Contenders Emerge in ?World?s Toughest? Off-Road Cycle Race
By John-Michael Flynn in Paluma North Queensland
It took only one serious dirt road stage for the imposters to disappear off the
back of the bunch today as defending champion Adam Hansen claimed his first
stage victory of the 2005 Crocodile Trophy.
After nearly four hours in the saddle the 24 year old Australian emerged from
the clouds on the misty mountaintop of the Paluma Range, triumphant and very
much on track with his campaign for back-to-back victories.
But the pain of the final climb to the highest point of this year?s Crocodile
Trophy was clearly evident as the Cairns Coconut Caravan Resort team leader
collapsed in a daze after pushing his body to the absolute limit, or perhaps
beyond it?
?I blew up, it was a lot harder than I thought,? Hansen revealed after finally
regaining his composure.
?I just hit the wall a lot harder than I thought.?
Hansen?s condition was in clear contrast to that of the Felt-Shimano Dream Team?
s Mauro Bettin, who looked relatively at ease when he crossed the line today in
second place, just under two minutes behind the Australian.
?Today was a little bit good but I am tired, tired, tired,? The UCI Marathon
Mountainbike World Champion said upon completing the Crocodile Trophy?s second
stage.
How it Unfolded
Following on from yesterday?s punishing opening prologue in soft sand at Rowes
Bay in Townsville, stage two of the Crocodile Trophy took protagonists through
some of the greatest diversity of terrain of any bike race on the planet.
Beginning in the dusty outback surrounds of Kirkland Downs, riders hit the
corrugated dirt roads synonomous with this event for the first time.
And for those who had been there before and failed, like Englishman Paul West
who suffered dreadfully in the Aussie Outback two years ago, there was
immediate apprehension.
?I just want to make sure that I put it right,? The Brit affirmed as he cast
his eyes on the barren outback surrounds.
?I just want it to go to plan this time and I get a result.?
The race had barely begun when one of the main contenders for podium honours
suffered a major setback.
Czech cyclist Sybil ?Radick? Radoslav received a flat tyre, but in a display of
mental and physical toughness, rode himself back onto the main group over the
next fifty kilometres, before finishing the day in fourth place.
?I was very happy that the first group didn?t ride so fast,? Radick said of his
early mishap.
?After 50 kilometres I ride to them and I know that its possible to ride to
them.?
As the race developed, a mid-race breakaway involving American Lars Eric
Johnson (Felt-Shimano Dream Team) and Stefan Rucker (Cairns Coconut Caravan
Resort) was kept in check , with the major moves of the stage yet to come.
Along the way the terrain was constantly changing.
Heading on a North-East course, the road to Paluma transformed in a matter of
minutes from dry outback to open forest country. Then in the approach to the
final climb of the day, competitors were surrounded by rainforest as the road
turned upwards into the majestic Wet Tropics.
It was at the seventy five kilometre mark, shortly after the final feed
station, when reigning champion Adam Hansen called on his fellow riders to
share the workload on a 3 kilometre climb, but when no-one wanted to
contribute, the Australian took the initiative.
?Basically on that hill we went up in and then we got to the top and I stood up
and waited for them,? Hansen revealed of his breakaway effort.
?They weren?t interested in working and then I just took off.?
It was a bold decision from the local cyclist who still needed to conquer the
final 11.5 kilometre climb to the summit of the Paluma Range.
Behind him, Bettin faced a decision whether to stay with the chasing group of 5
riders, or join Hansen up the road.
The Italian?s decision not to join the attack, sensible perhaps, given the
World Cup Champion is still acclimatizing to Australian conditions, with a long
way to go yet in this most epic of races.
While Hansen rode to victory, the question remains as to how much petrol the
defending Crocodile Trophy champion has burned on his way to snatching the lead
in the General Classification.
The best summation perhaps lies with the rider who worked hardest today to stay
in contention at the Crocodile Trophy.
?Radick? Sibl claiming ?Bettin and Adam are only the people,?
The Czech?s summation was backed by today?s results sheet, which showed several
of the riders tipped to do well at the 2005 Crocodile Trophy, Germany?s Kai
Hundertmark among them, are well off the pace.
It was a tough day at the office also for the winner of yesterday?s prologue
Belgian Christophe Stevens, who still looked strong but lost valuable time
against the likes of Hansen and Bettin.
Time and perhaps the punishment of tomorrow?s 161 kilometre longest stage of
the 2005 Crocodile Trophy will provide a better form guide for the overall
outcome of this year?s race.
(ENDS)
Crocodile Trophy Stage 2 Kirkland Downs to Paluma (Provisional Top Ten)
1. Adam Hansen (AUS) 3.51.15
2. Mauro Bettin (ITA) 3.53.06
3. Heinz Zorweg (AUT) 3.54.36
4. Sibl Radoslav (CZE) 3.54.41
5. Matthias Buxhoffer (AUT) 3.54.53
6. Stefan Rucker (AUT) 4.02.15
7. Christophe Stevens (BEL) 4.02.50
8. Lars Eric Johnson (USA) 4.09.30
9. Jens Zemke (GER) 4.09.30
10. Kai Hundertmark (Ger) 4.09.41
Date:
20/10/2005