Tour Down Under
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters Club
Team UniSA-Australia Supporters Club
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Stage 1 - Adelaide City
Council Circuit (50km)
by Emma Masters
Adelaide
put on a fantastic show for the first stage of the 2005 Jacob’s Creek
Tour Down Under.
The weather was, in true Tour Down Under form, sensational and tens of thousands of people lined the city track to get their view of what turned out to be an exciting and speedy race between some of the world’s top riders, including Team UniSA’s own Gene Bates who took out the sprint jersey.
In the early laps, it was Steve Cunningham who stepped out in front, leading the pack and showing the riders that Team UniSA was a group to be reckoned with. But it was Bates who really showed them that UniSA was ready to take their fair share of jerseys, taking out the SA Lotteries blue jersey by winning both sprints in the race.
“I’m really pleased with my ride today,” Bates said.
“Winning the sprint jersey was quite unexpected, especially with the likes of McEwen and O’Grady who are strong in the sprints. The first sprint was the toughest, but after that I knew I was in with the chance to get the second sprint and I just went for it.
“It is certainly a confidence booster and a great way to begin the Tour Down Under."
And following from his jersey win, Bates said he is really going for gold in the general classification and he hopes to snare more jersey’s in other stages.
At the beginning of the race, Team Manager Michele Primaro said the team would be looking after the strongest sprinters, Bates and Mathew Rex, given the tight Rymill Park track really leant itself to this type of rider.
Rex proved himself to be strong on the 50km track, sticking up there in the bunch for much of the race. It was only in the last few laps that tragedy struck and he was hit from behind, with a riders’ bike going straight into his back. When it happened he was sitting in the top 10.
Disappointed, Rex said he really felt he was going well and was in there with a chance before being hit from behind, especially for the under 23 classification. But after seeing the doctor and getting some treatment, he’s been given the all clear to continue. The rules of the race also mean that he didn’t lose any time because the spill occurred in the last few laps.
So
despite the disappointing fall, we can expect to see Rex back on his
bike tomorrow as the first long stage of the race takes the cyclists
from Salisbury to Tanunda.
(Photo courtesy of
Paul Aubrey)
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