmanian Karl Menzies (Health Net) is the leader on general classification of the 2006 Jayco Herald Sun after a 16-man breakaway of which he was a key part dominated the second day stage from Shepparton to Bendigo, 175.7 kms

The man dubbed “big, strong and relentless” in the official Tour preview was just that when it all came down to the final 6 kms of the 175.7 km stage on the city streets of Bendigo.

After the lead group had remained together from the 22 km mark until the three 1.9 km laps in Bendigo itself, the rate increased with initially Savings and Loans rider Chris Jongewaard and then Menzies taking up the role of pacesetter.

With a lap to go, Menzies had made the decisive break over Drapac Porsche’s Mitchell Docker and defending champion, Simon Gerrans, who had done all he could to take the stage for himself.

And when the flag was raised at the finish line, Menzies, riding for the US-based Health Net Team, held sway for the stage win by just two seconds from the 20 year old Victorian Docker who produced one of the comebacks of the day after a disappointing result in Sunday’s Shepparton criterium in which he lost nearly four minutes on the race leader.

Menzies, who held the yellow jersey for six days on the 2004 Tour was more than happy with his efforts,

“It was a very hard day but to get a select group like that out there was awesome. Everyone rolled and there was so much pressure on in the group that there was never a chance we would get caught.”

He had plenty of praise for team mate and fellow breakaway, 29 year old American, Kirk O’Bee, as well as for Gerrans.

“I would have been happy for a bunch sprint but Kirk was chasing down all the attacks the others in the group made. Gerro was flying — he put in some awesome attacks. But then I had he chance and I just went,” Menzies told the impressive crowd which had assembled at the finish line.

And unlike, yesterday’s stage winner, Hilton Clarke, Menzies was not inclined to rule out his own chances for the rest of the week,

“If my team wants me to do it, I will give it everything I’ve got up that climb”, referring to Thursday’s much awaited stage that finishes on Lake Mountain after a tough category one slog over the last 20 kilometres.

The stage’s third placegetter, German electrician and would-be beekeeper, Tobias Erler, ended up with plenty of accolades for his day’s toil, picking up the jerseys for the leader in both the Sprint and King of the Mountains categories and finding himself just six seconds adrift of Menzies on general classification.

The 27 year old who won this year’s Tour of Korea was pleased he had made a contribution to the lead group’s achievements,

“I think I initiated the breakaway. First of all two other guys came with me and it all got close again after the first sprint. But then we got organised and that was it.

“I really wanted to be in yellow but I guess I should be happy with the other two jerseys. It’s going to be hot out there tomorrow wearing both of those.”

The main bunch’s arrival nearly 30 minutes after Menzies finished was marred by a crash just metres from the line which saw Boavista riders, Virgilio Santos and Jacek Morajko taken to hospital for observation and Menzies’ HealthNet team mate Doug Ollerenshaw walk away a little sorer and sorrier for the incident.

The Jayco Australia outfit leads the teams classification by over 23 minutes, as a result of being the only team to have three men — Gerrans, Trent Lowe and Henk Vogels in today’s breakaway.

Results (brief)

1 Karl Menzies (Aus) HealthNet 4.16.40
2 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 0.02
3 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing
4 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche
5 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings and Loans
6 Kirk O’Bee (USA) HealthNet
7 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing
8 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators
9 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Jayco Australia
10 Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore — Canada

GC after Stage 2

1 Karl Menzies (Aus) HealthNet 5.22.17
2 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing 0.06
3 Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore — Canada 0.15
4 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Jayco Australia 0.22
5 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing 0.25
6 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings and Loans 0.27
7 Kirk O’Bee (USA) HealthNet
8 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators
9 Robert McLachlan (Aus) Drapac Porsche
10 Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.13