Still leading on day two
18 January 2007
by
Michele Nardelli
In
muggy but cooler conditions stage two of the TDU from Mannum to Hahndorf was
deceptively challenging. The climb up from Mannum gets more difficult as you
approach Palmer and Tungkillo, stealing energy from the riders before they
face the hillier terrain in through the Mt Torrens and Lobethal area, the
harsh climb at Fox Hill Creek and then the circuits around Hahndorf.
But the challenge for Team UniSA-Australia was not only physical today, it was also tactical and psychological.
In some ways, team manager Dave Sanders believes, winning the ochre leader's jersey on day one places and extra burden on the team.
"When you are leading in the general classification you are expected to take the initiative at every stage of the tour," Sanders says.
This he says adds a certain amount of pressure that would not be there if you were in the group just behind the leader.
So Sanders' plan today was to protect the leader but do it intelligently. There was no need to win the stage if the riders ahead of team UniSA- Australia were no threat.
The team was instructed to defend breakaways that involved riders that could harm the leader's position. So anyone close in overall time to Menzies had to be stopped.
Just before noon the first real breakaway of about 20 riders included some "of concern" to Team UniSA-Australia and Robbie McLachlan stayed in the thick of it to keep them in check. With only 30 seconds in the break the rest of the team worked to reel the breakaway back in. Mission accomplished.
A few other breaks were quashed, then there was one breakaway and a second. The two merged to make a 21-rider break, building distance from the peloton. The final splinter break included today's stage winners - first, Steven Jacques (Chocolade-Jacques), his team mate Pieter Ghyllebert in second place and much adored local, Stuart O'Grady (CSC) in third place. Not one of them a threat to Team UniSA-Australia's lead or Karl Menzies general classification lead.
Today was all about control and Sanders said the team put in an excellent performance to keep any real threats in check. Unfortunately that effort took its toll on senior rider and Olympic gold medallist Brett Aitken. Making big efforts in the first 60 km of the race he burnt out before the end and will be unable to continue in the tour. It is a blow for the team and for Brett himself who has been fired up for the event for months.
Sanders said Aitken's commitment to the team has been unquestionable.