Matt Stephens - 8th

Matthew Stephens of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team produced another great ride at the Tour Down Under to virtually ensure 8th place overall when the race comes to an exciting climax in Adelaide tomorrow afternoon.

Matt was in the thick of the action almost immediately, as he suffered a puncture scare in the first 10kms. To a man, the entire McCartney team massed around him to give up their wheels if necessary and then pace him back into the field - "It's great to be the king."

It was another chance for the impressive Maurizio De Pasquale to shine, as he slipped away with 17 others before the race wound through the Jacob's Creek vineyards. When the move halved into two groups approaching the final long ascent of Menglers Hill, it was Maurizio that found a gut-wrenching burst of speed to bridge the gap to the front of the race, only to find that super-sprinter Eric Zabel had already fled up the road. Zabel topped off his attack with a final surge that sent him whistling over the finish line well clear of Saeco's Massimiliano Mori.

Back down the road, Matt Stephens was desperate to stay in contention.

"We turned a corner on the approach to the climb and immediately there was a sharp crosswind," Matt said at the finish. "We were already under pressure as the bunch was trying to chase down the break, and gaps started to appear. I found myself in the second of a number of small groups, with some of the guys I had to stay with 50 metres up the road. Suddenly, I heard this weird Norweigian yelling, and Bjornar Vestol somehow bridged the gap from the group behind to get up to me. He gave me one enormous effort and I was catapulted up to the group ahead!"

Bjornar was left to make his own way to the finish as Matt gritted his teeth to hang on to his hard-earned 8th place overall. "At the end of the season, people will look at who won what, and who got what points, but it's unsung efforts like Bjornar's that we have to remember, 'cause every team needs people to do things like that. I hope I can repay the favour some time."

Up at the finish, Maurizio was adding to the team's run of good placings by finishing 12th behind Zabel. Tomorrow, the race will be watched by something like 100,000 people around the picturesque parkland streets of Adelaide, as the race comes to a colourful end. SBS will be sending the stage live across Australia, and Eurosport will bring their pictures of the race home to Europe for a race highlights series to be broadcast over three days in early February.

Barring mishaps, Matt Stephens will be leaving Australia with the team's first world ranking points of the year, as his hard work delivers 8th place at the Tour Down Under.

Report by John Deering

 1. Erik Zabel (Telekom)                        3.41.43
 2. Massimiliano Mori (Saeco-Gaggia)           @   0.02
 3. Jacob Rasmussen (Memory Card-Jack & Jones) @   0.03
12. Maurizio De Pascale
37. Matthew Stephens                           @  13.22
47. Ben Brooks                                 @  25.18
62. Pascal Richard
63. Bjornar Vestol
69. David McKenzie
75. Maximilian Sciandri
76. Tayeb Braikia


Overall:

 1. Gilles Maignan (Ag2R-Prevoyance)           16.57.09
 2. Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole)           @   0.14
 3. Steffen Wesemann (Telekom)
 8. Matthew Stephens                           @   4.11
24. Maurizio De Pascale                        @  37.17
37. Ben Brooks                                 @  46.54
54. Tayeb Braikia                              @1.02.31
60. Pascal Richard                             @1.02.32
61. Bjornar Vestol
63. David McKenzie
66. Maximilian Sciandri


Overall Sprints:

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


Overall Under 23:

 1. Sandy Casar (La Francaise Des Jeux)        16.57.33
 6. Ben Brooks                                 @  46.30