THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING
Van Hout takes TDU stage; Gerrans keeps grip on lead
Adelaide, Australia — Australian Simon Gerrans (AG2R) endured his toughest test yet as a cycling professional on Saturday but emerged smiling after the fourth and penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under, won by Russel Van Hout (UniSA-Australia).
Gerrans had to dig deep to defend his seven-second lead in the general classification over last year's winner, Luis Leon Sanchez (Liberty Seguros-Wurth), in the race's hardest stage — featuring the feared Willunga climb, 20km from the finish of the 147km stage.
Sanchez attacked on the 3km climb, whose gradient is 7 percent, but Gerrans was never far behind. And, with some help from French teammate Sylvain Calzati, he rode the Spaniard's wheel to the finish line to maintain his lead.
"When he first attacked, 400 meters from the top (of the climb), I panicked a little bit and sort of blew up, but I had Sylvain waiting for me at the top and he kept his cool," said Gerrans.
With Calzati maintaining tempo, they caught up to Jose Arrieta; the two men began working smoothly together "and just towed me back up to Sanchez up the front," said Gerrans.
"I was really relieved when I caught him, I just sat on his wheel," he added. "With about 5km to go I started cramping like a bastard - both my quads locked up and my calves. I was getting water from whoever I could and putting it on my legs - I could hardly pedal across the line."
The effort took a toll on his teammates as well, he said.
"My guys were getting a little bit tired (because) they've just done an awesome job all week and I just couldn't thank them enough - they've really won this Tour for me," said Gerrans.
The 25-year-old is expected to retain his slim lead over Sanchez in Sunday's final stage - a 90km inner-city race that traditionally is contested mainly by the sprinters.
Local rider Van Hout, meanwhile, brought smiles to the fans in nearby Willunga, where the searing temperatures again topped 104 degrees, boosting his bid for a place on Australia's Commonwealth Games road team.
The 29-year-old crossed the finish line hand in hand with fellow breakaway rider and teammate Paul Crake.
"You know it's a dream come true in front of all my fans and family, all the people who have helped me all the way," said Van Hout. "It was a hard day the whole day in that breakaway and to have a team mate to finish with one-two what more could you ask for. I really want to go to the Commonwealth Games. My form's the best ever."
Both riders had been part of an early breakaway group of 16 that had built a lead of more than eight minutes on the main bunch, being led by AG2R and Liberty.
At one point, one of the leaders, Glenn D'Hollander (Chocolade Jacques), became the virtual race leader, and it briefly appeared that AG2R and Liberty's decision not to risk attacking had sunk their respective hopes.
AG2R, already two-time winners of the race, had the upper hand, however. Their patience in waiting for Liberty to agree to help chase soon paid off.
At the halfway mark of the 147km stage, the gap was at 8:42. A further 30km on, the leaders' advantage had dropped to just 5:30 and as they approached the decisive climb it stood at only three minutes.
AG2R's bluffing even had the disappointed Liberty team giving them praise.
"They played it really good," conceded Liberty's team co-director Neil Stephens. "Tactically, it worked to a T for them."
Nevertheless, Gerrans, who has worn the leader’s jersey since winning the opening stage on Wednesday, isn’t letting the praise go to his head.
"It's going to be fantastic wearing the jersey tomorrow and I've got to get through the final 90 kilometers yet," he said. "It's not often a race is lost on the last day but I guess theoretically it's possible.
"But again I'll be watching Sanchez pretty closely."
2006 Tour Down Under — Stage 4
1. Russell Van Hout (Aus) UniSA-Australia, at 147km in 3:32:54 (41.4 km/h)
2. Paul Crake (Aus) UniSA-Australia, same time
3. Rony Martias (Fra) Bouygues Telecom, at 1:03
4. Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto, s.t.
5. Glen Chadwick (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team, s.t.
6. Elia Rigotto (Ita) Team Milram, s.t.
7. Simone Cadamuro (Ita) Team Milram, at 1:13
8. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team, s.t.
9. Mitchell Docker (Aus) United Water-Australia U/23, at 1:22
10. Glenn d'Hollander (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim, at 1:25
Complete results
Jacob's Creek general classification after stage 4
1. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Ag2r Prevoyance, 14:47:07
2. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Liberty Seguros-Würth Team, at 0:07
3. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto, at 0:18
4. William Walker (Aus) United Water-Australia U/23, at 0:46
5. Gene Bates (Aus) UniSA-Australia, at 1:41
6. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Ag2r Prevoyance, at 2:42
7. Russell Van Hout (Aus) UniSA-Australia, at 2:53
8. Simon Clarke (Aus) South Australia.com-AIS Cycling, at 3:19
9. Chris Jongewaard (Aus) UniSA-Australia, s.t.
10. Glenn d'Hollander (Bel) Chocolade Jacques-T Interim, at 3:24
Complete results
