The Jonker report - Thrills at last
January 23 2009
Willunga always promises drama and today it delivered.
Massive crowds headed (almost 120,000) to the Mclaren Vale to watch the race today and for the first time I think it really had the feel of the Tour de France.
There were people on every roadway and wherever an umbrella or sun shade could be perched people did just that. Willunga Hill was jam packed with the people and pageantry of the European tours.
And they got their money's worth - finally the race took on
some unpredicatbility and drama.
For a while there it looked like it would run to formula. Team UniSA
took the first break and young Michael Matthews showed some excellent
form keeping out in front with a little help from some young guns
from the European pro-tour teams. Meanwhile the ominous line of Team
HCT- Columbia was controlling the peloton as usual - seemingly and
impregnable force. But the hill was waiting.
Willunga Hill saw some edge-of-the-seat racing and the superb run by Cadel Evans had the crowds going wild.
The battle between Evans and Luis Leon Sanchez from Caisse D'Epargne for
this gruelling climb and ultimately the stage win was racing at its best
- brave, hard fought and passionate.
Cadel was rewarded with today's Most Agressive Rider jersey and Sanchez
took out line honours.
For Team UniSA-Australia the week has been fabulous. Every team member has had a chance to show their form and David Kemp has managed to remain 2nd overall in both the Jayco General Sprint points and the King of the Mountain.
But more than this they have had the chance to ride shoulder to shoulder with some of the best - hopefully there will be a lot more of that as their careers unfold.
Patrick Jonker