2012 Tour of the Murray River – Stage 4

JOEL Pearson admitted he was starting to question his own ability but he found the answer today, claiming stage four and the overall lead in the Jayco Tour of the Murray River.

The 2010 Murray champion catapulted to the top of GC following his triumph in the Numurkah to Nathalia road race.

It was the first time he had been on top of the podium since October, when he soaked up his second Melbourne to Warrnambool victory.

The Genesys Wealth Advisers rider said he was desperate to snap the winless drought and was pleased to do so in the third leg of the SCODY Cup.

“You start doubting yourself, whether you’ve still got the speed and the endurance that you used to have when you were a couple of years younger,” he said.

“It’s not so much the win (that gives you confidence), it’s just that general feeling you have, that you feel more on top of the bike.

“I’m feeling as good as I have in a long time.”

The 29-year-old took the yellow jersey from teammate and Genesys’ main rider Anthony Giacoppo.

“We went into that stage trying to take the pressure of AJ,” Pearson said.

“In the end, I went (with a move) and (Campbell Flakemore) came with me.

“It was to our advantage to keep going with it.”

There were numerous early attempts at a breakaway during the 82km race but they were unsuccessful.

A rider who managed to get away on his own was eventual Tourism Victoria most aggressive winner Joseph Cooper (Pure Black Racing).

He made the move after winning the third sprint, getting out to a 20-second lead and spending eight kilometres solo before he was caught.

A breakaway of 10 was then established, which soon swelled to 13 with about 30kms to go.

The group, which included Pearson and Flakemore, produced a decisive 40-second gap with 13kms remaining.

It was cut to 20 seconds at the five-kilometre mark before opening it up again to 27 seconds with three kilometres to go.

It proved enough, leaving Pearson and Drapac Professional Cycling’s Peter Thompson to battle it out in a sprint finish.

Pearson said despite taking the Jayco yellow jersey off Giacoppo, the latter would remain the Orange Army’s focus.

“He’s a super athlete,” he said.
“But if I get a chance to go for one, I’ll take it with both hands. “I think you could pick any one of us (Genesys riders). “They’re all just as capable as I am.
“That’s the good thing about our team.”

Tasmanian Flakemore was the Euston Club Resort Rising Star in the Sun Country on the Murray-supported stage, while GPM Wilson Racing’s Josh Taylor retained the Tasco Inland sprint jersey.

Giacoppo clinched this morning’s Moira Shire Council Numurkah criterium courtesy of a blistering move on the home corner in the last lap.

It was all Genesys in the dying laps of the 25.5km race, including having five of the top-six riders on the third-last lap.

It was then up to Giacoppo to come through in the final 850m lap – and he delivered.

“Coming into the last corner, I was fifth wheel,” he said before explaining he then saw an opening on the right-hand side.

“I went for it and never looked back.”

He also collected the Campolina Criterium jersey, while Josh Taylor held onto the Tasco Inland Sprint jersey and grabbed the Euston Club Resort Rising Star award.

Rounding out the podium was Team Budget Forklifts’ Sam Witmitz and Pure Black Racing’s Roman Van Uden.

Tomorrow sees riders complete a Tour of Campaspe road race, which stretches 155.1kms. It starts in Echuca and finishes in Rochester, featuring nine sprints and three hill climbs.

New South Wales cyclist Pearson holds a 14-second GC lead over his West Australian teammate Giacoppo.

The SCODY Cup started with last month’s Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland and Budget Forklifts Tour of the Great South Coast.

Following the Murray tour, the $130,000 series – backed by Tourism Victoria – will conclude with the Caterpillar Underground Mining Tour of Tasmania (October 2-7).

1. Joel PEARSON (GEN) 1h49:59
2. Peter THOMPSON (DPC) +0
3. Luke OCKERBY (BFL) +0
4. James MCCOY (PBR) +0
5. Dean SANFILIPPO (JWC) +0
6. Fraser NORTHEY (SAS) +0
7. Jarryd JONES (MOI) +0
8. James BOAL (JWC) +0
9. Harry CARPENTER (SAS) +0
10. James HEPBURN (RMA) +0
11. Andrew CRAWLEY (GWR) +0
12. Campbell FLAKEMORE (GEN) +0
13. Peter LOFT (BFL) +6
14. Joseph COOPER (PBR) +16
15. Samuel WITMITZ (BFL) +16
16. Luke DAVISON (BFL) +16
17. Anthony GIACOPPO (GEN) +16
18. Ryan MACANALLY (BFL) +16
19. Malcolm RUDOLPH (DPC) +16
20. Bradeley HALL (PLB) +16
21. Stuart SHAW (DPC) +16
22. Patrick SHAW (GEN) +16
23. Alex WOHLER (TDU) +16
24. Alexander SMYTH (PLB) +16
25. Evan HULL (PAR) +20
26. Alex CARVER (GEN) +20
27. Joshua TAYLOR (GWR) +20
28. Taylor GUNMAN (PBR) +21
29. Brenton JONES (GEN) +21
30. Edward BISSAKER (JHS) +21
31. Miles SCOTSON (SAS) +21
32. Shaun MCCARTHY (BFL) +21
33. Amir RUSLI (DPC) +21
34. Aaron DONNELLY (JHS) +21
35. Luke PARKER (PAR) +21
36. Joshua HARRISON (SAS) +21
37. Alistair CRAMERI (SHC) +21
38. George TANSLEY (SAS) +21
39. Jacob KAUFFMANN (CHM) +21
40. Roman VAN UDEN (PBR) +21
41. Caleb JONES (GWR) +21
42. James RENDALL (SHC) +21
43. Stephen COUSINS (MOI) +21
44. Jayden COPP (TDU) +21
45. Cameron PETERSON (RMA) +21
46. Daniel NELSON (MOI) +21
47. Tyler SPURRELL (SHC) +21
48. Thomas PATTON (PAR) +21
49. Liam DOVE (PLB) +21
50. Oliver KENT-SPARK (JWC) +21
51. Wade EDWARDS (SHC) +21
52. Nicholas D’AMBROSIO (PAR) +21
53. Jack CUMMINGS (PAR) +21
54. Henry MORLEY (PLB) +21
55. Douglas FREEBURN (TDU) +21
56. Chris BEECK (PLB) +30
57. Gordon MCCAULEY (DPC) +30
58. Glenn O’SHEA (SAS) +30
59. Edward WHITE (GWR) +30
60. Steven DEL GALLO (JWC) +30
61. Kane WALKER (GEN) +30
62. Louis CROSBY (PBR) +30
63. Conor MURTAGH (CHM) +30
64. William DRAFFEN (TDU) +30
65. James BUTLER (JWC) +47
66. Blake HOSE (GEN) +1:02
67. Jay BOURKE (MOI) +1:20
68. Jake MAGEE (GWR) +1:32
69. Alex EDMONDSON (JHS) +5:51
70. Blair WINDSOR (BFL) +8:49

Average speed of the winner: 44.7 km/h
Number of starters: 70

General Classification after Stage 4
1. 2 Joel PEARSON (GEN) 4h53:27
2. 1 Anthony GIACOPPO (GEN) +14
3. 38 James MCCOY (PBR) +28
4. 3 Patrick SHAW (GEN) +32
5. 6 Campbell FLAKEMORE (GEN) +33
6. 85 James HEPBURN (RMA) +34
7. 43 Joshua TAYLOR (GWR) +34
8. 15 Peter THOMPSON (DPC) +34
9. 36 Joseph COOPER (PBR) +39
10. 34 Fraser NORTHEY (SAS) +40
11. 22 Samuel WITMITZ (BFL) +45
12. 23 Luke DAVISON (BFL) +48
13. 31 Miles SCOTSON (SAS) +49
14. 58 Jacob KAUFFMANN (CHM) +49
15. 25 Ryan MACANALLY (BFL) +50
16. 5 Alex CARVER (GEN) +51
17. 64 Alex WOHLER (TDU) +52
18. 53 Dean SANFILIPPO (JWC) +52
19. 14 Stuart SHAW (DPC) +53
20. 17 Amir RUSLI (DPC) +54
21. 50 James BOAL (JWC) +54
22. 32 Harry CARPENTER (SAS) +54
23. 26 Luke OCKERBY (BFL) +55
24. 24 Peter LOFT (BFL) +57
25. 44 Edward WHITE (GWR) +57
26. 16 Malcolm RUDOLPH (DPC) +58
27. 39 Roman VAN UDEN (PBR) +1:01
28. 77 Bradeley HALL (PLB) +1:02
29. 79 Chris BEECK (PLB) +1:04
30. 91 Edward BISSAKER (JHS) +1:05
31. 30 Joshua HARRISON (SAS) +1:06
32. 104 James RENDALL (SHC) +1:07
33. 8 Brenton JONES (GEN) +1:07
34. 20 Shaun MCCARTHY (BFL) +1:07
35. 84 Cameron PETERSON (RMA) +1:07
36. 45 Caleb JONES (GWR) +1:07
37. 78 Alexander SMYTH (PLB) +1:09
38. 73 Luke PARKER (PAR) +1:14
39. 72 Evan HULL (PAR) +1:14
40. 33 George TANSLEY (SAS) +1:15
41. 92 Aaron DONNELLY (JHS) +1:15
42. 102 Alistair CRAMERI (SHC) +1:15
43. 103 Wade EDWARDS (SHC) +1:15
44. 37 Taylor GUNMAN (PBR) +1:15
45. 52 Oliver KENT-SPARK (JWC) +1:15
46. 74 Thomas PATTON (PAR) +1:15
47. 97 Daniel NELSON (MOI) +1:15
48. 65 Jayden COPP (TDU) +1:15
49. 105 Tyler SPURRELL (SHC) +1:15
50. 80 Henry MORLEY (PLB) +1:15
51. 71 Jack CUMMINGS (PAR) +1:15
52. 67 Douglas FREEBURN (TDU) +1:15
53. 40 Louis CROSBY (PBR) +1:16
54. 12 Gordon MCCAULEY (DPC) +1:16
55. 29 Glenn O’SHEA (SAS) +1:23
56. 99 Stephen COUSINS (MOI) +1:30
57. 4 Kane WALKER (GEN) +1:36
58. 95 Jarryd JONES (MOI) +1:54
59. 51 James BUTLER (JWC) +2:10
60. 96 Jay BOURKE (MOI) +2:14
61. 54 Steven DEL GALLO (JWC) +2:34
62. 7 Blake HOSE (GEN) +2:56
63. 47 Andrew CRAWLEY (GWR) +3:18
64. 81 Liam DOVE (PLB) +4:19
65. 70 Nicholas D’AMBROSIO (PAR) +4:19
66. 46 Jake MAGEE (GWR) +6:55
67. 66 William DRAFFEN (TDU) +6:56
68. 57 Conor MURTAGH (CHM) +6:56
69. 90 Alex EDMONDSON (JHS) +6:58
70. 21 Blair WINDSOR (BFL) +9:03