Photography by Troy Upfield (Feature), Con Chronis

Heinrich Haussler outsprints Caleb Ewan to win Australian national road race title

Haussler: "It's the best day of my life"

by Matt de Neef - January 11, 2015

Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) has won the elite men’s road race at the 2015 Australian National Road Championships, sprinting to victory ahead of Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge) and Neil van der Ploeg (Avanti) in a six-rider lead group.

Haussler was dropped from the lead group on the 3km-long Mount Buninyong climb on both of the last two laps, but fought his way back into contention on the top section of the course both times.

For Haussler, it was the perfect start to 2015 after several seasons of variable form.

“Since 2009 I’ve had ups and downs, ups and downs, coming back, getting down, getting up, getting down”, Haussler said. “This year during the winter I really built up, came out in December to Australia to get ready for Nationals and Down Under and things just have fallen into place.

“Seriously — it’s the best day of my life. I don’t know what to say. ”

The race-winning break was established on lap 14 of 18 when a flurry of attacks splintered the peloton on the step-like Mount Buninyong climb. A group of 16 riders emerged from the climb together, including Haussler, while Will Clarke (Drapac) and Pat Lane (African Wildlife Safaris) were together at the head of the race, roughly 40 seconds ahead.

Pat Lane attacked solo the following time up Mount Buninyong, leaving Will Clarke to drift back to the chase group. The next time up the climb, on lap 16 of 18, Lane was caught, creating a group of 17 riders at the head of affairs.

Over the following two laps the lead group would be whittled away while back in the peloton pre-race favourites like Cadel Evans (BMC) and Richie Porte (Sky) were seeing the race slip away from them.

Michael Hepburn (Orica-GreenEdge) attacked from the lead group of 17 on the penultimate time up Mount Buninyong, thinning the lead group down to just seven riders: Angus Morton (Jelly Belly), Hepburn, Caleb Ewan, Jack Bobridge (Budget Forklifts), Campbell Flakemore (BMC), Neil van der Ploeg (Avanti) and Sam Spokes (Drapac). Heinrich Haussler was dropped but managed to regain contact over the top, along with the winner of this race in 2007, Darren Lapthorne (Drapac), and his teammate Robbie Hucker.

The final time up Mount Buninyong it was Darren Lapthorne that played the aggressor. He attacked no fewer than three times but despite getting a good gap the first time, he was unable to make his moves count. Campbell Flakemore attacked as the top of the climb approached but he was marked by Caleb Ewan who then, in a move that surprised many onlookers, put in a big attack of his own.

The 20-year-old speedster got a sizeable gap as he began the flatter top section of the course with roughly 6km to go. Jack Bobridge was the first to bridge across to Ewan and the pair was joined a short time later by Flakemore, van der Ploeg, Morton and Spokes.

Haussler had again been distanced on the climb, but he soon made contact on the Fisken Road descent with a little more than 3km to race.

“I knew I had to pace myself on the climb”, Haussler said. “If I went over the limit I’d blow completely.”

In the closing kilometres Spokes, Flakemore, Morton and van der Ploeg all tried their hand at getting clear solo but nothing stuck, thanks largely to the efforts of Caleb Ewan. As the finish approached, the winner was certain to come from the lead group of six.

Ewan launched his sprint from the middle of the group with Haussler on his wheel. But it was Haussler, 10 years Ewan’s senior, that won the dash to the line, despite his chain coming off just as he crossed the line.

Haussler likened the sprint to that in the nail-biting finish to the Milan-San Remo in 2009 when he finished second behind Mark Cavendish.

“It was a really tough sprint and the lactic acid was just coming out my ears, just like back in San Remo”, Haussler said after the race. “[I was] pretty much just trying to get every little bit of energy into my legs that I had.

“Thank God the line came and I got there first. I couldn’t believe it.”

Neil van der Ploeg rolled in for third place, ahead of Flakemore, Spokes and then Bobridge, while Angus Morton was nine seconds behind in seventh. The peloton crossed the line 52 seconds later, led through by Adam Hansen (Lotto Soudal). Cadel Evans, in his last national championships, finished 11th.

Orica-GreenEdge sports director Matt White told CyclingTips that the race didn’t pan out as he thought it would, saying “it was quite a negative race”. He praised Caleb Ewan’s tenacity in attacking on the final climb but said the 20-year-old was outsmarted in the sprint.

“Caleb obviously felt really good and he was probably the strongest guy of the group”, White said. “[He started his sprint] a little early and Heinrich lined him up there. You make one little mistake at the end of a five hour race, and you pay for it.”

For Heinrich Haussler the 2015 race season continues next weekend with the Santos Tour Down Under before the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, the Tour of Qatar and then the European season.

“I want to go to Down Under now and win a stage there”, Haussler said. “Obviously that’s going to be hard but that’s a goal.

“Basically I just want to build ahead of the Classics. It may be one of the last years that San Remo is going to be a sprint before they put the bigger climbs into it, so definitely San Remo is the thing that’s been in the back of my mind.”

Haussler, a stage winner at the Tour de France, told CyclingTips earlier this week that he wouldn’t ride the French Grand Tour this year, saying “it’s just too much stress”.

The early action

A four-rider group came together in the early stages with Pat Shaw (Avanti), Cameron Peterson (Drapac), Rhys Gillett (ProTDU) and Paul van der Ploeg (CharterMason Giant) building a lead of 50 seconds by the end of the third lap. But it wasn’t until the fifth time up Mount Buninyong that the first substantial breakaway group came together.

Under the impetus of an aggressive Orica-GreenEdge, 11 riders got clear of the peloton on the climb before making their way across to join the four leaders on the road. The 15-rider group was well stocked with Drapac and Orica-GreenEdge riders and contained some big-name riders, including 2013 national road race and time trial champion Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge), Campbell Flakemore, 2011 winner of this race Jack Bobridge, eventual winner Heinrich Haussler, Bernie Sulzberger (Drapac), Will Clarke (Drapac), Pat Shaw, Lachlan Norris (Drapac) and Nathan Earle (Sky).

For the next six laps the 15-rider group built a lead that grew to as much as two minutes. Damian Howson attacked solo from the lead group on lap 10 and spent a lap out front on his own before being caught. The next to try his hand was Will Clarke, who got clear of the lead group on lap 11. On the following lap, the chase group appeared to sit up and were caught by the main field, leaving just Will Clarke ahead of the peloton.

Clarke forged on alone at the front of the race for a few laps, his lead reaching a maximum of just under two minutes. Pat Lane started making his way across to Clarke on lap 13 and made contact with the Drapac rider at the top of the Mount Buninyong KOM on lap 14.

As previously described, the race-winning move was coming a little further down the slopes of Mount Buninyong as a chase group formed behind Will Clarke.

Race results:

National Championships Australia - Road Race

: Buninyong > Buninyong

Sunday 11th January (2015)

Classification: NC

Category: Int. Men

Distance: 183.6km

1.	HAUSSLER Heinrich IAM Cycling	04:47:24
2.	EWAN Caleb Orica GreenEDGE	-
3.	VAN DER PLOEG Neil Avanti Racing Team	-
4.	FLAKEMORE Campbell BMC Racing Team	-
5.	SPOKES Samuel Drapac Professional Cycling	-
6.	BOBRIDGE Jack Team Budget Forklifts	-
7.	MORTON Angus Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis	0:09
8.	HANSEN Adam Lotto Soudal	0:48
9.	VON HOFF Steele NFTO	0:52
10.	CLARKE Simon Orica GreenEDGE	-
11.	EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team	-
12.	MEYER Travis Drapac Professional Cycling	-
13.	ANDERSON Jack Team Budget Forklifts	-
14.	BAYLY Cameron Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-
15.	DURBRIDGE Luke Orica GreenEDGE	-
16.	NORRIS Lachlan Drapac Professional Cycling	-
17.	KENT-SPARK Oliver Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-
18.	EARLE Nathan Team Sky	-
19.	CRAWFORD Jai Kinan Cycling Team	-
20.	DEMPSTER Zakkari Bora-Argon 18	-
21.	PHELAN Adam Drapac Professional Cycling	-
22.	PORTE Richie Team Sky	-
23.	TANNER David IAM Cycling	-
24.	CROSBIE Michael African Wildlife Safaris Cycling Team	-
25.	O\' BRIEN Mark Avanti Racing Team	-
26.	MC CONNELL Daniel Trek Factory Racing	-
27.	ROE Thimothy Drapac Professional Cycling	-
28.	MILOSTIC Peter	-
29.	MEYER Cameron Orica GreenEDGE	5:20
30.	GILLETT Rhys	-
31.	HEPBURN Michael Orica GreenEDGE	-
32.	DYBALL Benjamin Avanti Racing Team	-
33.	LANE Patrick African Wildlife Safaris Cycling Team	-
34.	LAPTHORNE Darren Drapac Professional Cycling	-
35.	MORTON Lachlan Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis	-
36.	LEWIS Joe Hincapie Racing Team	1:09
37.	HAYMAN Mathew Orica GreenEDGE	-
38.	GRIMSEY Stuart	-
39.	ELLIOTT Nathan H	2:38
40.	JUEL Kristian Team Budget Forklifts	-
41.	COPP Jayden Charter Mason Giant Racing Team	4:21
42.	WINN Chris	5:19
43.	HUCKER Robbie Drapac Professional Cycling	-
44.	ROGERS Michael Tinkoff - Saxo	-
45.	DOCKER Mitchell Orica GreenEDGE	-
46.	JOHNSTON Brendan	6:36
47.	LOVELOCK-FAY Mitchell Avanti Racing Team	-
48.	PETERSON Cameron Drapac Professional Cycling	-
49.	WURF Cameron	-
50.	CANTY Brendan Team Budget Forklifts	6:43
51.	CALABRIA Fabio Champion System - Stan\'s No Tubes	9:13
52.	BROWN Graeme Drapac Professional Cycling	-
53.	CLARKE William Drapac Professional Cycling	-
54.	KERBY Jordan Drapac Professional Cycling	-
55.	SULZBERGER Bernard Drapac Professional Cycling	-
56.	ENGLAND Michael	-
57.	ROBINSON Thomas	-
DNF.	FOOT Ali	-
DNF.	FREY Dane	-
DNF.	FETCH Luke	-
DNF.	MELVILLE David Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	FRASER Cameron	-
DNF.	DOUGLAS Callan	-
DNF.	EVANS David	-
DNF.	DAVISON Luke Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	DEVER Rowan	-
DNF.	DAVIES Jordan	-
DNF.	TAYLOR Joshua Charter Mason Giant Racing Team	-
DNF.	BENSLEY Nick	-
DNF.	WHITE Edward	-
DNF.	WILLIAMS Marc Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	WATTS Aaron	-
DNF.	SPURRELL Tyler Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	WALKER Kane Navitas Satalyst Racing team	-
DNF.	WALSH Joel	-
DNF.	TUPALSKI Mark	-
DNF.	VERSTEEGE Adam	-
DNF.	TOBIN Angus Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-
DNF.	BALLHAUSE Kenneth	-
DNF.	CRIDLAND Luke	-
DNF.	CUNNINGHAM Steve	-
DNF.	PRETE Joshua Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis	-
DNF.	RISCHMUELLER Thomas	-
DNF.	RIZZUTO Matthew	-
DNF.	RUGENDYKE David	-
DNF.	SATCHELL Allan	-
DNF.	SMITH Stuart Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-
DNF.	SMYTH Alexander African Wildlife Safaris Cycling Team	-
DNF.	GREGORY Declan	-
DNF.	GATLAND Nick	-
DNF.	HUMBERT Dylan Pierre	-
DNF.	PICKERING Andrew	-
DNF.	PARKER David	-
DNF.	CASEY Peter	-
DNF.	COTTRELL Ryan	-
DNF.	BUTLER James	-
DNF.	BOYS Matt	-
DNF.	JOHNSON Shannon Charter Mason Giant Racing Team	-
DNF.	IACUONE Alan	-
DNF.	GIACOPPO Anthony Avanti Racing Team	-
DNF.	NANKERVIS Tommy Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	PAPASTAVROS Christopher	-
DNF.	BRIDGWOOD Kyle Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	FAGG Mark	-
DNF.	DENNIS Rohan BMC Racing Team	-
DNF.	FULLER Christopher	-
DNF.	HOWSON Damien Orica GreenEDGE	-
DNF.	JONES Brenton Drapac Professional Cycling	-
DNF.	LAKE Sean African Wildlife Safaris Cycling Team	-
DNF.	RUDOLPH Malcolm Drapac Professional Cycling	-
DNF.	MACANALLY Ryan Charter Mason Giant Racing Team	-
DNF.	SHAW Stuart Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-
DNF.	SHAW Patrick Avanti Racing Team	-
DNF.	DONNELLY Aaron	-
DNF.	VAN DER PLOEG Paul	-
DNF.	BONAIL Frederick	-
DNF.	EVERS Craig Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	MULHERN Mitchell Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	SQUILLARI Nicholas Francesco	-
DNF.	JACOBS Julian	-
DNF.	ALLEN Adam Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	TALBOT Brodie Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	BERRY Josh Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	BOLTON Jonathan Navitas Satalyst Racing team	-
DNF.	BLAIR Andrew	-
DNF.	SUNDERLAND Scott Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	STRACHAN Joel Navitas Satalyst Racing team	-
DNF.	MAGEE Jake Charter Mason Giant Racing Team	-
DNF.	MCCARTHY Liam	-
DNF.	MCDONALD Cameron	-
DNF.	MCLEAN David	-
DNF.	GUY Timothy Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-
DNF.	STACK Chris	-
DNF.	STEWART Lachlan	-
DNF.	O\' SULLIVAN Callum Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNF.	O\' SHEA Glenn Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	WITMITZ Sam Team Budget Forklifts	-
DNF.	LEWIS Shaun	-
DNF.	LEONARD Matthew Navitas Satalyst Racing team	-
DNF.	MUNRO David	-
DNF.	HAMBLETT Brad	-
DNF.	HAWKER Ashley	-
DNF.	HILL Benjamin Charter Mason Giant Racing Team	-
DNF.	HUTTON Craig	-
DNF.	IRVINE Saxon	-
DNF.	IVORY Cameron	-
DNF.	JONES Luke	-
DNF.	KEENE Lucien	-
DNF.	KIERNAN Matthias	-
DNS.	BRYANT Andrew	-
DNS.	CUPITT Michael Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNS.	SULZBERGER Wesley Navitas Satalyst Racing team	-
DNS.	CHAMBERS Tyson African Wildlife Safaris Cycling Team	-
DNS.	MOWATT James Data#3 Symantec team	-
DNS.	LEE Christopher	-
DNS.	OCKERBY Luke Health.com.au-search2retain Cycling Team	-

Tags: 2015 Australian Road Nationals, Caleb Ewan, Heinrich Haussler

Mason

Haussler managed to throw his chain off right at the end
guest

and still win
Sean

Damn check out Haussler’s chain! that was the only part of todays ride that was lucky, he rode with a cool head, picked the dangerous breaks and used his experience to manage himself the last 2 times up the climb. What a champion!

I’ve been to every one of these races at Ballarat and this was easily the best of the lot :-)
- jules
  
  as Robbie McEwen said, Ewan lost it when he decided to lead out the headwind sprint from so far out. experience won that race
CB

Fantastic racing, Ewan rode an almost perfect race once on his own. Of course it helps to have the form he has currently. Haussler though, after so much bad luck, is a highly deserving champion. Honourable mention to Lapthorne, attacking four times the last time up the hill was very brave, not to mention very strong.
- Steel
  
  Agreed. Amazing to watch Ewan ride like the favourite in his first National RR Championship. He was fantastic in covering every move on that last lap. Just a small error in the sprint was the difference between second and first.
  
  Hausler - showing that in addition to strength, luck plays a massive part. He just got back on the end of the bunch after being dropped on the climb. But he was the fastest sprinter (after Ewan) and showed he had the smarts to go at the right time.
  
  So good to see Spokes, Ewan and Flakemore in that grouping. Looks of talent coming through the ranks.
  - jules
    
    it wasn’t pure luck for Haussler to bridge back up after getting dropped. he says he deliberately allowed himself to get dropped, believing he could bridge back up on the descent. i’ve done it in races. it can be risky (if you can’t catch back up) but it’s calculated.
MattF

In response to Matt White - I don’t think the blokes in the breakaway (two OGE included) would have regarded that a ‘quite a negative race’. Sore loser? Made for great viewing.
- Sean
  
  Perhaps it was a bit negative, I dunno his blokes just didn’t have the same legs as previous years. That said Ewan, Howson and Heppy all rode awesomely, the rest probably wasted their entry money? :-P
  - Sean
    
    Doper white….awesome. Perhaps they needed more dope? Dopers shouldn’t be calling out riders for riding negatively, especially if they’re not on dope like the doper caller outter is.
    
    CT can you please bad this freaky looking ‘white’ chap from your reports?
    - Sean
      
      I meant to say ‘ban’ not ‘bad’….. sorry. I’m doped to a white level on grape juice right now.
      - Sean
        
        Big ears whitey wasn’t ever an ace rider, like those he’s calling out for being clean by negative riders.
        
        #banbigears.
        #bandrugdeformity
        
        #banwhitestyleBS
- Sackville Baggins
  
  It was a fantastic race and it ended with a superb display of experience (and legs) by the classy Haussler. Best of luck to him this season.
  
  Matt White is the Stephen Dank of Australian cycling, the only difference being he somehow kept his job after being caught… err, twice (1.USPS > 2. Sending riders to Dr Del Moral).
  - Sean
    
    “Matt White is the Stephen Dank of Australian cycling”
    
    Yeah most of us can’t beleive the ugly bastard still has a job, obviously seems like corrupt elements still exist in the sport. I’d like to know what more about - the why.
    
    Dave, shane and CT - what do you reckon?
    - Roger
      
      I reckon they’ll think your abusive language does no favours for your argument.
    - MattF
      
      It’s time to make a call on the continuing presence of malign DSs such as Vinokourov, White and Riis in pro cycling. Let’s hope the CIRC has something far reaching to say about these people. In the meantime, why do responsible cycling journalists give them oxygen?
      - Cosmo
        
        Fair enough for White and Riis, but Vinokourov, he’s still active in this whole scene. That and his refusal to fully confess is hard to stomach in the current climate.
        
        42x16ss
        
        Sounds very similar to a certain Neil Stephens I think….
        
        JK
        
        I know!!! The guy seems to be Teflon coated… Everyone seems to love glossing over his time and “transformation” at Festina.
      - Winky
        
        Agree. I don’t want to hear or read comments from White, or any other cheat. I want them gone from the sport for good. (Meant this to be a reply to MattF, not Sean)
    - Ralph
      
      Any thoughts CT? I mean we wish OGE all the best but what are they doing with this guy?
    - Craig
      
      And what about Niel Stephens??? He is just as much on the nose as far as I am concerned.
- Dave
  
  If the EPO-GE director thought it was negative, why didn’t he do something to make it more positive?
  
  Perhaps he should hire some riders who are capable of thinking for themselves in races where there is no team radio for him to tell them how to race!
  - growuptrolls
    
    Woops! I thought I was at cyclingtips, but must have accidentally logged into cyclingnews!
Michele

A sprinter came second in the National RR?

Wonder if Mr Renshaw has second thoughts about boycotting the race due to the parcours??
- Billy
  
  LOL reshaw moving along.
- jules
  
  renshaw can’t climb like Ewan. makes Haussler’s win all the more impressive though
  - Michele
    
    Agree Jules.
    
    And though I think the race should be moved around every know and then - which is want Renshaw suggested, I still think it was petty to boycott the race whilst it’s at Buninyong.
    - Dave
      
      Every second or third year there, and the other years rotated between the other states perhaps?
      
      How about awarding it like the Eurovision Song Contest where the winner hosts the next event? Randomly select one of the events before the championships start, and award hosting rights to the home state of the winning rider.
  - Mark
    
    Kind of the point isn’t it…
- craig
  
  1st an 2nd actually!
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Robbie McEwan won on this course in 2005 after Nathan O’Neill dragged him around in a 2 man breakaway to the finish. But that’s another story…
  - Michele
    
    Wade, I’m pretty sure you mean 2002. The 2005 championships were in Adelaide.
    
    But yes, you’re right, that race is a completely different story :)
  - JJ
    
    Yes, definitely another story, for another time perhaps…? I’m sure Robbie’s version is probably twisted like much of those in his book now though, so biased and now unquestioned/unverified it becomes “the truth”…hmmm
http://subcontinentalcyclist.wordpress.com/ Ankush Agarwal

This is huge!!! Congratulations to Haussler.
- Rex
  
  No according to Matt Dank.
TimHally

Fantastic race. Deserved winner. Massive ride from gus morton too.
- Sean
  
  Couldn’t agree more!
Craig

Great result for ‘Nudge’….umm I mean Heinrich couldn’t be happier for him.
Winky

“Sammy Spokes”? A cyclist? You’re kidding me. That’s up there with Scott Speed and Will Power, the race-car drivers.

Nice win for HH. I guess it was Ewan’s to lose once he was in the final bunch. Experience won out, it seems.
- Dave
  
  A couple of years ago the Giro d’Italia was won by a bloke named Ryder…
sam

Any idea why there is a non-australian in the Aus Nats race??? Rider finished #40 in above list from Budget Forklifts
Can other countrymen enter the nats races? Seems odd
- Dave
  
  I understand that he is a resident here and races on an Australian license, and is therefore eligible.
  
  It would seem it doesn’t go the other way though, Michael Rogers has been rumoured to be riding on a license issued in another country for a number of years but is still able to enter national championship events.
  
  Until just a few years ago, the road national championship events were open, and the men’s road race was won by a Brit one time. The track nationals are still open events.
- jules
  
  he does most of his training here and CA decided a few years ago that anyone who can put up with aussie drivers that much can get a start in the roadnats
- echidna_sg
  
  He rides with an AUS UCI licence… AUS19920205
  
  check it out if you don’t believe…
  - Dave
    
    The UCI website has him shown as DEN19920205.
    
    Not the first case of a Danish cyclist having multiple racing licenses!
l’orca della GPM

Hey CT I just want to stress that I no longer ride for African wildlife safaris. I ride for ProTDU
Cheers
Rhys
- http://cyclingtips.com.au Matt de Neef
  
  Thanks Rhys, I’ve fixed that up.
Ralph

What’s with all the DNFs?
- jules
  
  they close the course for presos. there’s no finisher’s medal
- Dave
  
  At the start/finish line on every lap, riders who are more than ten minutes behind (i.e. about two thirds of the lap time) the leaders get pwned by a bloke with a red flag, even if it’s the start of the final lap and it’s impossible to get lapped. You’re not allowed to get so far behind that you’ll probably get lapped, and the same happens at all big one day events on circuits like the World Championships, the Olympics and so on.
  
  It’s different for circuit events which are part of stage races, where riders behind by a lap must be allowed to complete the full distance. I’m a pedestrian crossing marshal at the TDU and this is the nightmare scenario for us with regards to safely running the event, after the chaos of the Stirling circuit last time Cav was here, on the final day in 2013 we were all quite glad when Andy Schleck got sick of it and nicked off back to the hotel once the peleton was only a minute ‘behind’ him on the road and catching him fast.
  
  In the 2013 men’s national road race at Buninyong, the early break got such a lead that the whole peleton was within 30 seconds of getting taken out if they didn’t increase the pace - primarily because OGE correctly thought it was the winning move and they were not going to chase down their own man Durbridge.
  
  It went even close with the 2010 world championship road race at Geelong, the first time ever that the event had a point-to-point segment (from Melbourne) before entering the circuit. If the peleton had given the early breakaway just a minute more, they would all have been blocked from entering the circuit and the remaining 175km would have been contested by the five man leading group and a sole chaser - and it would have doomed the concept of riding a point-to-point segment before entering the circuit to be a one-off experiment for the World Championships.
  - Ralph
    
    Thanks Dave - good to know, and good yarns
    - Dave
      
      You should volunteer to get involved behind the scenes with your local cycling events. You’ll learn that there’s so much more going on than just the leading couple of groups that the cameras follow.
      
      I’m proud to be a part of running the TDU in even a small part. The organisers get a few things wrong from time to time (e.g. the Cav open road incident at Stirling, not having a plan for escorting Andy Schleck around his final lap if he hadn’t bailed out) but they also learn from it each time and come back better - which is more than can be said for race organisers in a certain boot-shaped European country.
  - Roger
    
    Wow. This could be an article. Well done. Good Read.
  - paolo
    
    Thanks for the infos. I doubt they would have taken the bunch out in Geelong. I know what the rules say, but i still doubt they wouldn’t have bend it as far as necessary for the main peloton 170km before the finish of a world championship.
    - Dave
      
      They did bend it as far as necessary, the gap was well over 90% of the lap length when a gap of 60-80% is usually the disqualification point for a road race on the circuit.
      
      Any closer and the peleton would have lost their support cars until they clawed back some time to open the gap on the leaders.
      - Abdu
        
        That was a p1sser, because the lead bunch was made up of ‘nobodys’, to be honest. Probably one person had heard of Matt Brammeier of Ireland, but the lead bunch included (I think) a Venezuelan, a Moroccan , Columbian, and ?. If they had lapped the field, it would have been an amazing (boring) finale on that circuit…
        
        Dave
        
        If it happened, I agree that it would have been very boring for the spectators!
        
        It also would have been a just reward for the leaders who dared to race positively, an almighty kick in the teeth for Matt White and his fellow proponents of negative racing, and potentially the game changer that the world of cycling needed (and needs even more now) to make racing interesting again and stop the exodus of sponsors.