Victorian Calvin Watson celebrated his 20th birthday in the best possible fashion, becoming the youngest ever winner in 60 editions of Australia’s oldest stage race, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
Riding for Jayco – VIS Apollo after he was cut from the national under-23 squad at the end of last season, Watson was “fuelled by a bit of anger” as he overcame a 14 second deficit to overnight leader Aaron Donnelly to claim the win in the 93km Searoad Ferries final stage up Arthurs Seat on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Watson finished 21st on the stage, but was a crucial 49 seconds ahead of Donnelly who battled gallantly in 29th spot to hold on to second place overall, with New Zealand’s Josh Atkins, in third place overnight, fading to finish in 40th spot, 1min 15sec behind Watson, but good enough to fill the final place on the overall podium in third.
The stage was won by Donnelly’s teammate Nathan Earle, with the 24-year-old Tasmanian given the imprimatur of his Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisors team to chase the win once it became clear that the yellow jersey had slipped through the team’s grasp.
The first four riders in the overall standings are under-23, underlying the growing band of Australian and New Zealand riders hungry for success at this level.
Riding his first ever ‘Sun Tour’, twice weekly training rides on the punishing climb at Arthurs Seat were hailed as the secret behind Watson’s success. Based in Frankston, just 15km from the finish line, punishing motor pacing sessions up the mountain the recipe for the win.
“This is my backyard and you couldn’t ask for a better place to train. I knew the climb back-to-front and I knew where I could ease off and where I had to really dig deep and I knew every corner and that really played into our hands,” Watson said.
“We knew we had to put Donnelly under pressure so we raced for the win and that was our tactic and it paid of in the end because we got to the bottom (of the first climb) and Donnelly and Josh were straight out the back. We knew we had to race aggressive in the wind so it paid off.”
Watson came ready to race after three months of dedicated preparation with VIS coach Dave Sanders, keen to show the national program coaches he was worthy of a spot on the Australian under 23 squad.
“I was fuelled by a bit of anger and disappointment at being left out of the national program, so I’m happy I can show I’m a real force in Australian cycling,” Watson said.
“We came here as underdogs and we really showed the guys we weren’t here to mess around and the boys did a phenomenal job to look after me today and without them this victory wasn’t possible.”
Watson said he couldn’t believe he was going to win until the finish line.
“When we started climbing Arthurs Seat and I looked back and Josh was out of sight, that’s when I really knew that I had to suffer those last few kilometres to make it happen.”
Earle got to the lead in the final kilometre and attacked to take the stage win after a pulsating final 30minutes of racing that took in two climbs of Arthurs Seat.
“The crowd’s amazing up here and it’s a stage that suited me. The plan was to look after Aaron to the base of the climb, and keep him in the best shape we could. When we got to the climb I was told just to follow not attack, the first and second time, just follow.”
“It’s been a very successful tour for the team. It would have been nice to win, but we did everything we could. To get two stage wins, a second in the prologue, second overall and the sprinters jersey, it’s been a good week,” Earle said.
Donnelly said he did all he could.
“I left everything out there, I rode my heart out. The boys were awesome and I couldn’t do anything more, I was beaten by a better man on the day.”
Donnelly began the day with a slender 14 second lead over Watson, with Atkins a further three seconds adrift. The star-studded Jayco Australian team had two riders poised to pounce in Simon Gerrans and Simon Clarke, both 2mins 45sec behind the lead.
As expected reigning champion Nathan Haas (Jayco Australian Team) went on a small attack early in the race to take the points in the first Budget Forklift King of the Mountain to secure the polka dot jersey.
Shortly following, the first major breakaway took a stab at stealing the race. A group of 14, including Australian stalwart Stuart O’Grady, New Zealander James Oram, and Bernard Sulzberger (Drapac Cycling) settling off the front.
The break established a maximum lead of 1min 47sec at 60km before an active peloton began to break it down.
Neil Van Der Ploeg (Search2Retain) took out the Hec Sutherland Memorial Sprint, named in honour of the 1954 Sun Tour champion following his passing. The win put Van Der Ploeg equal on points with Donnelly for the Grays Online Green Sprinters jersey, a classification Donnelly ended up winning on count back.
Whilst it’s the yellow jersey he’ll covet forever, for his efforts, Watson was also the winner of Victoria’s best under-23 rider.
Race Results
Jayco Herald Sun Tour (2013) - Stage 3 Final
1 Nathan Earle (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 2:18:42
2 Dan McConnell (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:00:07
3 Mark O’Brien (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:00:09
4 Simon Clarke (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team 0:00:16
5 Wil Walker (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:00:17
6 Marc Williams (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts
7 Simon Yates (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0:00:20
8 James Oram (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team
9 Bradley Linfield (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team
10 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Cycling
11 Campbell Flakemore (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team
12 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team
13 Robbie Hucker (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:00:45
14 Pat Shaw (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:00:51
15 Cal Britten (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:00:53
16 Alex Clements (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team
17 Michael Crosbie (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing 0:00:55
18 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo
19 Patrick Lane (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo
20 Jack Anderson (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts
21 Calvin Watson (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo
22 Jason Spencer (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing
23 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:00:58
24 Brendan Johnston (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:01:38
25 Richard Handley (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT
26 Neil Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:01:43
27 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Drapac Cycling
28 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:01:46
29 Aaron Donnelly (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers
30 Jack Beckinsale (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team
31 Jay Bourke (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team
32 Jasper Ockeloen (Ned) Pro Team Down Under
33 Chris Jory (Aus) GPM Data #3
34 Mathew Marshall (NZl) Pro Team Down Under
35 Adam Phelan (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team
36 Oliver Kent Spark (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team
37 Edward Laverack (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT 0:01:53
38 Jai Crawford (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:01:55
39 Karl Evans (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:02:04
40 Josh Atkins (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:02:10
41 Shaun McCarthy (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts
42 Thomas Palmer (Aus) Drapac Cycling
43 Tom Leaper (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing 0:02:20
44 Nathan Elliott (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team 0:02:21
45 Andrew Roe (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:02:30
46 Mike Northey (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:02:38
47 Sam Horgan (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts 0:02:53
48 Alex Edmonson (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:03:00
49 Stuart Smith (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:03:08
50 Richard Lang (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0:04:00
51 Nathan Haas (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team
52 Greg Henderson (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team
53 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:05:01
54 Damien Howson (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team
55 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team
56 Joseph Lewis (Aus) GPM Data #3 0:05:14
57 Sam Rutherford (Aus) GPM Data #3 0:05:53
58 Jake McMahon (Aus) Team Polygon Australia
59 Ben Grenda (Aus) Team Polygon Australia 0:06:20
60 Sam Witmitz (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:07:43
61 Luke Davison (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness
62 Michael Cupitt (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts
63 Jack Matthews (Aus) Team Polygon Australia 0:09:00
64 Alexander Malone (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team
65 Ryan MacAnally (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing
66 Rico Rogers (NZl) Search2retain / health.com.au
67 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au
68 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager
69 Edward White (Aus) GPM Data #3
70 Sam McCallum (Aus) Team Polygon Australia
71 Nick Woods (Aus) Pro Team Down Under
72 Rhys Pollock (Aus) Drapac Cycling
73 Westley Gough (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team
74 Tom Scully (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:09:04
76 Graham Briggs (GBr) Great Britain National Team
77 Thomas Hamilton (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo 0:12:17
78 Sam Spokes (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo
79 Julian Dean (NZl) Jayco VIS Apollo
80 Alexander Smythe (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team
81 Shannon Johnson (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing
82 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team
83 Peter Smith (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team 0:22:53
DNF Matthew Goss (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team
DNF Michael Cuming (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT
DNF Rowan Dever (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team
DNF Thomas Donald (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au
DNF Jayden Copp (Aus) Pro Team Down Under
DNF Henry Morley (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team
DNF David Kelly (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing
DNF Robert John McCartney (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness
FINAL GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 Calvin Watson (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo 10:16:55
2 Aaron Donnelly (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:00:37
3 Josh Atkins (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:01:18
4 Bradley Linfield (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team 0:01:31
5 Nathan Earle (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:01:34
6 Wil Walker (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:01:40
7 Simon Clarke (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team 0:01:52
8 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team 0:01:56
9 James Oram (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:02:03
10 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:02:06
11 Mark O’Brien (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness
12 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:02:28
13 Robbie Hucker (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:02:41
14 Jack Anderson (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:02:42
15 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo 0:02:44
16 Alex Clements (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team 0:02:49
17 Jason Spencer (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing 0:02:53
18 Cal Britten (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:02:55
19 Patrick Lane (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo 0:03:02
20 Adam Phelan (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team 0:03:21
21 Oliver Kent Spark (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team 0:03:39
22 Jai Crawford (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:03:50
23 Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:03:51
24 Jasper Ockeloen (Ned) Pro Team Down Under 0:03:56
25 Shaun McCarthy (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:04:25
26 Richard Lang (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0:06:00
27 Richard Handley (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT 0:06:02
28 Mathew Marshall (NZl) Pro Team Down Under 0:06:25
29 Nathan Elliott (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team 0:06:49
30 Joseph Cooper (NZl) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:06:57
31 Sam Rutherford (Aus) GPM Data #3 0:08:01
32 Simon Yates (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0:08:12
33 Marc Williams (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:08:20
34 Jack Beckinsale (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team 0:08:23
35 Luke Davison (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:08:45
36 Chris Jory (Aus) GPM Data #3 0:08:47
37 Joseph Lewis (Aus) GPM Data #3 0:09:36
38 Thomas Palmer (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:09:54
39 Mike Northey (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:10:21
40 Tom Leaper (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing
41 Alexander Malone (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team 0:10:29
42 Karl Evans (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:12:07
43 Damien Howson (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team 0:12:47
44 Stuart Smith (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:14:11
45 Jay Bourke (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team 0:14:15
46 Nathan Haas (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team 0:14:34
47 Tom Scully (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:14:37
48 Ben Grenda (Aus) Team Polygon Australia 0:16:15
49 Edward Laverack (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT 0:17:18
50 Rico Rogers (NZl) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:17:26
51 Sam Witmitz (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:18:35
52 Greg Henderson (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:19:38
53 Edward White (Aus) GPM Data #3 0:19:49
54 Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:19:52
55 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team 0:20:13
56 Westley Gough (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team 0:21:06
57 Pat Shaw (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 0:21:26
58 Michael Cupitt (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:22:52
59 Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team 0:23:43
60 Brendan Johnston (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:25:03
61 Andrew Roe (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:25:57
62 Thomas Hamilton (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo 0:28:13
63 Sam Horgan (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts 0:30:01
64 Campbell Flakemore (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team 0:31:31
65 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:33:16
66 Michael Crosbie (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing 0:36:30
67 Dan McConnell (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:36:56
68 Sam McCallum (Aus) Team Polygon Australia 0:40:35
69 Rhys Pollock (Aus) Drapac Cycling 0:41:07
70 Graham Briggs (GBr) Great Britain National Team 0:42:22
71 Alex Edmonson (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness 0:44:07
72 Neil Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au 0:46:00
73 Nick Woods (Aus) Pro Team Down Under 0:48:27
74 Stuart Shaw (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager 0:50:25
75 Jack Matthews (Aus) Team Polygon Australia 0:50:41
76 Sam Spokes (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo 0:51:36
77 Julian Dean (NZl) Jayco VIS Apollo 0:51:45
78 Jake McMahon (Aus) Team Polygon Australia 1:03:30
79 Ryan MacAnally (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing 1:06:53
80 Alexander Smythe (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team 1:09:54
81 Shannon Johnson (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing 1:10:06
82 Peter Smith (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team 1:30:35
