October 13, 2006 – The stage is set for a dream finish to the 2006 Jayco Herald Sun Tour with just six seconds separating the top four riders after today’s 11.3km individual time trial at Kew.

Commonwealth Games mountain bike representative Chris Jongewaard riding for the South Australian based Savings and Loans team is the surprise leader after producing the time trial of his life, finishing just behind stage winner and trialling specialist, Ben Day.

But poised just a second away in second and third places are Irishman David McCann, who described his today’s second place stage finish as “not bad but not good enough” and last year’s Tour winner, Simon Gerrans.

And if that was not enough to get sports fans enthused about tomorrow’s finale, American Phil Zajicek is sitting just another five seconds in arrears.

Friday the 13th may have provided some concern for the superstitious but clearly in the end has provided nothing but good luck for the organisers for this year’s Tour.

The last act of this year’s enthralling show will be history making.

It has been rare for the race to be won on the final day. But in this case there is no doubt that anyone of the leaders who could emerge the winner after tomorrow’s final stage – a criterium over 80 minutes and three laps in inner Melbourne.

Extraordinarily after just eleven seconds covered the top four riders after Thursday’s stage to Lake Mountain, all four today swapped positions and in the process, reduced the gap from first to fourth by a further five seconds.

It provides all that a race director could wish about in terms of the perfect finish to Australia’s oldest stage cycling race.

The commissaires in charge of the race will each have sleepless Friday nights, thinking about all the possible scenarios that might unfold under their watch during the 80 minutes of furious critierium racing on Carlton’s Lygon Street precinct.

With time bonuses of three, two and one seconds on offer to the top three placings in each of the two intermediate sprints to be contested after 25 and 50 minutes, and ten, six and four seconds available for the stage finish, the tactics employed by the leaders’ teams will be fascinating to observe as they emerge.

And the contest is not limited to the top placings, with just one second separating the riders in seventh, eighth and ninth spots, the same margin that covers the top three overall.

The contenders know exactly what lies ahead.

“I couldn’t have done much more out there today. Gave it everything I had right from the start,” Gerrans said after his turn on today’s course, which he described as tough and unrewarding.

“Looks like its going to be pretty close. I don’t think there have been too many tours that have come down to this close in the last stage. Looks like we’ll be going for the bonus sprints tomorrow,” the defending champ said.

Jongewaard, who finished third on the 2005 Lygon Street stage after being involved in a three man breakaway. was equally aware,

“Yeah – its pretty exciting. I gave it everything today and it’s paid off. I didn’t think I would get the yellow jersey – its great.

“Hopefully I’ll have some legs tomorrow and can contest it once again.”

It would be easy to forget the winner of today’s sixth stage as attention focuses on tomorrow’s super finish.

But Day, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist in the road time trial, was outstanding, displaying fine technical and road skills in completing the tough course in 15minutes 45.78 secs.

“We wanted to show something for our team today. We haven’t had much luck on the Tour and so it was important I did my job – to get a stage win is fantastic,” a satisified Day said, referring in part to the misfortune of two of his team mates who fell in Monday’s spectacular finish line crash in Bendigo and were forced out of the Tour.

There were some excellent rides beyond the next four places, which were occupied by the Fab Four who have provided this year’s Tour with its superb finale.

Canadian Dominique Rollin has been a surprise performer all week, playing a prominent role right from the first criterium stage in Shepparton, and today was no exception swapping places on GC with Trent Lowe.

Yesterday’s stage five victor on Lake Mountain and king of the mountains jersey winner, Matt Lloyd showed he is not just a climber, by taking ninth today, with an eye catching ride.

Tasmanian Karl Menzies who wore the yellow jersey for three days this week, bounced back after yesterday’s tough stage to move up one place overall at the expense of Simon Clarke.

Clarke rode seven seconds faster than Lowe today to edge closer in the race for the young rider (under 23) classification and the honour of the white jersey for 2006, but the Jayco Team Australia rider still has a margin of just over a minute from his South Australia.com rival.

Lowe’s team seems to have the team title well within their grasp, leading by more than 20 minutes over Giant Asia Racing.

There were no sprint points on offer today, so the battle for the green jersey remains well within the sights of Navigators’ rider, Hilton Clarke who has a 14 point lead over Tobias Erler (Giant Asia Racing).

However both men may have to take on vastly different roles during tomorrow’s final stage, as each has a contender for general classification honours whom they may well be asked to lead out or protect.

It is the same challenge that may be set for two other outstanding cyclists in the field – Jayco’s Robbie McEwen and Savings and Loans’ Brett Aitken, a 2000 Olympic madison gold medallist.

Results

1 Ben Day (Aus) Carvalhelhos-Boavista 15:45.78
2 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team at 0:00.82
3 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 0:01.00
4 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0:11.88
5 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team 0:12.19
6 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 0:20.08
7 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 0:27.19
8 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0:29.73
9 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS 0:30.28
10 Zac Dempster (Aus) Australian National U23 Team 0:39.88
—
15 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Canadian National Team 0:45.31
38 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 1:32.49
39 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 1:32.86
49 Derek McMaster (Can) Canadian National Team 1:44.74
59 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 2:04.64
66 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 2:11.68
71 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 2:20.65

Overall

1 Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Savings & Loans Cycling Team 19:07:07
2 David McCann (Irl) Giant Asia Racing Team at 0:01
3 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Australian National Team s.t.
4 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0:06
5 Dominique Rollin (Can) Canadian National Team 1:52
6 Trent Lowe (Aus) Australian National Team 2:05
7 Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3:11
8 Simon Clarke (Aus) Southaustralia.com-AIS s.t.
9 Tobias Erler (Ger) Giant Asia Racing Team 3:12
10 Mitchell Docker (Aus) Drapac Porsche 3:34
—
21 Eric Wohlberg (Can) Canadian National Team 30:37
24 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 32:58
46 Dustin Macburnie (Can) Canadian National Team 43:08
48 Derek McMaster (Can) Canadian National Team 44:05
52 Brandon Crichton (Can) Canadian National Team 45:14
57 Ryan Mackenzie (Can) Canadian National Team 47:32
64 Bruno Langlois (Can) Canadian National Team 49:01