Sun Tour Prologue – Two in top 3 for JLT

British team JLT Condor were the top team after the prologue in the Aussie Sun Tour after placing three riders in the top 10 and two in the top three

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Sun Tour Prologue – Two in top 3 for JLT

Report – Event press release | Photos: Con Chronis

The flying Dutchman Danny Van Poppel bettered Australian Will Clarke’s record set in 2016 of 2:34.27, blasting through the course at 49.6km/h to set a new best time of 2:32.56. Brenton Jones (JLT Condor) was runner-up, one second back with teammate Alex Frame third just a tenth of a second in areas. All three riders broke the course record and JLT Condor won the team award.

The win came as sweet relief for van Poppel, having twice finished on the minor placings at the Tour Down Under last month in his debut for Team Sky. “I was focused to win it and nothing else,” the 23-year-old said. “I’ve done it and I’m really happy because you’re always searching for the first victory of the team and for myself and I’m happy that I did it.”

“A Frame” – aka, Alex Frame from New Zealand was on the podium for his British team just behind teammate Brenton Jones

Van Poppel’s win will force Team Sky to defend the lead as soon as the starting gun fires in Wangaratta tomorrow and the sprinter admitted that his time in the yellow jersey will only be brief with the stage set up for the climbers. “It’s good but I hope I can give it to Chris tomorrow,” van Poppel said. “It will be nice if tomorrow is a nice day for Chris and the team so we’ll go full for him…”

It was another close call for Brenton Jones, a new signing for JLT Condor and a rider who will be racing in Britain soon, having finished third in the Prologue in 2015. The Victorian refused to be drawn on whether he was cursed, instead looking for positives in the result. “Maybe you could say that but I think it’s great consistency as well,” he said. “I’m not regretting anything. I rode a good race. Danny was really fast today; he’s a WorldTour rider so there’s no disappointment in coming second. It was great to see my teammate Alex in third as well”.

“It’s a great course… I’m happy.”

Aussie Brenton Jones who will be racing in Britain later in the year

Defending Jayco Herald Sun Tour champion Chris Froome was the last man of the 104 riders out of the start house in Federation Square, the bustling crowd cheering the three-time Tour de France winner on. Froome was pleased to arrive at the finish line at Queensbridge Square with his teammate on the top of the podium.

“It’s a great start for the team, with Danny winning – that’s giving us a lot of confidence going into the week ahead,” he said. “He did a great ride.” Froome admitted that the course was no easier second time around. “It’s definitely a bit of a lung buster – you just have two minutes to get everything out,” he said. “It’s not really my kind of course, but it’s great to kick the week off.”

Chris Froome

Taylor Gunman (Madison Genesis) – The 2017 season kicked off with a real hiss and a roar. The first three minutes of racing was full noise with the setting sun in Melbourne along side the Yara river. For 2.1km, the crowd lines, the course, cheering us on as my brain was trying to work out what you are actually trying to achieve riding full noise and getting familiar with lactic acid again.”

“Although progloues have never been my thing it was pretty neat experience. Tomorrow’s first road stage will be a shock to the system with Tawonga Gap being first most significant climb of the day, and then ending with a 21km climb to the top of Falls Creek to the finish. With the likes of Froome and Chavez on the line and many Aussies ready to show their stripes it will be a big day on the bike.”

Next Stage
The action will shift dramatically, from Melbourne’s CBD to Victoria’s spectacular high country for Falls Creek Stage 1, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour traversing Tawonga Gap and Falls Creek for the first time since 2007. Departing Wangaratta, the longest stage of the 64th edition of the race at 174.2km will be action packed with the battle for yellow set to explode over the next four days. The 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour won’t be won on Thursday, but this is the day for the true contenders to make their intentions known.
… continued after advert

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Prologue
1 Danny Van Poppel (Sky) 02:32.6
2 Brenton Jones (Jlt) @ 1
3 Alex Frame (Jlt) @ 1
4 Michael Hepburn (Ors) @ 2
5 Leigh Howard (Abs) @ 3
6 Anthony Giacoppo (Iws) @ 3
7 Jesse Kerrison (Iws) @ 3
8 Ian Bibby (Jlt) @ 4
9 Travis Mccabe (Uhc) @ 4
10 Cameron Bayly (Iws) @ 4
11 Luke Rowe (Sky) @ 4
12 Joseph Cooper (Iws) @ 4
13 Sam Bewley (Ors) @ 5
14 Aaron Gate (Abs) @ 5
15 Ayden Toovey (Nis) @ 6
16 Sebastian Henao Gomez (Sky) @ 6
17 Robbie Hucker (Iws) @ 6
18 Cameron Meyer (Aus) @ 6
19 Damien Howson (Ors) @ 6
20 Brad Evans (Dpv) @ 6
21 Jacob Kauffmann (Nis) @ 6
22 Greg Henderson (Uhc) @ 7
23 Taco Van Der Hoorn (Rnl) @ 7
24 Darcy Ellerm-Norton (Stg) @ 7
25 Lachlan Norris (Uhc) @ 7
26 Chris Froome (Sky) @ 7
27 James Fouche (Nzl) @ 8
28 Simon Gerrans (Ors) @ 8
29 Timothy Roe (Iws) @ 8
30 Jason Christie (Nzl) @ 8
31 Jeroen Meijers (Rnl) @ 8
32 Benjamin Hill (Atg) @ 8
33 Angus Lyons (Aus) @ 8
34 Adrian Hegyvary (Uhc) @ 8
35 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) @ 8
36 Edmund Bradbury (Jlt) @ 8
37 Brodie Talbot (Stg) @ 8
38 Tanner Putt (Uhc) @ 8
39 Alistair Slater (Jlt) @ 8
40 Rob Power (Ors) @ 8
41 Tim Ariesen (Rnl) @ 9
42 Dylan Sunderland (Nis) @ 9
43 Peter Koning (Abs) @ 9
44 Daniel Fitter (Nis) @ 9
45 Nikolay Trusov (Gaz) @ 9
46 Cyrus Monk (Dpv) @ 9
47 Alex Wohler (Nis) @ 9
48 James Oram (Nzl) @ 9
49 Guy Kalma (Atg) @ 9
50 Mario Vogt (Atg) @ 9
51 Ivan Savitckii (Gaz) @ 9
52 Joshua Taylor (Nis) @ 9
53 Drew Morey (Dpv) @ 9
54 Steve Lampier (Jlt) @ 10
55 Mitch Docker (Ors) @ 10
56 Pavel Brutt (Gaz) @ 10
56 James Gullen (Jlt) @ 10
58 Nathan Earle (Aus) @ 10
59 Hamish Schreurs (Nzl) @ 10
60 Sam Dobbs (Nzl) @ 10
61 Calvin Watson (Abs) @ 10
62 Artur Ershov (Gaz) @ 10
63 Ian Stannard (Sky) @ 11
64 Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Ors)@ 11
65 Kaden Groves (Stg) @ 11
66 Patrick Sharpe (Stg) @ 11
67 Benjamin Dyball (Stg) @ 11
68 Kirill Sveshnikov (Gaz) @ 11
69 Conor Dunne (Abs) @ 11
70 Martijn Tusveld (Rnl) @ 12
71 Sjoerd Van Ginneken (Rnl) @ 12
72 Michel Kreder (Abs) @ 12
73 Jesper Asselman (Rnl) @ 12
74 Kenny Elissonde (Sky) @ 12
75 Jai Hindley (Aus) @ 12
76 Matthew Zenovich (Nzl) @ 12
77 Michael Storer (Aus) @ 13
78 Nicholas Katsonis (Dpv) @ 13
79 Janier Alexis Acevedo Calle (Uhc)@ 13
80 Taylor Gunman (Nzl) @ 13
81 Jesse Featonby (Dpv) @ 13
82 Aleksei Tcatevich (Gaz) @ 13
83 Jonathan Clarke (Uhc) @ 13
84 Philip Martz (Atg) @ 14
85 Oliver Kent-Spark (Dpv) @ 14
86 Scott Bowden (Iws) @ 14
87 Nick Van Der Lijke (Rnl) @ 14
88 Thomas Hubbard (Stg) @ 14
89 Timothy Guy (Atg) @ 14
90 Samuel Jenner (Aus) @ 15
91 Tom Robinson (Nis) @ 15
92 Jay Dutton (Stg) @ 15
93 Lawrence Warbasse (Abs) @ 15
94 Alexandr Shushemoin (Atg) @ 15
95 Sergey Nikolaev (Gaz) @ 16
96 Marcelo Felipe (7rp) @ 18
97 Alistair Donohoe (Atg) @ 19
98 Josh Berry (7rp) @ 20
99 Rustom Lim (7rp) @ 20
100 Mathew Ross (Dpv) @ 21
101 Edgar Nohales Neto (7rp) @ 23
102 Mark John Lexer Galedo (7rp) @ 23
103 Jesse Ewart (7rp) @ 24
104 Craig Evers (7rp) @ 30

Average Speed Of The Winner: 49.7 Km/H
Number Of Starters: 104

Teams Stage Result
1 Jlt Condor (66, 65, 61) 07:42
2 Isowhey Sports Swisswellness (92, 91, 94) 4
3 Team Sky (7, 5, 4) 4
4 Orica – Scott (17, 16, 13) 7
5 Aqua Blue Sport (51, 54, 55) 11
6 Unitedhealthcare Pro Cycling Team (45, 44, 46) 12
7 Nsw Institute Of Sport (123, 121, 122) 15
8 Korda Mentha Real Estate Australian National Team (131, 136, 133) 16
9 Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij (27, 25, 21) 18
10 Drapac Pat’s Veg Holistic Development Team (102, 105, 106) 18
11 New Zealand National Team (146, 147, 142) 19
12 St George Continental Cycling Team (116, 115, 113) 20
13 Attaque Team Gusto (81, 85, 84) 20
14 Gazprom – Rusvelo (32, 35, 31) 22
15 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippines (72, 76, 73) 52

General Classification After Prologue (teams)
1 Jlt Condor 07:42
2 Isowhey Sports Swisswellness 4
3 Team Sky 4
4 Orica – Scott 7
5 Aqua Blue Sport 11
6 Unitedhealthcare Pro Cycling Team 12
7 Nsw Institute Of Sport 15
8 Korda Mentha Real Estate Australian National Team 16
9 Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij 18
10 Drapac Pat’s Veg Holistic Development Team 18
11 New Zealand National Team 19
12 St George Continental Cycling Team 20
13 Attaque Team Gusto 20
14 Gazprom – Rusvelo 22
15 7 Eleven Roadbike Philippines 52

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