Meyer a man on mission
It
was 19 year old Travis Meyer for UniSA today in another gutsy effort by
the team’s young guns.
Meyer was part of a three man breakaway that held about 3mins on the peloton for the better part of the day before being caught with 12kms go from the Angaston finish line.
It was a slightly cooler day, and the peloton wove up through the winding Gorge Road at the foot of the Adelaide Hills to the beautiful vineyards of the Barossa Valley.
Team UniSA was left without star sprinter Baden Cooke today – who withdrew with multiple injuries to both body and bike – and most considered this a rest and recovery day after yesterday‘s dramatic scenes.
But not Meyer, who stepped up to the plate saying it was time to stretch his legs and still has plenty left in the tank for tomorrow’s Willunga challenge.
“I felt my best today – I’d been hiding in the peloton for most of the week and the legs were feeling good, so I thought I would give it a go.
“I definitely liked the feeling of being in front - being out there. You have to give it a go.”
At the King of the Mountain climb on the notorious Menglers Hill Meyer was neck and neck with Russian Vladimir Efimkin (AG2R La Mondiale), but crossed the line second for KOM honours saying the Russian pushed that bit harder to claim the sought after points.
Meyer was also third place in both of the day’s sprints.
Team manager Dave Sanders said he was incredibly proud of his charge and is confident in the team’s ability to keep pushing in the remaining two stages of the race.
“He (Meyer) did an amazing job today. He looked fresh as a daisy and deserved a result, but it’s the politics of the race that the big teams don’t let you go,” Sanders said.
“They’ll [the big teams] leave you there, then break your heart - but that’s the race.”
“We always look to have someone out there, for those times they do let you go - to have the boys go out hard and have a UniSA rider in amongst the break. You just never know.”
It’s all part of Sanders’ classically aggressive tactics, so expect more action in tomorrow’s tough and often decisive Willunga stage.
“Today we went out for it. We’ve come here to race and tomorrow we’ll be looking to really smash it on the first climb.”
Look out for Matt Wilson and Simon Clarke to be there on the climb, and of course Jack Bobridge who will be looking for some action after taking today to settle back in and ease out of yesterday’s bruises.