October 15/09 11:54 am - Jayco Herald Sun Tour: Stage 4

Posted by on 10/15/09
 

Chris Sutton today extended his domination of this year's Jayco Herald Sun Tour with a third successive stage win on the 139 kilometre journey from Anglesea to Barwon Heads.

On a day that started and finished in pouring rain, it was again all about Sutton and his Garmin-Slipstream team, but with a fine cameo from young Canberra rider Michael Matthews (Jayco AIS) and former Australian road champion, Darren Lapthorne (Rapha Condor).

Matthews, who was later recognised for his brave riding with the day's most aggressive rider award, joined Lapthorne on a two man break that stayed away for more than 70 kilometres before being caught with just over 10 kilometres to ride.

But it was the sprinter Sutton who reigned supreme for the third day in a row, just nudging out Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) and Garmin team-mate, Bradley Wiggins in a desperate lunge for the line as the heavens opened up on the waterfront at Barwon Heads.

"I was yelling at the boys from 3k to go and then I told Brad to go 500 metres out. I was going to let him have the stage, as I thought we could take one and two,” an increasingly confident Sutton said after the race.

"But then I could feel riders coming and I thought it could have been either Jonathan Cantwell or Jaan Kirsipuu, so I went for it.”

Still, he had plenty of praise for his team, particularly Tom Peterson, who narrowly missed victory the day before.

"The boys have ridden for me but we have three up on general classification now and so anything can happen. We planned it like that,” the 25-year-old said.

"Tom is a great bike rider and he did 5k in front up the 10km climb today. He played his role yet again, that's why were winning races, why we're going so well."

Peterson did manage a victory for himself today, securing the Herald Sun King of the Mountains polka dot jersey, his win in the first climb of the day between Moggs Creek and Lorne effectively putting the title out of reach of the rest of the peloton.

Cantwell again played cat and mouse with Sutton all day, with each of them picking up three bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints and then jousting for the stage win right to the finish.

The Queenslander retains the Budget Forklifts green jersey for the leading sprinter on the Tour but lost four seconds to Sutton on general classification as a result of the stage winner's superior time bonus reward. Nonetheless his confidence remains high with just two stages to ride.

"I'm five seconds behind Chris overall. For two sprinters to go head to head it's been a bit of a strange outcome so far. But I have 38 seconds up my sleeve on Bradley and when you have an inspirational team, anything can happen," Cantwell said.

With belief within both the Garmin and Fly V outfits sky high, all is set for a fascinating time trial stage in Geelong on Friday and a spectacular criterium around Lygon Street in Melbourne on Saturday.

The presence of Tour de France fourth-place getter and brilliant time trialler, Wiggins will ensure plenty of interest in both. Cantwell says he has been working on that aspect of his riding and Sutton feels the course will suit him, citing the stop start corners and a few little hills.

"I was a national under 19 time trial champion but I steered away from it after that. My tactics will just be to go out hard and get faster and faster," Sutton said.

But he also acknowledged that he will be taking on someone quite special.

"I can't really describe it (riding with Wiggins). Since I was young Bradley Wiggins was my hero, my idol, I wanted to be like Bradley Wiggins. But he doesn't see it like that - we roomed together at Cofidis for two years and he taught me so much. He sees me like a little brother," Sutton said.

Tomorrow's fifth stage is a 10 kilometre individual time trial in Geelong that could well determine who wins the 58th edition of Australia's oldest stage cycling race.

Jayco Herald Sun Tour press release