Tour Down Under
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters Club
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters Club
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Stage Six - Adelaide City
Council Circuit
Stuff of dreams for
retiring Jonker and Team UniSATeam UniSA's Patrick Jonker has ended his cycling career with victory in the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under on the streets of his hometown of Adelaide.
And to top it off, The Sensational Adelaide teams prize was awarded to Team UniSA who finished not only with Jonker in number one position but with teams pursuit world champion and world record holder, Luke Roberts, ninth and Gene Bates, tenth.
Jonker went into the race hoping for a 'little bit of luck and some
good form' but it was talent, tactics and tenacious support from his
UniSA team mates that saw him finish on top of the podium with 40
thousand fans applauding his success.
"I announced my retirement a while back and I thought coming into this
race a top five would be fantastic way to say goodbye to my fans," said
an emotional Jonker after his win. "Then on the first road stage I
attacked which is sometimes a silly thing to do but I'd been training
really hard for it for a long time and the team had been training hard.
"This is my last day as a cyclist and a special moment for my family,"
said Jonker whose Dutch born wife Natascha, three year old son Jordan
and one year old daughter Dakota joined him on stage for the
presentation of the Jacob's Creek winner's jersey. "It's unbelievable. I
never thought that I could go out a winner."
Jonker praised his all South Australian team mates, Luke Roberts, Gene Bates, Steve Cunningham, Russell van Hout, Adrian Laidler, James Hannam and youngster, Matthew Rex for the support they showed over the six-day tour.
Jonker claimed the race lead after stage three of the six stage, six
day race and held off all the challenges from his rivals who tried to
take it away from him.
"I've won stage races in Europe before but this is the most important
because it's my home crowd, it's where I started riding my bike when I
was 12 years old, and now I'm officially retired in the yellow jersey,"
he said. "I couldn't have dreamed up a better scenario."
The main challenge to Jonker on the final stage came from Italian
Massimo Giunti who was with an early break which tried to steal away.
But with Giunti sitting less than two minutes off Jonker lead the UniSA
team answered the call and set up a train with a 'yellow jersey' caboose
to keep the leaders in check.
Jonker crossed the line in 24th place with a grin from ear to ear as he
completed a fairytale finish to an eleven year professional career which
included a 12th overall in the 1996 Tour de France. His final winning
margin was 1m13s over McEwen with Cooke third overall at 1m21s.
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