Nathan Haas grabs Garmin-Sharp second stage win and moves into yellow whilst Brits miss the move with Handley best in 43rd
![]() |
Garmin-Sharp continued to flex its collective muscle on the roads of Victoria, as former race champion Nathan Haas held off all-comers in a long, uphill bunch sprint to claim stage one of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Ballarat. After Kiwi teammate Jack Bauer snared the Jayco Herald Sun Yellow Jersey for the American WorldTour outfit in Wednesday evening’s city centre prologue, Haas assumed the leaders mantle with his powerful display up Sturt Street.
For the 2011 Jayco Herald Sun Tour champion, the stage win was his first as a professional in Garmin-Sharp colours, and a victory he said he owed to confidence gained from his strong Tour Down Under performance two weeks ago. “I know that my form’s good now and confidence comes with that,†24-year-old Haas said. “So [the Tour Down Under] was a nice litmus test for this race, which really is to me probably my most favourite race in the world.â€
While buoyed by the victory, Haas revealed his role across the closing stages of the race had been to deliver teammate and national criterion champion Steele Von Hoff to the line. “He was going to take my wheel through that final section, and one of the fantastic things about Steel is that he really thinks about the bigger picture in the sprint.â€
“Obviously he saw the door open for me and he didn’t get on it so he left the gap and then I went.â€
Crossing in front of Orica-GreenEDGE’s powerhouse sprinter Matthew Goss and Drapac Professional Cycling’s fast-man Jonathan Cantwell in the bunch sprint, Haas earned a ten second time bonus and subsequently now holds a seven second advantage at the top of the general classification standings.
Haas heads teammate Bauer, with prologue podium finisher William Clarke of Drapac Porsche a further two seconds adrift. Orica-GreenEDGE’s Simon Gerrans moved into the race top-ten, now placed ninth overall and 13 seconds behind race leader Haas, after finishing eighth on the opening road stage into Ballarat.
It was an emotional Haas that spoke after the stage victory, confident his team had the arsenal to defend the jersey right through until the final stage on Arthur’s Seat. “I’ve got a lot of confidence at the moment that I can do it, and I’ve got even more confidence that the team’s going to give me the opportunity to keep doing it,†Haas said. “We’re here to win this race and it really suits us to the ground.â€
Earlier in the stage, it was a three man breakaway that made the early escape from the peloton on the outskirts of Geelong, with Thomas Hamilton (Jayco Australian U23 National Team), Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale Pro Cycling) and Nathan Elliott (African Wildlife Safaris Cycling) gaining as much as three minutes 26 second advantage over the main field.
After looking shaky at stages, the break held together to the top of the first Budget Forklifts King of the Mountain climb, a category one ascent up Glenmore Hill. Hamilton claimed maximum points on the climb, leading Bettiol and Elliott across the summit with 47 kilometres remaining in the stage and a diminishing two minutes 33 second advantage over the peloton.
Hitting maximum grades of 27 percent, the brutal climb wreaked havoc in the peloton, forcing the field to fracture. A group of 15 riders emerged at the front, giving chase to the three-man group up the road. Orica-GreenEDGE flexed their muscle, with five of their six riders – including race favourite Gerrans – amongst the aggressors in the chase.
Damien Howson was the sole rider from the Australian WorldTour outfit unable to join the chase. Eventual stage winner Haas and Garmin-Sharp teammates Von Hoff and Bauer were also in the chase group.
Reeling in the breakaway on the descent of Glenmore Hill, the now lead group of 18 established a 32 second buffer over the peloton, before the bulk of riders came back together again over the top of the second Budget Forklifts King of the Mountain climb, the category four Mount Egerton, and would power on across the remaining 28 kilometres to the finish line in Ballarat.
For their efforts in the breakaway, Hamilton earned the Budget Forklifts King of the Mountain Jersey, while Bettiol claimed the Subaru Orange Most Aggressive Jersey.
Haas added the Chain Reaction Cycles Green Sprinters Jersey to his haul from the stage, while 20-year-old Harry Carpenter of the Jayco Australian U23 National Team moved into the State Government of Victoria White Under 23 Jersey after finishing 28th on the stage, and moving to 14th overall.
Best of the British riders was Richard Handley who finished 2.26 down in 43rd place.
STAGE RESULTS
1 HAAS Nathan Garmin Sharp 03:04:12
2 GOSS Matthew Orica GreenEDGE @ st
3 CANTWELL Jonathan Drapac Professional Cycling @ st
4 CLARKE Simon Orica GreenEDGE @ st
5 VAN DER PLOEG Neil Avanti Cycling Team @ st
6 SHAW Patrick KordaMentha Team Australia @ st
7 BOIVIN Guillaume Cannondale @ st
8 GERRANS Simon Orica GreenEDGE @ st
9 BEVIN Patrick New Zealand @ st
10 GIACOPPO Anthony Avanti Cycling Team @ st
19 LAPTHORNE Darren Drapac Professional Cycling @ st
22 ANDERSON Jack Drapac Professional Cycling @ st
23 NORRIS Lachlan Drapac Professional Cycling @ st
38 BAUER Jack Garmin Sharp @ st
43 HANDLEY Richard Rapha Condor JLT 02:26
46 CARTHY Hugh Rapha Condor JLT @ st
49 DAVIES Scott Great Britain @ 6.46
60 CUMING Michael Rapha Condor JLT @ st
67 WITMITZ Sam Team Budget Forklifts @ 9.47
72 LAWLESS Christopher Great Britain @ st
73 MOSES Thomas Rapha Condor JLT @ st
74 ENGLISH Felix Rapha Condor JLT @ st
75 BURTON Germain Great Britain @ st
76 SCULLY Thomas New Zealand @ st
81 ROGERS Rico OCBC Singapore Continental Cycling Team 14:29
84 WOOD Olivier Great Britain @ st
86 LATHAM Christopher Great Britain @ st
92 OPIE Christopher Rapha Condor JLT @ st
95 RAGAN Jacob Great Britain 17:54
OVERALL
1 Nathan HAAS GRS 3:07:05
2 Jack BAUER GRS 0:07
3 William CLARKE DPC 0:09
4 Matthew GOSS OGE same time
5 Steele VON HOFF GRS 0:11
6 Simon CLARKE OGE 0:12
7 Neil VAN DER PLOEG APC st
8 Jonathon CANTWELL DPC st
9 Simon GERRANS OGE 0:13
10 Anthony GIACOPPO APC st
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Entries: Clayton Spring Classic Handicap 2025
- Crit Result: Sussex Cycle Racing League Circuits 1/14
- Result: Hillingdon Slipstreamers Spring Series Event 1
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #15
- RESULT: 2nd Portsdown Classic
- Track Result – Manchester Regional Track League
- News: John Barclay Academy Launch
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #14
- QUIZ TIME! Q&A with Zack Lowe (Prologue Race Team)
- NEWS: 2025 ELITE DEVELOPMENT TEAMS
- Crit Result: Odd Down Winter Series Rd 1
- Crit Result: Chilly City Crits Rd 2
- CX Result: London/South East CX League 10
- Track Result: 2025 Manchester Regional Track League
- Another World Title for Zoe Backstedt
- TRAGIC NEWS: Aidan Loses His Life in Training Accident
- Tom Pidcock wins the AlUla Tour
- Q&A with Elliot Fraser (360cycling)
- GB Team Win World Title at CX Worlds
- Second stage win for Tom Pidcock in AlUla Tour
- 2025 West Midlands road race league
- NEWS: Ribble Cycles Bike Sponsor for Smurfit Westrock Team
- QUIZ TIME! Q&A with young talent Mark Ketteringham
- Startlist: RCR Portsdown Classic Road Race (February 9)
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #13
- Crit Result: Chilly City Crits Rd 1
- CX Result: Linlithgow Cross 2025
- QUIZ TIME!! REBECCA WOODVINE
- CX Result: London and South East CX League 9
- CX Results: Eastern Region CX League Rd 10
- CX Result: Wessex Cyclocross League Round 12
- QUIZ TIME! Q&A with Oscar Nisbett
- CX Result: NWCCA League Round 11
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- QUIZ TIME: Britain’s Joe Turnbull
- CYCLOCROSS: 2025-26 LLOYDS NATIONAL TROPHY SERIES CALENDAR
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #12
- QUIZ TIME! Dan Kemp (Prologue Junior Race Team)
- CX Result: Jersey Cyclocross League Jan 19
- CX Result: Army Cyclocross Champs 2025
Other News on VeloUK
- Entries: Clayton Spring Classic Handicap 2025
- News: John Barclay Academy Launch
- NEWS: 2025 ELITE DEVELOPMENT TEAMS
- Another World Title for Zoe Backstedt
- TRAGIC NEWS: Aidan Loses His Life in Training Accident
- Tom Pidcock wins the AlUla Tour
- 2025 West Midlands road race league
- NEWS: Ribble Cycles Bike Sponsor for Smurfit Westrock Team
- Startlist: RCR Portsdown Classic Road Race (February 9)
- CYCLOCROSS: 2025-26 LLOYDS NATIONAL TROPHY SERIES CALENDAR
- 2025 British CycloCross Championships Day 2
- 2025 British CycloCross Championships Day 1
- TEAM NEWS: RAPTOR FACTORY RACING
- STARTLIST: 2025 British Cyclocross Championships
- Q&A: Louis Herring (Prologue Junior Race Team)
- BRITISH CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS RIDER LIST
- NEXT WEEK: BRITISH CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS – CYCLOPARK
- 2025 EVENTS: RTTC 10 mile TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP
- THIS WEEKEND: NATIONAL TROPHY SERIES 2024/25 ROUND 5
- BMCR Newsletter January 2025
- TEAM NEWS: BCC Race Team 2025 Squad Announcement
- TEAM NEWS: 2025 Handsling Alba Development Road Team
- Q&A with Paul Opie & Tom Mead
- Team News: New Junior team for West Lothian Clarion
- 2025 Events: Plymouth Corinthian
- News: Junior/Youth National Series 2025
- Startlist: Round 4 National Trophy Cyclocross (Dec 7/8)
- ELITE ROAD AND CIRCUIT RACES CALENDAR
- Sad News: No Saint Piran team for 2025
- News: The Pedal Club Lunch (November)
- Team Update: Brother UK / Onform 2025
- 2025 NATIONAL TRACK CALENDAR ANNOUNCED
- CHS CICLISMO – Complimentary daily massage and spa!
- Team News: Fensham Howes – MAS Design 2025
- National Trophy Cyclocross: Round 3 (Torbay)
- Tofauti Everyone Active announces new partners and new name for 2025
- Rider News: Matt Thompson signs for French Team BMC Bezier
- News: Youth Tour of Scotland 2025
- FEATURE: Billy Ladle’s Stellar Season Recognised at British Cycling Awards
- 2025 Prologue Junior Race Team