Jack is nimble ..Jack is quick
What a magnificent start to the Tour Down Under for Team
UniSA-Australia. In a throng of more than 140,000 spectators at the
Cancer Council Classic we saw our own “Jumpin Jack Flash” (Bobridge) in
action.
The unassuming 19 year old took out both the first and second Primes in fine style, burning up the already hot track with a kind of eager enthusiasm that comes with youth and talent.
When team manager Dave Sanders says Bobridge is a superstar in the making we now know he is right. Sanders says it will be important to keep Jack steady because he loves his racing and is keen to win.
“Jack just hates to lose,” Sanders said. “This was a great showing for him in his first really big international event – there was prize money and he had a crack and proved himself in sprint territory.
“The race proper is a very different thing and we will need to look after young Jack so that he doesn’t burn himself out.”
The third and fourth Prime sprints were taken out in increasingly shorter times by Jeremy Roy from Francaise de Jeux and New Zealand rider Timothy Gudsell from Francaise des Jeux.
By the last blistering lap of the race the sprinters had all lined up to battle it out for first. Team UniSA’s Baden Cooke was in the hunt but with the golden chain of Team Columbia snaking through the peloton; Cooke was crowded out of the placings, finishing seventh to an ebullient Robbie McEwen – the consummate sneaky sprinter (he seems to come from nowhere) and huge crowd favourite in South Australia. The last lap was run in just one minute and 46 seconds.
And for Lance Armstrong fans – he did start and finish the race – he looked good. But fast stop, start sprints probably don’t suit this mature rider well anymore – it will be out on the road in the longer stretches that we will probably see what made him such a phenomenon.
UniSA had a small team presentation for our own team just before the race today and fans should know this – the team is very, very keen to impress. There are no hangers on here – all of the riders are looking to have a go and want to work together to win stages. So along the highways and byways they will be counting on your support.