October 13, 2006 — As the pundits had predicted the much awaited fifth stage provided all that was required to set up an enthralling finish to the 2006 Jayco Herald Sun Tour

Stage favourite Matthew Lloyd prevailed on the day but it was defending champion and local hero, Simon Gerrans who ploughed the 22 kms up Lake Mountain behind team mate Trent Lowe to snatch the overall lead on general classification.

And “snatch” might well be the key word as Gerrans (Jayco Australia) has found himself with just five seconds separating him from American Phil Zajicek, who is riding for the Navigators team, and will be just as keen to grab his turn in yellow following tomorrow’s individual time trial in Kew.

To make it even more interesting, Commonwealth Games mountain biker, Chris Jongewaard (Savings and Loans) is a further five seconds behind Zajicek whilst last year’s third man overall, Irishman David McCann (Giant Asia Racing) sits in fourth spot, just one second behind the South Australian.

Jayco Australia team director, Dave Sanders was full of praise for the efforts of his charges,

“It was fantastic to see guys like Robbie McEwen laying it on the line for their mates. It is war out there. Everything was planned and everyone played their part.”

Interesting whilst the rest of the team oiled into Sanders’ car, Gerrans hopped on his bike and headed off back down the mountain to Marysville, before returning to Melbourne for the night in the comfort of his own bed.

Gerrans indicated in his post race interview that he is acutely aware of what lies ahead,

“At the start of the week, everyone said the race would be decided today and tomorrow. As it happens it’s now really tight but at the same time I’m glad I’m five seconds in front not five seconds behind. But the other guys are good bike riders and I’ve got my work cut out.”

Lloyd who is riding the Tour with South Australia.com, demonstrated why he has been signed to ride on a pro contract with Robbie McEwen’s Davitamon Lotto outfit from next year.

He was the only member of the seventeen man breakaway group who managed to stay ahead of the imposing march forward of the chasing bunch marshalled by the Jayco team, getting up the gruelling last stanza of the stage on his own but in almost the same time as Zajicek and Gerrans who had the benefit of the bunch and a lead out man in the form of Lowe.

Apart from winning the stage, Lloyd wrapped up the king of the mountains competition in the process amassing 38 points to easily defeat another rising star, Mitchell Docker and Iranian Hossein Askari.

Lloyd who crashed during the criterium stage in Shepparton on Sunday, forcing him to ride the rest of the Tour with a heavily bandaged arm, missed out on Monday’s crucial breakaway and lost any chance he may have had overall.

But he demonstrated great maturity in dealing with the setbacks. When asked whether he was disappointed with the way the Tour’s early stages went,

“I was not going to jeopardise my career when I was injured. In conditions like that I didn’t want to fall so I had to protect my arm.

“I spoke to Cadel Evans who has been a remarkable help over the last two years and he said to take it easy – try get a stage win if I could but don’t be unsafe about it. So that’s the way I approached it.”

He was appreciative of the work done by his fellow breakaways, most of whom, fell by the wayside as the mountain imposed itself on the race,

“It is always good to be part of a break like this one, that delivered, at least for me. It means so much to me now. I was disappointed with what happened at the outset of the Tour as I had bigger ambitions, but it is pretty good the way it’s turned out.”

Amazingly only two riders who started the day failed to complete the 183 kilometre journey, despite the more than 30 degree temperatures, the gusty winds and the agonising climb to finish the stage.

Hilton Clarke (Navigators) has put himself in a very strong position to win the sprinters’ green jersey for the second year in a row, taking both intermediate sprints today, and putting a 14 point buffer between himself and nearest rival Germany’s Tobias Erler.

The Jayco Australian national team still dominates the teams classification, but there was movement at the top of the list in the young rider category with Lowe gaining some real reward for his sterling efforts on behalf of Gerrans to take over the under 23 leadership from Simon Clarke (South Australia.com) and Docker, both of whom also put in excellent rides today.

In fact there were a number of experts who were prepared to acknowledge Docker as having produced the ride of the day. After puncturing just six kilometres from the summit of Lake Mountain, he changed wheels and chased the Gerrans and Zajicek group. After tacking back on, and spending what seemed only like a matter of seconds to recover he took off on his own, failing by just over a minute and a half to catch stage winner Lloyd.

Friday’s 11.3 km stage is the 2006 Tour’s shortest and takes the form of an individual time trial through Studley Park and Yarra Boulevard in Kew.

Results

1 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 4.39.25
2 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.38
3 Peter Mcdonald (Aus) FRF Couriers-Caravello 1.53
4 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 2.00
5 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team
6 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 2.05
7 David Mccann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 2.07
8 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 2.20
9 Nariyuki Masuda (Jpn) Japanese National Team
10 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 2.37

12 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 3.50
27 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 5.52
36 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 9.31
40 Derek Mcmaster (Can) Canadian National Team 11.30
46 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 14.34
58 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 18.48
81 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 19.50

GC after Stage 5

1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 18.51.11
2 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.05
3 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0.10
4 David Mccann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team 0.11
5 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 1.28
6 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 1.43
7 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 2.41
8 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 2.52
9 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 2.56
10 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 2.59

21 Eric Wolhberg (Can) Canadian National Team 30.02
24 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 31.36
45 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 41.07
50 Derek Mcmaster (Can) Canadian National Team 42.31
52 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 43.20
54 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 46.10
64 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 46.51