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Fabio Sacchi of the coffee machine experts Saeco is the new star of the
Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under, as he added a great stage win to yesterday's
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Stevo & Juan Carlos have a post race meeting
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third place. The Italian was first across the line in Murray Bridge, taking
the new leader's jersey in the process. Local hero and 1999 champion Stuart
O'Grady had to settle for back-to-back second places, as he crossed the line
in the speedy Sacchi's wake.
Linda McCartney-Jacob's Creek had an eventful day, placing men in each of the
day's moves, as the peloton covered the two early climbs of Kangaroo Creek
and Checker Hill in edgy mood. Mindful that the race-deciding move of last
year's Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under went away in over these early roads,
nobody wanted to miss the boat.
When Mapei's class act Daniele Nardello went away with Saeco's Jorge Ludwig,
it was a case of action stations behind them, and the race began splitting
under constant pressure at the front. There were breaks going and coming back
constantly, until almost inevitably, the figure of Adelaide's Stuart O'Grady
led an elite chase group of 26 up to the escaping duo. Things looked good for
Linda McCartney-Jacob's Creek at this point, as stage race specialist Juan
Carlos Dominguez made the selection, along with Ireland's Ciaran Power and
British Champion John Tanner.
However, it was not to be a British racing green day, as attacks from O'Grady
split the group again, and the trio found themselves in the wrong half of the
resulting regrouping. Nardello, Sacchi and O'Grady's group of 15 put the best
part of four minutes into the McCartney men and their companions by the time
they reached Murray Bridge.
"Yes, of course I'm disappointed, but that's racing," said team manager Neil
Stephens. "We were doing the right things, putting people in every move, but
I guess the three that ended up going in the crucial break weren't the right
three in hindsight."
Ciaran Power agreed. "Myself, Juan Carlos and John are riding into form for
later on in the spring, so we probably weren't the ideal men for today," he
explained.
"The mistake we made was not watching O'Grady properly," added Stephens.
"He's the driving force at this race, and when he goes, everybody goes. But
having said that, we were a little unlucky, because the guys did well in
chasing every move… it just didn't go our way today."
There's a long way to go until Sunday's eagerly anticipated dash round the
streets of Adelaide however, and hopes will still be high that the Linda
McCartney-Jacob's Creek team can get plenty out of this race.
Report by John Deering |
