October 21, 2007 (Melbourne, Australia) – Home town boy Matthew Wilson has produced the job interview of his life to win the 56th Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Melbourne this afternoon.

The 30-year-old Victorian, who spends much of his working year on the other side of the world in Monte Carlo, produced seven outstanding rides in seven days, to win in his words, the greatest prize of his career. Surely it will also deliver him the contract he is without for 2008.

For a man who toils throughout the year for more illustrious riders on his European pro tour team and who has overcome Hodgkin’s disease, the opportunity to win the Tour he grew up with was clearly something special.

“It’s unbelievable. I don’t know what to say — it’s the best feeling.

“Each of my wins has been special for different reasons, but this one goes down as probably the best — one day races you can win but this — I’ve shocked myself.”

He was effusive in his praise for his Unibet.com teammates, led by Baden Cooke and former Tour de France stage winner, Jimmy Casper.

“We started the tour with five riders (rather than the maximum seven) but each one of those was worth about three of everyone else — so really we probably had more.”

When asked about his heroics on the crucial climb to Falls Creek on Thursday, when he limited his time losses to just 34 seconds after being dropped off the lead group, Wilson replied, “I was just wishing that Trent (Lowe) would stop attacking. But I just put on a poker face and pretended I was okay.”

It was clearly just one of many examples in the last week, when Wilson did things he never thought he could do.

In many ways today’s stage was a plain affair, with little activity up front from the main contenders. But that is what cycling is all about — there a many ways to achieve the desired outcome.

Last year, when the margin was similarly close, Dave Sanders’ Jayco Australia team launched an all out assault on the time bonuses available for the three sprints on the final day, allowing Robbie McEwan to guide Simon Gerrans home.

By contrast Unibet.com’s tactics in 2007, were simply to sit and wait.

As long as no rider that mattered was there, it was clearly of no concern as to how far those up front were away.

Although it was almost an issue for the Panel of Commissaires, which had to decide when the lead over the peleton got out to more than two minutes what they would do if the pack was lapped.

In the end it was not an issue, and after Aaron Kemps (Astana) had led the race home for his third, and his team’s fifth, win of the week, the expectant crowd had only to wait a fraction over a minute and a half for a jubilant Wilson to cross the line, arms raised in the traditional manner.

Not surprisingly, Kemps’ team mate Steve Morabito, was right on the champ’s wheel but as a result, having been unable to make up any of his three second deficit, the Swiss rider had to be content for a very honourable second, eleven seconds in advance of Jayco Australia’s Trent Lowe, who finished today’s stage only two wheels further back.

Kemps, who had not won a race all year before last Sunday and who was part of a three man break for all but 13 laps of today’s stage, was a happy man,

“It’s great that we’ve won five stages and for me to win in front of my girlfriend and family is fantastic.

“I saved some legs yesterday. And today, I think I played it really smart.”

In effect there were only two men who made any real progress today — both Canadians riding for their Bicycle Superstore national team. Most significantly Dominique Rollin, took advantage of the mid race tactics, to steal a break and pick up a crucial second place and four points in the first sprint of the day at ten laps in, to take the lead in the Portfolio Partners Sprint Classification from Wilson.

Then as it panned out, with Wilson content to protect his overall lead back in the peleton, Rollin did not have to worry about contesting the remaining two sprints to keep the prized red jersey he had worn “on loan” whilst the Tour Leader rode in yellow.

“The plan worked out as we had talked about it I guess, but I suffered a bit from the heat and couldn’t catch the breakaways. Once I got the first points, I just made sure I kept the jersey,” the big Canadian said at the presentation ceremony.

Not to be left out of the action, his team mate, Eric Wohlberg, at 42 years of age the oldest man in the race, was the only rider in the top ten to go with the chase groups today.

In doing so he picked up more than a minute on the leaders, to lift himself from tenth to eighth overall, pushing one of the finds of the Tour, 24 year old Tasmanian Olympic rower turned cyclist, Cameron Wurf (Bissell SRAM) back to ninth — a still outstanding result for a man who has been in the sport for only twelve months.

Another Tasmanian, DFL-Cyclingnews’ Bernie Sulzberger did all he had to do — simply finish the stage, to confirm himself in the Savings and Loans blue jersey for the King of the Mountains, although he did not find today’s early summer conditions to his liking,

“I enjoyed riding around in the blue jersey but coming from Tasmania, it was very hot. There was a lot of pressure for me to win but its been a good tour for our team — I think the boss will be very happy.”

Simon Clarke (South Australia.com) was another who basically had only to finish today to achieve his aim – victory in the Provincial Victoria white jersey classification for the best under 23 rider, a win that was never really in doubt after he was part of Monday’s Stage One breakaway that in effect reduced the Tour to a race in eleven from then on.

After placing second to Lowe in the classification a year ago, Clarke has now top and tailed the next Australian season with category wins in Australia’s two major road Tours, starting with the Tour Down Under at the beginning of the year.

With Morabito and Mazet a feature of the top five for most of the week, and the determination of Kemps to fulfil his prophecy after winning the prelude Jayco Classic in Bendigo last Sunday, that he might win another stage or two during the week, there was never much doubt that Astana would win the “Go for your Life” teams contest.

They did with relative ease with, in the end, a seven minute buffer, not that the Unibet.com boys would mind to much with plenty to celebrate after protecting Wilson magnificently again today.

Results

1. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 1.31.17
2. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health
3. Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands National Team
4. Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 0.14
5. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe
6. Shaun Higgerson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 0.24
7. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 0.32
8. Koen De Kort (Ned) Astana
9. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 0.33
10. Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 0.58
11. Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans
12. Steffen Radochla (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt
13. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team
14. Michal Golas (Pol) Unibet.com
15. Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
16. Richard England (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health
17. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada
18. Rhys Pollock (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 1.02
19. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 1.03
20. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com 1.33
21. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unibet.com
22. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
23. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS
24. Trent Lowe (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team
25. Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com
26. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 1.35
27. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana
28. Dominique Perras (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada
29. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Netherlands National Team
30. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed
31. Adriaan Helmantel (Ned) Netherlands National Team
32. David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans
33. Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands National Team
34. Daniel Lloyd (GBr) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed
35. Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.39
36. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 1.42
37. Peter Dawson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS
38. Cameron Jennings (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed
39. Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt
40. Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.45
41. John Ebeling (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
42. Omer Kem (USA) Bissell-Priority Health
43. Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
44. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand
45. Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche
46. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team
47. Mark O’Brien (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.52
48. Nick Gates (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 1.54
49. Prajak Mahawong (Tha) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 2.05
50. Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe
51. Jason Allen (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 2.36
52. Tom Southam (GBr) Drapac Porsche 2.39
53. Zachary Bell (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada
54. Logan Hutchings (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand
55. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 2.49
56. Brett Tivers (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 2.52
57. Ryan Anderson (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 3.02
58. Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Unibet.com

One lap down
59. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana 7.02
60. Tom Middleton (Aus) Savings & Loans 9.02
61. Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt
62. Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 11.02
63. Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands National Team
64. Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 13.02
65. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed
66. Craig Mccartney (Aus) Savings & Loans
67. Christian Leben (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt
68. Chris Jory (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS
69. Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 17.02
70. Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans 19.02
71. Marc Ryan (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 27.02
72. William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 41.02
DNF Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team
DNF Peter Mueller (Aus) Savings & Loans
DNF Aaron Tuckerman (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand

Final GC

1. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unibet.com 17.52.47
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 0.25
5. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana 0.41
6. Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com 1.53
7. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 2.11
8. Eric Wohlberg (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 4.04
9. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 4.2
10. Dominique Perras (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 4.32
11. David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans 6.1
12. Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 10.39
13. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 11.52
14. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 12.28
15. Maint Berkenbosch (Ned) Netherlands National Team 12.55
16. Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 12.59
17. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 14.19
18. Koen De Kort (Ned) Astana 16.09
19. Daniel Lloyd (GBr) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 16.18
20. Michal Golas (Pol) Unibet.com 16.4
21. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 16.42
22. Cameron Jennings (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 16.59
23. Mark O’Brien (Aus) Drapac Porsche 17.22
24. Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 18.13
25. Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 22.22
26. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 23.24
27. Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 24.08
28. Omer Kem (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 33.54
29. Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 35.27
30. Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands National Team 35.34
31. Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 35.54
32. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 38.11
33. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team 38.37
34. Benoit Joachim (Lux) Astana 38.42
35. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com 39.12
36. Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 40.48
37. Christian Leben (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 42.16
38. Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Unibet.com 44.58
39. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 45.58
40. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 46.52
41. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 47.42
42. Tom Middleton (Aus) Savings & Loans 49.2
43. Nick Gates (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 50.41
44. Richard England (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 51.52
45. Rhys Pollock (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 51.57
46. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 53.04
47. Shaun Higgerson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 53.53
48. John Ebeling (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 54.43
49. Brett Tivers (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 55.05
50. Tom Southam (GBr) Drapac Porsche 55.49
51. Zachary Bell (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 56.01
52. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 57
53. Adriaan Helmantel (Ned) Netherlands National Team 58.5
54. Logan Hutchings (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.00.15
55. Brett Aitken (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.02.00
56. Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.03.02
57. Will Dickeson (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.03.48
58. Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche
59. Jason Allen (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.04.37
60. Chris Jory (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.06.39
61. Steffen Radochla (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 1.08.36
62. Ryan Anderson (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 1.09.44
63. Peter Dawson (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.10.06
64. Prajak Mahawong (Tha) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.10.43
65. Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.12.39
66. Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands National Team 1.14.55
67. Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 1.15.09
68. Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.18.31
69. Craig Mccartney (Aus) Savings & Loans 1.18.38
70. Yoshiyuki Shimizu (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 1.20.36
71. Marc Ryan (NZl) Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.28.48
72. William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.46.13

Sprint Classification

1. Dominique Rollin (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 34 pts
2. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 30
3. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Unibet.com 30
4. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 20
5. Cameron Jennings (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 12
6. Baden Cooke (Aus) Unibet.com 12
7. David Pell (Aus) Savings & Loans 12
8. Jorg Ludewig (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 12
9. Camiel Denis (Ned) Netherlands National Team 12
10. Peter Herzig (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 12
11. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 10
12. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Netherlands National Team 8
13. Stuart Shaw (Aus) Drapac Porsche 8
14. Koji Fukushima (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 6
15. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 6
16. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 6
17. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 6
18. Trent Wilson (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 6
19. Felix Odebrecht (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 6
20. Julien Mazet (Fra) Astana 4
21. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 4
22. Gene Bates (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 4
23. Malaya Van Ruitenbeek (Ned) Netherlands National Team 4
24. Trent Lowe (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 2
25. Cameron Wurf (Aus) Bissell-Priority Health 2
26. Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Porsche 2
27. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell-Priority Health 2
28. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Unibet.com 2
29. 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 17.54.58
2. Mark O’Brien (Aus) Drapac Porsche 15.11
3. Brendan Brooks (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 21.57
4. Johnnie Walker (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 33.16
5. Christian Leben (Ger) Wiesenhof-Felt 40.05
6. Patrick Shaw (Aus) Jayco Australian National Team 44.41
7. Tom Middleton (Aus) Savings & Loans 47.09
8. Casey Munro (Aus) Drapac Porsche 1.01.37
9. Chris Jory (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.04.28
10. Ryan Anderson (Can) Bicycle Superstore-Canada 1.07.33
11. Jason Hegert (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.10.28
12. Wim Botman (Ned) Netherlands National Team 1.12.44
13. Luke Cridland (Aus) FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.16.20
14. William Ford (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS 1.44.02

Team Classification

1. Astana 53.49.00
2. Unibet.com 7.06
3. Bicycle Superstore-Canada 13.51
4. DFL Cyclingnews Litespeed 32.52
5. South Australia.Com-AIS 33.16
6. Netherlands National Team 35.38
7. Drapac Porsche 38.25
8. Bissell-Priority Health 40.23
9. Jayco Australian National Team 52.11
10. Savings & Loans 1.22.43
11. FRF Couriers-NSWIS 1.29.14
12. Mitchelton Wines-New Zealand 1.39.00
13. Wiesenfof-Felt 1.47.25
14. Nippo-Meitan Latrobe 2.08.25