Tour Down Under
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters Club
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters Club
Friday, January 23, 2004
Stage Four - Unley - Hahndorf
At
8 am this morning the Team UniSA plan was to consolidate its lead -
Pat Jonker had the Yellow Jersey and
they wanted him to keep it.
At 2.50 this afternoon, amid all the hootin' and hollerin' of Robbie McKewen's stage win, there was a look of quiet satisfaction on the face of UniSA team manager, Michele Primaro - they had done what they had set out to do.
Retaining the Yellow Jersey was a serious team effort acknowledged at the podium by Jonker. That effort only once threatened to come undone when the breakaway pack's lead blew out to three minutes and ten seconds.
"The team really understood that today would be about supporting Patrick and they played and important role in maintaining his rhythm," Primaro said.
"Gene Bates and Luke Roberts made an important contribution when things got a little hairy as the leader gap widened by going out in front a setting an even pace that kept us where we wanted to be."
Perfect riding conditions saw thousands line the roads and byways of Adelaide's prettiest hills country with huge crowds staked out in the hills between Birdwood and Lobethal for the King of the Mountain battle. Hub of this the fourth stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under, Hahndorf, decked out in a treat of orange and purple once again embraced the Tour with gusto and won best dressed town for its efforts.
With one goal in mind Team UniSA took no other line honors today but will be looking for big performances on Saturday from Jonker and some of the other seasoned riders.
Jonker will be riding on home turf in stage five of the Tour at Willunga and is expected to get a huge boost from local supporters.
Again the plan is to eat, recover and rest well this evening so that the riders can put all their energies into holding on to the Yellow Jersey.
The one disappointment of the day is the likely disqualification of newcomer Matt Rex. At just 18 years old and riding in his first tour of this calibre Matt faced back problems during the race before dropping away from all the other riders. In pain and struggling to stay in the race he was reported for "towing" (holding on to the team car) and is likely to be out of the Tour from tomorrow.
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