Bay Crits: Raleigh’s Bernie Sulzberger leads sprint comp

A 1-2 for Western Australian riders as Anthony Giacoppo beats breakway partner Luke Durbridge (GreenEdge) to the top step of the podium. Raleigh’s Bernie Sulzberger retains lead by 3 points in the Sprint competition.

The winner explained after the race how the race winning move began. “I was kind of struggling through the start and followed Chris Sutton and Greg Henderson across to the front group,” Giacoppo said of his day to Cycling Central. “As soon as we got there everyone sat up so I just went straight over the top of it and from then was solo for a few laps and didn’t really look back until Durbo got there and basically rode each other to the finish. The last lap is what it all came down to.”

GreenEdge Cycling Team Report
Allan Davis heads into the fourth and final day of racing in Geelong as the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic series leader. Davis finished third in the field sprint in Portarlington (stage 3), eighth on the day, retained his race lead while ahead of him on the road, GreenEdge’s Luke Durbridge, finished second from a two-man break to provide GreenEDGE with its third podium in three days.

“Luke bridged across to an early attack from Anthony [Giacoppo] (Bike Bug),” said GreenEdge Sports Director Matt White. “It took Luke a long time to get to him. I’d say he spent at least ten minutes making his away across. He dangled about ten seconds behind him for a long time before finally latching onto his wheel.”

A trio of riders formed a chase group when the duo out front extended their lead. As the clock ticked down, Durbridge and Giacoppo came dangerously close to lapping the field.

“They gave the field the bell lap five laps before Luke and Anthony contested the finish,” explained White. “They pulled the field out early so they didn’t cause anymore confusion. The bunch sprinted with five laps to go. Allan finished eighth overall. He now leads the series with 20 points — three points ahead of Giacoppo.”

White remains on the hunt for a stage win with one day of racing left in the series. “I think the GreenEDGE team will be going pretty hard for the stage win with Matt Goss tomorrow,” said White. “All Allan has to do is stay out of trouble to retain the overall lead. As long as there’s a bunch sprint, it really shouldn’t be a problem. We want the stage win tomorrow. It’s a flat, fast circuit, so we’ll finally have the opportunity to test out the leadout train.”

For the riders on British teams, Zak Dempster (Endura Racing) finished 11th while teammate Dean Windsor was 15th. The rider from Bathurst nicknamed ‘the Duke’, said afterwards on Twitter, “that course was brutal. Very steep climb off a slow corner, I made it to the bunch gallop for 5th but missed the jump big time.” Raleigh’s Bernie Sulzberger meanwhile, was one place behind Dempster and leads the Sprint competition by 3 points.

Men
1.    Anthony GIACOPPO (Bike Bug)
2.    Luke DURBRIDGE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms) @1 second
3.    Koen DE KORT (Urban Hotels) @ 25 secs
4.    Johnnie WALKER (Degani Bakery Cafe) @ 28
5.    Mark O’BRIEN (Budget Forklifts) @ 1.08
6.    Mitch DOCKER (GreenEDGE) 52.28
7.    Chris SUTTON (Urban Hotels)
8.    Allan DAVIS (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
9.    Caleb EWAN (NSWIS)
10.    Steele VON HOFF (Bike Bug)
11.    Zak DEMPSTER (Endura Racing)
12.    Bernie SULZBERGER (Urban Hotels)
13.    Taiji NISHITANI (Geelong Mazda/Japan)
14.    Baden COOKE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
15.    Dean WINDSOR (Endura Racing)
16.    Kazuhiro MORI (Geelong Mazda/Japan)
17.    Blake HOSE (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
18.    Alex CARVER (Bike Bug)
19.    Greg HENDERSON (Degani Bakery Cafe)
20.    Neil VAN DER PLOEG (Rapido Cycles/Four Points Geelong)
21.    Tom LEEZER (Rapido Cycles/Four Points Geelong)
22.    Sam WITMITZ (Budget Forklifts)
23.    Jack MCCULLOCH (NSWIS)
24.    Oliver KENT-SPARK (John West Cycling)
25.    Eya HASHIMOTO (Geelong Mazda/Japan)
26.    Luke OCKERBY (Budget Forklifts)
27.    Wesley SULZBERGER (GreenEDGE)
28.    Bert DE BACKER (Urban Hotels)
29.    Campbell FLAKEMORE (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
30.    Robbie MCEWEN (GreenEDGE)
31.    Leigh HOWARD (GreenEDGE)
32.    Michael HEPBURN (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
33.    Heinrich HAUSSLER (Bike Bug)

Did not finish
Matthew GOSS (GreenEDGE)
Patrick LANE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
Richard LANG (Urban Hotels)
Nathan HAAS (Bike Bug)
Mark JAMIESON (Degani Bakery Cafe)
Joel PEARSON (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Nic SANDERSON (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Peter LOFT (Budget Forklifts)
Blair WINDSOR (Budget Forklifts)
Michael KNOFF (John West Cycling)
Rene KOLBACH (John West Cycling)

SPRINTS

Sprint 1
1. Leigh HOWARD (GreenEDGE)
2. Dean WINDSOR (Endura Racing)
3. Robbie MCEWEN (GreenEDGE)

Intermediate Sprint 2
1. Anthony GIACOPPO (Bike Bug)
2. Luke DURBRIDGE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
3. Mark O’BRIEN (Budget Forklifts)

Intermediate Sprint 3
1. Anthony GIACOPPO (Bike Bug)
2. Luke DURBRIDGE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
3. Johnnie WALKER (Degani Bakery Cafe)

OVERALL
1.    Allan DAVIS (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
2.    Anthony GIACOPPO (Bike Bug)
3.    Caleb EWAN (NSWIS)
4.    Bernie SULZBERGER (Raleigh)
5.    Chris SUTTON (Urban Hotels)
6.    Greg HENDERSON (Degani Bakery Cafe)
7.    Luke DURBRIDGE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
8.    Koen DE KORT (Urban Hotels)
9.    Johnnie WALKER (Degani Bakery Cafe)
10.    Mitch DOCKER (GreenEDGE)
11.    Dean WINDSOR (Endura Racing)
12.    Nathan HAAS (Bike Bug)
13.    Steele VON HOFF (Bike Bug)
14.    Zak DEMPSTER (Endura Racing)
15.    Mark O’BRIEN (Budget Forklifts)
16.    James MOWATT (Rapido Cycles/Four Points Geelong)
17.    Leigh HOWARD (GreenEDGE)
18.    Trent DERECOURT (John West Cycling)

SPRINTS

1.    Bernie SULZBERGER (Urban Hotels)
2.    Mitch DOCKER (GreenEDGE)
3.    Anthony GIACOPPO (Bike Bug)
4.    Nathan HAAS (Bike Bug)
5.    Luke DURBRIDGE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
6.    Dean WINDSOR (Degani Bakery Cafe)
7.    Caleb EWAN (NSWIS)
8.    Leigh HOWARD (GreenEDGE)
9.    Johnnie WALKER (Degani Bakery Cafe)
10.    Mark O’BRIEN (Budget Forklifts)
11.    Zak DEMPSTER (Degani Bakery Cafe)
12.    Baden COOKE (Mitchelton Wines/Lowe Farms)
13.    Wesley SULZBERGER (GreenEDGE)
14.    Robbie MCEWEN (GreenEDGE)
15.    Trent DERECOURT (John West Cycling)

 

Elite women

1.    Shara GILLOW (GreenEdge-AIS)
2.    Grace SULZBERGER (Jayco – AIS)
3.    Tiffany CROMWELL (GreenEdge-AIS)
4.    Amanda SPRATT (GreenEdge-AIS)
5.    Jessie MACLEAN (GreenEdge-AIS)
6.    Sinead NOONAN (Jayco – AIS)
7.    Melissa HOSKINS (GreenEdge-AIS)
8.    Annette EDMONDSON (Pitcher Partners)
9.    Chloe HOSKING (Total Rush/Hyster)
10.    Gracie ELVIN (Jayco – AIS)
11.    Sue FORSYTH (Pitcher Partners)
12.    Rebecca WERNER (Port Adelaide C.C.)
13.    Rosara JOSEPH (NZL)
14.    Nicole COOKE (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team)
15.    Loren ROWNEY (Total Rush/Hyster)
16.    Rowena FRY (Jayco – AIS)
17.    Kate FINEGAN (Spencers Race)

Did not finish
Rochelle GILMORE (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team)
Peta MULLENS (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team)
Kirsty BROUN (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team)
Myfanwy GALLOWAY (BikeExchange.com.au Dream Team)
Rebecca HENDERSON (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Imogen JELBART (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Ailie MCDONALD (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Allison RICE (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Rebecca WIASAK (Suzuki-Trek Women)
Isabella KING (Pitcher Partners)
Elizabeth PHILLIPOU (Pitcher Partners)
Sequoia COOPER (TORQ)
Nadine LE MESCAM (TORQ)
Katherine O’SHEA (TORQ)
Chloe MCINTOSH (Total Rush/Hyster)
Kimberley WELLS (Total Rush/Hyster)
Carly WILLIAMS (Total Rush/Hyster)
Delphine ASTIER (Spencers Race)
Ella HOPKINS (Spencers Race)
Liza RACHETTO (Spencers Race)
Jessica MUNDY (Spencers Race)
Holly HEFFERNAN (NSWIS)
Laura TRIGGS (NSWIS)
Alice WALLETT (Canberra Cycling Club)
Antonia ABBISOGNI (Bendigo & District CC)
Jamie Leigh EDWARDS (Geelong Cycle Club)
Carla FRANSON (Central Districts C.C.)
Ella SCANLAN-BLOOR (Southern Highlands CC)

Overall leader
1. Melissa Hoskins (GreenEdge-AIS)

INTERNATIONAL RACE REPORTS 2012

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