Matthew Stephens of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team cemented another excellent team performance at the Tour Down Under today when he moved up the overall rankings

Sciandri & Stephens lead a training session before the Tour Down Under

to make 8th spot his own. But there was controversy at the finish in Modbury, as Stefan Wesemann of Telekom and Polti rider Pascal Herve were adjudged to have shared a dead-heat. There was incredulity among the crowd at the finish, as the German had appeared to be the clear winner to everyone, not least Herve, who had punched his bars in frustration as they crossed the line.

In contrast to the preceding two stages, the bunch was jumpy and aggressive right from the start, as the bunch immediately tackled the giddy heights of Windy Point. The route was shorter with more frequent climbs, encouraging riders to have a crack at splitting the field. Max Sciandri made his first significant move in a McCartney jersey, as he tore the race up with a breathtaking attack in the Mount Lofty hills. The pressure created by Sciandri brought about a number of gaps in the field, as riders struggled to match his tempo. It proved to be a springboard for the major move of the day, as Matt Stephens, supported ably by Ben Brooks, sneaked into a move containing many of the major players.

The big loser was yellow jersey Michael Rogers, who could only watch as his rivals slipped further and further ahead. Attacks came thick and fast over the last few kilometres, eventually removing the battling Brooks from the head of the race. The Sciandri/Stephens axis in action

"It's a bit early in the year to match the local guys when they really go for it in the hills," explained Matt Stephens. "I've got good fitness and condition now, but not the top-end speed that they have from all the racing they've been doing. It's good to be going this well this soon, though. Hopefully, come March they'll all be burnt out, and we'll be flying!" Matt crossed the line just a minute or so behind Wesemann and Herve to claim two more scalps among the rivals left behind, and skip up to eighth in the rankings. The hard work that Ben Brooks had put in for Matt paid off with a big jump up the ladder for him too. The machinations will surely continue long into the night here at the Adelaide Hilton, but a place in the top 20 for the New South Wales colt beckons.

There was much amusement this morning, when the national youth radio network Triple J broadcast interviews with Matt Stephens and John Deering about the team's commitment to vegetarianism.

"With all the dope testing that goes on in cycling, are you now testing for meat?"

"Yeah, that's right. We've got an electronic probe we drop into a bowl of cereal that searches out sausages."

=1. Steffen Wesemann (Telekom)              3.13.02
=1. Pascal Herve (Polti)                   @   0.00
 3. Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole)
16. Matthew Stephens                       @   1.29
18. Ben Brooks                             @   5.52
35. David McKenzie                         @  21.30
37. Bjornar Vestol
50. Maurizio De Pascale
51. Pascal Richard
69. Maximilian Sciandri
80. Tayeb Braikia


Intermediate Sprints:

Echunga @ 49 km
 1. Tristan Hoffman (Memory Card-Jack & Jones) 6pts
 2. Bart Voskamp (Polti)                       4pts
 3. Tayeb Braikia                              2pts


Overall:

 1. Gilles Maignan (Ag2R-Prevoyance)       13.04.29
 2. Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole)       @   0.11
 3. Steffen Wesemann (Telekom)             @   0.12
 8. Matthew Stephens                       @   1.46
20. Ben Brooks                             @  32.33
31. Tayeb Braikia                          @  48.10
39. David McKenzie                         @  48.11
40. Bjornar Vestol
47. Maurizio De Pascale
48. Pascal Richard
56. Maximilian Sciandri


Overall Sprints:

 1. Stephane Berges (Big Mat-Auber93)         20pts
22. Tayeb Braikia                              2pts


Overall Under 23:

 1. Sandy Casar (Francaise Des Jeux)       13.04.50
 4. Ben Brooks                             @  32.12