Tour Down Under
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters' Club
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters' Club
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Stage Five - Willunga -
Willunga
It was another day of strategic battle for Team UniSA in the fifth stage
of the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under. Keeping the Yellow Jersey and
maintaining team position has been the key goal for the team since
midway through the tour.
Despite the disappointing disqualification of new team member Matt Rex
yesterday, the UniSA team was pumped on Saturday morning for the 147km
Willunga stage. It was Patrick Jonker's
stamping ground and the team was focussed on maintaining his lead and
they all shared the load.
For the first 120 km of the race the quartet of van Hout, Cunningham,
Laidler and Hannam, maintained intense support for Jonker warding off
dangerous challenges to his overall lead.
Today no-one broke further than a two minute lead on Jonkers position
and hard work throughout the race reeled the differential back.
In the last 27km of the race Roberts played point guard, supporting and
companioning Jonker through the gruelling Willunga Hill section of the
race and seeing him home in the leading breakaway group.
UniSA Team Manager Michele Primaro was beaming at the end of the race.
Team UniSA enters the final street circuit of the race in a commanding
position.
Tomorrow the Jonker fairytale may indeed come true with the Yellow
Jersey the ultimate prize at the end of an impressive cycling career.
For Team UniSA an overall win will also represent a "coming of age" for
a group of aspiring SA riders bound for glory in the international
circuit.
The Stage 6 challenge for the local team will be to contain the top 12
riders in the tour and protect Jonker's from serious challengers.
The hundreds of members of the Team UniSA's Supporters' Club will join
the team's manager and immediate support staff in crossing fingers and
toes for a win tomorrow. We hold our breath till then....
Tour Down Under - Team UniSA home
