Jayco Herald Sun Tour 2019 – Stage 1 [Highlights]

January 30, 2019

Jayco Herald Sun Tour 2019 – Stage 1 – Philip Island – Philip Island : 97,9 km

The Herald Sun Tour is ready to roll out for its 65th edition in Victoria from January 30 through February 3. The UCI 2.1 race began in 1952 as the first professional stage race in Victoria since the 1934 Centenary Thousand Classic, and it continues through this season with only a couple interruptions in the 67-year run. This year’s race features five stages that will take riders from Phillip Island on stage 1 to Melbourne on the final day. Along the way, the 2019 Herald Sun Tour will visit Wonthaggi, Churchill, Sale, Warragul, Cape Schanck and Arthurs Seat.

EF Education First’s Dan McLay won the opening stage of the 2019 Jayco Herald Sun Tour at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria, Australia, on Wednesday afternoon, beating Team Sky’s Kristoffer Halvorsen and EvoPro’s Wouter Wippert in a bunch sprint.

It was the British sprinter’s first win since taking a stage of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe in France last April, and he was quick to praise his EF Education First teammates for the work they did to set him up for victory and take the race’s first leader’s jersey.

“We always knew the finish was going to be difficult with the wind,” said McLay. “Mitch [Docker] came up to me during the race and said that if the wind doesn’t change, this is exactly how we’re going to do it, and we just did it exactly as he said.

“We weren’t going to take it on from the front,” he continued, “and in some ways it looks at the finish as though Mitch hasn’t done a lot, but actually he was pushing the wind on the left-hand side all the way around the last corner, while the other teams were using two guys, and then Tom Scully just launched me down the last straight, where my eyes were stronger than my legs: I took a gear too big, but just hung on to the line.”

How it unfolded

Compared to the women’s race, which had taken place on the same Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit earlier in the day, the wind had picked up significantly for the men’s event, although that didn’t stop Ayden Toovey (Team Bridgelane) going on the attack with later winner McLay’s EF teammate James Whelan and Team Sky’s Christian Knees.

The three riders skipped off the front of an originally larger, 20-rider group that got a gap on the opening lap of the 22-lap, 97.9km stage, but first Knees, and later Whelan, were called back to the bunch by their teams in an attempt to keep their powder a little drier for their squads’ GC hopes later in the race.

Toovey was nevertheless keen to push on alone, and was joined midway through the race by Karl Michelin-Beard (Oliver’s Real Food Racing) and Futuro-Maxxis’ Dylan Newbery, and the trio had a good gap of 2:20 over the main field with 10 laps to go, with the bunch being led – with no great urgency – by Richie Porte’s Trek-Segafredo squad.

With just over two laps to go – and the peloton closing fast – Michelin-Beard decided to leave his breakaway companions behind, although his efforts were short-lived. First Toovey and Newbery were swallowed up on the penultimate lap, and then Michelin-Beard’s day was also soon over.

The bunch were all together on the last lap, led by Wippert’s EvoPro Racing team and Mitchelton-Scott, and as the race approached the finish straight, a flurry of last-gasp efforts were quickly policed by Mitchelton.

Team Sky emerged at the front to try to set up their sprinter, Halvorsen, for the win, but it was McLay who came through fastest, pipping the Norwegian on the line, with Wippert taking third.

Thursday’s 127km second stage from Wonthaggi to Churchill hits the hills, with the day’s second and final climb featuring a 1.1km gravel section 12km from the end, before a downhill run to the line.

Results :
1 Daniel Mclay (GBr) EF Education First Pro Cycling 2:16:58
2 Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky
3 Wouter Wippert (Aus) EvoPro Racing
4 Theodore Yates (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic
5 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
6 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky
7 Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
8 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First Pro Cycling
9 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
10 Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First Pro Cycling
11 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
12 Owain Doull (Gbr) Team Sky
13 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky 0:00:04
14 Brenton Jones (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
15 Nicholas White (Aus) Team Bridgelane
16 Chris Harper (Aus) Team Bridgelane
17 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky
18 Craig Wiggins (Aus) St George Continental
19 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
20 Tom Mcfarlane (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
21 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Bridgelane
22 Alistair Donohoe (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
23 Jarlinson Pantano Gomez (Col) Trek-Segafredo
24 Hayden Mccormick (NZl) Team Bridgelane
25 Jason Lea (Aus) Team Bridgelane
26 Alex Frame (NZl) Trek-Segafredo
27 Ayden Toovey (Aus) Team Bridgelane
28 Daniel Whitehouse (Aus) EvoPro Racing
29 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
30 Aaron Gate (Aus) EvoPro Racing
31 Michael Vink (NZl) St George Continental
32 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo
33 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky
34 Jesse Featonby (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
35 Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling
36 Sam Jenner (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
37 Freddy Ovett (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
38 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
39 Michael Freiberg (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
40 Liam Magennis (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:00:12
41 Angus Lyons (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
42 Carter Turnbull (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
43 Corbin Strong (Aus) St George Continental
44 Ashley Mackay (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
45 Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
46 Jesse Ewart (Aus) Team Sapura Cycling
47 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) Team Sapura Cycling
48 Rudy Porter (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
49 Sebastian Presley (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
50 William Clarke (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
51 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
52 Nick Miller (NZl) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling
53 Michael Potter (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
54 Conor Murtagh (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
55 Ryan Cavanagh (Aus) St George Continental
56 Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
57 James Whelan (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling
58 Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
59 Oliver Martin (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic
60 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
61 Marcus Culey (Aus) Team Sapura Cycling
62 Neil Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Team Bridgelane
63 Liam White (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic
64 Nathan Elliot (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
65 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling
66 Patrick Burt (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:00:19
67 Karl Michelin-Beard (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
68 Timothy Cameron (Aus) St George Continental
69 Christopher Williams (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling
70 Benjamin Andrews (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
71 Rhys Robotham (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:00:21
72 Rowan Dever (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
73 Muhsin Al Redha Misbah (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling 0:00:24
74 Taj Jones (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:00:30
75 Jonathon Noble (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
76 Shane Archbold (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:00:41
77 Cyrus Monk (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:00:54
78 David Williams (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team 0:01:14
79 Tom Kaesler (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:01:33
80 Harrison Sweeny (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:01:34
81 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
82 Luke Mudgway (Aus) EvoPro Racing
83 Dylan Newbery (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:03:25
84 Carter Bettles (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:06:00
85 Thomas Hubbard (Aus) St George Continental
86 Cameron Layton (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling
87 Zachary Johnson (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:07:46
88 Thomas Coates (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:12:26
DNS Sebastian Berwick (Aus) St George Continental

General Classification after Stage 1 :
1 Daniel Mclay (GBr) EF Education First Pro Cycling 2:16:48
2 Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Sky 0:00:04
3 Wouter Wippert (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:00:06
4 Ayden Toovey (Aus) Team Bridgelane 0:00:08
5 Theodore Yates (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:00:10
6 Robert Stannard (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
7 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Sky
8 Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
9 Tom Scully (NZl) EF Education First Pro Cycling
10 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
11 Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First Pro Cycling
12 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
13 Owain Doull (Gbr) Team Sky
14 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky 0:00:12
15 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky 0:00:14
16 Brenton Jones (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
17 Nicholas White (Aus) Team Bridgelane
18 Chris Harper (Aus) Team Bridgelane
19 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky
20 Craig Wiggins (Aus) St George Continental
21 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
22 Tom Mcfarlane (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
23 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Team Bridgelane
24 Alistair Donohoe (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
25 Jarlinson Pantano Gomez (Col) Trek-Segafredo
26 Hayden Mccormick (NZl) Team Bridgelane
27 Jason Lea (Aus) Team Bridgelane
28 Alex Frame (NZl) Trek-Segafredo
29 Daniel Whitehouse (Aus) EvoPro Racing
30 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
31 Aaron Gate (Aus) EvoPro Racing
32 Michael Vink (NZl) St George Continental
33 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo
34 Jesse Featonby (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
35 Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling
36 Sam Jenner (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
37 Freddy Ovett (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
38 Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
39 Michael Freiberg (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
40 James Whelan (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling 0:00:21
41 Liam Magennis (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:00:22
42 Angus Lyons (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
43 Carter Turnbull (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
44 Corbin Strong (Aus) St George Continental
45 Ashley Mackay (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
46 Muhammad Zawawi Azman (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
47 Jesse Ewart (Aus) Team Sapura Cycling
48 Benjamin Dyball (Aus) Team Sapura Cycling
49 Rudy Porter (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
50 Sebastian Presley (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
51 William Clarke (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
52 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling
53 Nick Miller (NZl) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling
54 Michael Potter (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
55 Conor Murtagh (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
56 Ryan Cavanagh (Aus) St George Continental
57 Koen de Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
58 Sam Bewley (NZl) Mitchelton-Scott
59 Oliver Martin (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic
60 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Trek-Segafredo
61 Marcus Culey (Aus) Team Sapura Cycling
62 Neil Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Team Bridgelane
63 Liam White (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic
64 Nathan Elliot (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team
65 Mitchell Docker (Aus) EF Education First Pro Cycling
66 Karl Michelin-Beard (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing 0:00:27
67 Patrick Burt (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:00:29
68 Timothy Cameron (Aus) St George Continental
69 Christopher Williams (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling
70 Benjamin Andrews (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
71 Rhys Robotham (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:00:31
72 Rowan Dever (Aus) Oliver’s Real Food Racing
73 Muhsin Al Redha Misbah (Mas) Team Sapura Cycling 0:00:34
74 Taj Jones (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast 0:00:40
75 Jonathon Noble (Aus) Pro Racing Sunshine Coast
76 Shane Archbold (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:00:51
77 Cyrus Monk (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:01:04
78 David Williams (Aus) KordaMentha Australian Team 0:01:24
79 Tom Kaesler (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:01:43
80 Harrison Sweeny (Aus) EvoPro Racing 0:01:44
81 Callum Scotson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
82 Luke Mudgway (Aus) EvoPro Racing
83 Dylan Newbery (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:03:34
84 Carter Bettles (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:06:10
85 Thomas Hubbard (Aus) St George Continental
86 Cameron Layton (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling
87 Zachary Johnson (Aus) Drapac Cannondale Holistic 0:07:56
88 Thomas Coates (Aus) Futuro-Maxxis Pro Cycling 0:12:36