October 20, 2007 (Melbourne, Australia) – Just three seconds, equivalent to the time bonus given for winning a single intermediate sprint during tomorrow’s Circuit Race on St Kilda Road, protects Matthew Wilson (Unibet.com) and his yellow jersey as the 2007 Jayco Herald Sun Tour reaches its climax.

The 56-year-old event, Australia’s oldest stage cycling race, seems never to be short of providing unexpected suspense and drama, but today surprisingly provided even more during the usually more sedate individual time trial.

After Bissell SRAM’s Benjamin Jacques-Mayne set up a time for all to chase of 11mins 36 seconds, when he rode off two thirds of the way through the 75 man field all eyes were on the last five men to ride on the 8.6km journey around Melbourne’s Kings Domain and Botanical Gardens,

Julien Mazet (Astana) who overnight sat in fifth spot on general Classification was the first of those in contention to set off along St Kilda Road but looked short of what was need to trouble his rivals when he recorded just 11:53.

But Jayco Australia’s Trent Lowe, who was next away, set the big and enthusiastic crowd alight when he stormed up the short rise to the finish line to take over the stage lead from Jacques-Mayne by just over two seconds and for a brief moment become the virtual Tour leader.

Thursday night’s yellow jersey, Joost Van Leijen (Netherlands National Team), who cruelly lost the overall lead yesterday when penalized 20 seconds for illegal motor pacing, had his chance but came up short, recording 11:48.

But then came Astana’s Steve Morabito of Switzerland, who flew round the course to pip Lowe by just under two seconds on the stage and put eleven seconds between the two of them overall.

It set the stage up brilliantly for a thrilling finish to the day as Tour leader Wilson summoned all his courage to remain in contention. Needing to get to the line in 11:46 to stay in yellow, the man without a job on the world tour for 2008, made it with three precious seconds to spare.

It was gritty stuff. The 30-year- old Monaco based Victorian, who normally sweats it out for his team mates on tours all over the world, now faces the biggest ride of his career, one which must now surely at least find him a place on a pro team for next year.

As he has said in his own words, he is finding out that he can do things that he never thought possible. On Thursday evening at Fall Creek, he said that he could not recall when he last rode a time trial “in anger”. That recollection should now be a good deal easier.

By contrast he was very clear today in recollecting that it was not since he was a youngster that he had been as edgy as he has been this week,

“I’ve actually been nervous the last couple of days, which I haven’t been since I was a junior. But I guess I am feeling relief right now.”

“No-one is more shocked than I am. I wasn’t sure whether the people around the circuit who were telling me I was on time, were telling me the truth.

“I’m speechless — it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

He was nonetheless acutely aware of the task which lay ahead, in particular the challenge from today’s stage winner, Morabito,

“I am not going to be able to celebrate too much tonight — three seconds is easy enough for him to make up. But I have more than enough confidence in my team to hold it together for me,” Wilson said.

And he is probably right with the hard heads of Baden Cooke, who himself has been in excellent form throughout the week, despite spending most of it looking out for Wilson and Tour de France stage winner, Jimmy Casper by his side.

But Morabito also has a talented posse to care for him, ironically including a rising Aussie star in Aaron Kemps, who after two wins already this week, has the capacity to provide plenty of nuisance value for Wilson and his Unibet.com mates — a factor known only to well by the Bundaberg boy,

“It’s all a bit unfortunate but I’m riding for the Astana team and I know where the money’s coming from,” Kemp said during today’s presentation ceremony as he and his team mates received their “˜Go for your Life’ green jerseys for maintaining their five minute lead over Unibet in the teams Classification.

And the chances of another very talented and likeable young Australian in Lowe should not be discounted either.

He is part of the Jayco Australian National Team outfit, whose wily manager, Dave Sanders, masterminded Simon Gerrans to victory twelve months ago. Whilst at 14 seconds, the former world junior mountain bike champion faces a tougher ask than Wilson and Morabito, he is regarded as a star of the future.

The reasons for such beliefs were amply displayed today. Maybe they will be re-forced even more tomorrow.

Sunday’s stage is a circuit race over 80 minutes and then three final laps of a 2.5 kilometre section of St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, beginning at 12.10pm. It is expected to finish at around 1.40pm. Both the start and finish are on Linlithgow Avenue just inside the Kings Domain.

Results

1. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 11.32 (44.739 km/h)
2. Trent Lowe (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 0.02
3. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 0.04
4. Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche
5. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 0.07
6. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unibet.com 0.11
7. Zachary Bell (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 0.12
8. Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com 0.14
9. Daniel Lloyd (Gbr) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 0.15
10. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Netherlands National Team 0.17
11. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 0.19
12. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 0.21
13. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana 0.22
14. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 0.24
15. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 0.24
16. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 0.26
17. Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 0.27
18. Rhys Pollock (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed
19. Shaun Higgerson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 0.29
20. Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 0.32
21. Peter Dawson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS
22. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 0.33
23. Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 0.35
24. David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans
25. Richard England (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health
26. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 0.36
27. Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands National Team 0.38
28. Marc Ryan (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 0.4
29. Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans 0.41
30. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team
31. Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
32. Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
33. Cameron Jennings (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 0.43
34. Koen De Kort (Ned) Astana
35. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 0.44
36. Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 0.46
37. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 0.48
38. Dominique Perras (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 0.49
39. Mark O’Brien (Aus) Drapac Porsche 0.5
40. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada
41. Jason Allen (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 0.51
42. Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands National Team 0.52
43. Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 0.55
44. Christian Leben (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 0.57
45. Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans 0.58
46. Chris Jory (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 0.59
47. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team
48. Aaron Tuckerman (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1
49. Michal Golas (Pol) Unibet.com 1.01
50. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com 1.02
51. Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
52. Logan Hutchings (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.03
53. Prajak Mahawong (Tha) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.05
54. Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Unibet.com
55. Tom Southam (Gbr) Drapac Porsche 1.06
56. Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe
57. John Ebeling (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.07
58. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team
59. Brett Tivers (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.09
60. Ryan Anderson (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 1.11
61. Adriaan Helmantel (Ned) Netherlands National Team 1.12
62. Nick Gates (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 1.13
63. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team
64. William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS
65. Craig Mccartney (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.14
66. Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.15
67. Omer Kem (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 1.16
68. Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands National Team 1.2
69. Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.21
70. Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.26
71. Tom Middleton (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.28
72. Steffen Radochla (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 1.32
73. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana 1.38
74. Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 2
75. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 2.27
DNS Dean Windsor (Aus) Drapac Porsche

GC after Stage 6

1. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unibet.com 16.19.57
2. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 0.03
3. Trent Lowe (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 0.14
4. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Netherlands National Team 0.23
5. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana 0.39
6. Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com 1.53
7. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 2.11
8. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 4.18
9. Dominique Perras (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 4.3
10. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 5.04
11. David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans 6.08
12. Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 10.27
13. Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands National Team 11.26
14. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 12.26
15. Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 12.5
16. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 13.39
17. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 15.38
18. Daniel Lloyd (Gbr) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 16.16
19. Cameron Jennings (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 16.5
20. Mark O’Brien (Aus) Drapac Porsche 17.03
21. Koen De Kort (Ned) Astana 17.1
22. Michal Golas (Pol) Unibet.com 17.15
23. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 17.19
24. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 18.01
25. Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 22.57
26. Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 23.56
27. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 24.25
28. Christian Leben (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 30.47
29. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana 33.13
30. Omer Kem (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 33.42
31. Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 35.21
32. Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 37.13
33. Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands National Team 37.14
34. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 38.02
35. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team 39.12
36. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com
37. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 39.37
38. Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 41.23
39. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 41.35
40. Tom Middleton (Aus) Savings & Loans 41.51
41. Jeremy Hunt (Gbr) Unibet.com 43.29
42. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 45.36
43. Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans 46.19
44. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 47.3
45. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 47.4
46. Aaron Tuckerman (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 47.53
47. Nick Gates (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 50.2
48. Richard England (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 52.27
49. Rhys Pollock (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 52.28
50. Brett Tivers (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 53.46
51. John Ebeling (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 54.31
52. Tom Southam (Gbr) Drapac Porsche 54.43
53. Zachary Bell (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 54.55
54. Shaun Higgerson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 55.02
55. Chris Jory (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 55.1
56. Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans 57.11
57. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 57.3
58. Adriaan Helmantel (Ned) Netherlands National Team 58.48
59. Logan Hutchings (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 59.09
60. Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.02.30
61. Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.02.35
62. Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.03.02
63. Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.03.10
64. Marc Ryan (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.03.19
65. Jason Allen (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.03.34
66. Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.03.36
67. Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands National Team 1.05.26
68. William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.06.44
69. Craig Mccartney (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.07.09
70. Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 1.07.40
71. Ryan Anderson (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 1.08.15
72. Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.09.07
73. Steffen Radochla (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 1.09.11
74. Peter Dawson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.09.57
75. Prajak Mahawong (Tha) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.10.11

Sprint Classification

1. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unibet.com 30 pts
2. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 30
3. Cameron Jennings (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 12
4. Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com 12
5. David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans 12
6. Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 12
7. Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 12
8. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 10
9. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 10
10. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Netherlands National Team 8
11. Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 8
12. Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 6
13. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 6
14. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 6
15. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 6
16. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 6
17. Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 6
18. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana 4
19. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 4
20. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 4
21. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team 4
22. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 4
23. Trent Lowe (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 2
24. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 2
25. Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 2
26. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 2
27. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com 2
28. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 2

Mountain Classification

1. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 36 pts
2. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 34
3. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Netherlands National Team 24
4. Trent Lowe (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 18
5. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 16
6. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 12
7. Tom Southam (Gbr) Drapac Porsche 10
8. Daniel Lloyd (Gbr) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 8
9. Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands National Team 4
10. Michal Golas (Pol) Unibet.com 4
11. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana 4
12. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team 2

Young Rider Classification

1. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 16.22.08
2. Mark O’Brien (Aus) Drapac Porsche 14.52
3. Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 21.45
4. Christian Leben (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 28.36
5. Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 33.1
6. Tom Middleton (Aus) Savings & Loans 39.4
7. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 43.25
8. Chris Jory (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 52.59
9. Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.00.51
10. Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.00.59
11. Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.01.25
12. Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands National Team 1.03.15
13. William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.04.33
14. Ryan Anderson (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 1.06.04

Team Classification

1. Astana 49.13.04
2. Unibet.com 5.07
3. Bicycle Superstore-Canada 12.5
4. DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 30.45
5. South Australia.Com-AIS 33.1
6. Netherlands National Team 35.1
7. Drapac Porsche 36.02
8. Bissell-Priority Health 40.58
9. Jayco Australian National Team 49.55
10. Savings & Loans 1.13.13
11. FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.26.51
12. Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.34.05
13. Wiesenfof-Felt 1.37.48
14. Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 2.06.06