Thought this would just be an epilogue on Bobridge eloping with Julie Bishop.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Info | The NRS story goes into it's sixth season! We will follow the timeline and move on to the 2018 campaign, while our focus will now turn to a specific rider (who will be revealed soon). Of course we will cover the whole NRS season though. Opposing to the previous couple of seasons, I won't go for a 100% real schedule and startlists. This way, we can have a bigger calendar.
Some may know that I started running this story with PCM12 and continued with PCM13. I'll provide some relevant links here and then.
KEAGAN GIRDLESTONE BACK FROM DEAD TO RACE THE NRS THIS YEAR
Professional cyclist Keagan Girdlestone carries two very visible legacies of the cycling accident that claimed his life — before he claimed it right back.
There's the two long, intersecting scars on his throat, a permanent reminder of the moment he smashed through the back window of his support car during a world pro tour race in Italy less than a year ago.
The other legacy is the tattoo emblazoned on his left forearm of a wooden cross, a cycling helmet and glasses. It also bears the date and the location of the accident: June 5, 2017, Rimini.
This was the time and place when Girdlestone died. It was also the time and place when he came back to life.
"They'd tweeted at the time that I had died because of how much blood I lost," Girdlestone said. "I went for two and a half hours without oxygen to the brain. That's what the doctors told me. I needed about eight pints of blood, which is about your whole body's supply. And I went into cardiac arrest on the operating table. Apart from that, I only remember feeling hot liquid — blood — running down my neck when the accident happened."
In a few days, Girdlestone will complete his remarkable resurrection when he will compete in the NRS season opening 4-days-event Tour de Perth, his first professional race since the accident.
Girdlestone, who will turn 21 in April, had his breakthrough year back in 2016, when he rode his first NRS season as a 19 year old. The gifted climber (finishing 16th overall in the NRS eventually) proved his talent, when he rode to a magnificent solo victory in one of the toughest mountain stages of the year: the Mount Warning summit finish on the first day of the Battle on the Borders. While he missed out on the GC victory eventually (finishing a strong 3rd), Girdlestone had made his first real impression as a professional.
The climber obviously won't aim for such results this season: being back on the bike is probably the biggest win of his still young career. But we will surely follow his comeback closely: Girdlestone will attempt to ride an almost full NRS calendar with Team Ultra Racing (Pineli Powerstream). A new team in the NRS, that will put no pressure on results in it's premier season.
It’s official: there will be a National Road Series in 2018. And we now have a list of events and dates for the NRS that begins already in March, with the return of the Tour de Perth kicking off a more packed NRS schedule than we had last year (where only seven events could be run eventually): the NRS has had some halcyon times and then it had a little bit of a low ebb recently. It feels like there’s reason to be optimistic about what’s coming up this year.
The schedule is strong in numbers and opposing to last year's 27 race days for the men's competition, we now have a confirmed number of 55 race days for the upcoming 2018 campaign. 15 events instead of last year's 7, that's certainly good news for the series, that will also feature several Continental licensed teams again.
The already mentioned Tour de Perth, the Adelaide Tour, Toowoomba and the Battle of the Border (now called Battle Recharge) were cancelled or postponed last season, but are now back on the calendar. The same goes for the sprinter friendly Tour of the Murray River, that hasn't been held since 2015. Another comeback race: Goulburn to Citi (formerly known as Goulburn to Sydney, with the last edition held in 2014).
With the addition of two more races (known for great Fondo events) - Amy's Otway Tour (2 stages) and the season concluding one day classic Giro della Donna - the NRS season looks set for one of it's best seasons ever:
NRS Calendar #NRS18
#1 Tour de Perth March 26th - March 29th | Western Australia
4 Stages |
#2 Adelaide Tour April 9th - April 12th | South Australia
4 Stages |
#3 Tour of the Murray River May 1st - May 7th | Victoria
6 Stages |
#4 Grafton to Inverell May 12th | New South Wales
227km |
#5 Tour of Toowoomba May 21st - May 25th | Queensland
5 Stages |
#6 Battle Recharge July 27th - July 31st | New South Wales
5 Stages |
#7 Tour of the Great South Coast August 10th - August 14th | Victoria
7 Stages |
#8 Tour of the King Valley August 21st - August 23rd | Victoria
4 Stages |
#9 Amy's Otway Tour September 1st - September 2nd | Victoria
2 Stages |
#10 National Capital Tour September 15th - September 18th | ACT
4 Stages |
#11 Tour of Gippsland October 9th - October 13th | Victoria
5 Stages |
#12 Melbourne to Warrnambool October 17th | Victoria
270km |
#13 Goulburn to Citi October 25th | New South Wales
169km |
#14 Tour of Tasmania November 14th - November 19th | Tasmania
5 Stages |
#15 Giro della Donna November 24th | Victoria
104km |
The Tour de Perth is back on the schedule: 2014 NRS winner Nathan Earle on the picture above
The Tour of Toowoomba is another event, that has made it's way back into the NRS schedule. Surely great news for the series..
Opposing to the Tour of Tasmania, that has become the most iconic and prestigious NRS stage race. The challenging terrain will once again be featured as a key event late in the season.
Last year's sell-out Gran Fondo event - the Giro della Donna - will conclude the season with a mountainous one day classic!
Tour de Perth | Adelaide Tour | Tour of the Murray River
Grafton to Inverell | Tour of Toowoomba | Battle Recharge
Tour of the Great South Coast | Tour of the King Valley | Amy's Otway Tour
National Capital Tour | Tour of Gippsland | Melbourne to Warrnambool
Goulburn to Citi | Tour of Tasmania | Giro della Donna
Bennelong SwissWellness Cycling
Formerly known as Avanti Isowhey, Australia's premium domestic cycling team is back with a new name, but the same ambitiouns as in the past years: winning both the individual and the team's NRS crown for the fifth consecutive time. Once again though, the team lost it's reigning NRS champion - this time, Pat Shaw decided to quit his career after his second NRS title last year. No real need to worry though, as Bennelong yet again put together an awesome squad: Joe Cooper (2nd and 3rd in the two previous NRS seasons) will aim for his first title and the roster is packed with more talent. Scott Sunderland (last year's 4th), Dylan Sunderland (6th), Chris Harper (8th) and Ayden Toovey (15th) joined the team just like Timothy Roe (2nd in the NRS in 2015) and Steele Von Hoff. To name just a few. After dominating the team's competition last season (double the points of runner-up State of Matter - a team, that does not exist anymore), it's hard to imagine Bennelong would not defend the title for yet another time.
Drapac EF Cycling
Formerly known as Pat's Veg Cycling (4th in the NRS last year), EF/Cannondale's development team Drapac EF Cycling must be considered a real threat for at least the runner-up spot in the National Road Series this season. The talent in this team is outstanding, even though the depth ain't as impressive as like Bennelong's roster: Cyrus Monk (who already spend a few racedays in the World Tour as a trainee) is the 2018 U23 road champion for Australia and with last year's NRS 2nd Matthew Ross leaving the team, Monk may aim for a similar impressive result this year. There's some more talent like James Whelan (who just won the U23 Ronde van Vlaanderen most recently), Liam Magennis (22nd in the NRS last season), Sascha Bondarenko-Edwards and a premium sprinter duo with Theodore Yates and Liam White. It's not yet clear, if the team will ride the full NRS schedule, but if they do, it could become a tougher challenge for Bennelong to defend their title.
Brisbane Continental Cycling Team
A new Continental licensed team (formely known as Cobra9 Intebuild), that should be amongst this year's most interesting projects: Jordan Kerby and Michael Vink as two promising riders for the individual rankings, who come with quite some experience from the international racing scene. Opposing to Ryan Thomas, who's still amongst the most thrilling talents in this team and maybe the entire NRS. The team, that was founded by former Team Budget Forklifts professional Joshua Prete, comes with some depth as well and we should really expect them to challenge for something big in it's first year in the National Road Series.
Mobius - BridgeLane
3rd best team in the NRS last year and definitely a contender for the podium again. The Mobius project has already brought up a stunning talent like Robert Stannard (winner of the Tour of Tasmania last year), who will ride for Mitchelton - BikeExchange this season and join the WT next year. Surely a big loss for Mobius, but the Australian summer of cycling proved, that the team has another big climbing talent in it's rows: Alexander Evans (who finished 2nd in the Herald Sun Tour's queen stage up Lake Mountain). With also Angus Lyons (21st in the NRS last year) joining the team, there's quite some climbing talent again. A few more riders could potentially snab some notable results on different terrains and while the team will also focus on some US races, we should expect them to aim for a full NRS calendar as well.
Australian Cycling Academy
In 2018, the Australian Cycling Academy Continental team will provide a pathway into the professional ranks of young Australian riders. Created by former professionals Ben Kersten and Matt Wilson, the primarily U23 development team is backed by the University of the Sunshine Coast and Sunshine Coast Council for a minimum of three years. A big name on the roster: former WorldTour rider Leigh Howard will captain the team which also includes current team pursuit world champions Sam Welsford and Kelland O'Brien on a 13-rider roster. The team's race programme will include the National Road Series with the aim to also compete aboard, including across Asia.
St. George Continental Cycling
And another Continental team: St. George is a long-time running team, that did not really focus on the NRS in the past few years though. They may once again miss a few of the races this year, but the team's captain Ben Dyball (13th in the NRS last year with only a couple of events ridden) already said, that he would love to finally get a real chance to fight for the NRS crown this year. With Kaden Groves, there's a promising sprinter in the making and of course there's some solid depth behind Dyball as well.
InForm - Make
An interesting new team, that managed to bring back Raphael Freienstein to the NRS: the German has quite a good history in the National Road Series, where he finished 9th overall in 2016 and 8th in 2015. The sprinter will aim for the Top-5 this year with two sprinter friendly stage races allowing the fast men to score big time. And of course there's Pat Lane, a former Avanti rider, who finished 5th in the NRS last year by winning the prestigious Melbourne to Warrnambool classic. Together with an up and coming climber like Lionel Mawditt, the team comes with quite a strong trio of leaders for different terrains. A dark horse for the NRS podium.
Oliver's Real Food Racing
No real leader, but one of the deeper teams in the NRS. They lost Ryan Thomas and South African Brendon Davids (Bennelong) prior to the season, but with Sean Whitfield (20th in the NRS last year), there's a solid sprinter at least. After a disappointing NRS campaign in 2017 (13th overall), the Continental team will aim to bounce back this year.
It's Cooper's year, I can feel it Great to see Keagan back too - what an amazing story
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
@jandal: Cooper is always a good bet, I guess. With plenty of stage races with timetrials, he should be amongst the most promising riders at least. Girdlestone, yes! I'm really glad he's back on the bike irl as well. I think it's a great rider to follow with my main focus in this NRS season here
@sutty: Thanks, mate. Your support for stories is always great to see. No Budget since two seasons.. you can't pick Bennelong, obviously. Maybe Brisbane Continental Cycling? Michael Vink is a former Team Budget rider at least
The Woodside Tour de Perth is back and marks the beginning of the National Road Series 2018. After being cancelled last season, we're happy to see this race running again - it's the fourth edition of the event since it's inaugaral 2014 edition. The courses remain the same as two years ago, where a short prologe through Fremantle (Perth) kicked off the action. The key stage (a hilly loop around Kalamunda) is still there, so we should expect the puncheurs and climbers to fight for the GC again:
Michael Vink and Jordan Kerby (Brisbane Continental CT) proved their strength by finishing 3-4 in the prologue and 1-2 in the first road race on second day. An impressive start for the new founded team, that looks set to be a real contender for the dominating Bennelong (former Avanti) squad of the past years. Bennelong though with a solid start as well, being featured in the Top-10 with four riders.
The opening prologue in Fremantle went to Morgan Smith (St. George Continental), who was two seconds faster than Sean Lake (Bennelong) and Vink. A great start for the team, that will attempt to race more NRS events this season. A promising first stage in Ben Dyball's abscence. The story of the day was an emotional comeback though: Keagan Girdlestone (Team Ultra Racing) rode his first professional bike race after a horrible crash almost one year ago. The talented climber proved his good shape when finishing a solid 19th in the prologue - his team's best finisher.
And Girdlestone kept on going strong, when he sprinted to a strong 6th place in a tricky road race around Perry Lake. While his teammate Ian Talbot (reigning U23 Oceanian timetrial champion) tried to escape in the penultimate lap with about 18km remaining, Girdlestone waited for the bunch sprint to finish one place behind Talbot eventually. Talbot couldn't go clear with his attempt, but so did Michael Vink about 3km before finish. The Kiwi held off the chasing bunch until the end and his teammate Kerby completed an impressive 1-2 on the stage. Ryan Cavanagh completed the stage podium ahead of Bennelong's best Anthony Giacoppo.
The tour continues with the key stage in Kalamunda, that should be one for the best puncheurs in the field. Will Brisbane's duo manage to hold off Bennlong's armada of premium climbers? And how will Girdlestone do after his promising start into the Tour de Perth?
The comeback for Keagan Girdlestone! A respectable result in the prologue..
..while Morgan Smith took the opening stage ahead of Sean Lake!
Team Ultra Racing's Ian Talbot with an empty-handed attack in S2..
..opposing to Vink, who launched his winning move 3km before finish!
Bennelong leading the bunch onto the finishing stretch..
..too late to catch Vink, who impresses in his first NRS race!
Talbot and a strong Girdlestone finish 5th and 6th on the stage!
@sutty: Well, it has been a great start for "your" team then
@TMM: Of course you do! Nice to see you stopping by. Your support may well give the team yet another boost of convidence
Tour de Perth Stages 3-4
HARPER TAKES QUEEN STAGE, LYONS WINS THE TOUR DE PERTH
Angus Lyons (Mobius - BridgeLane) kicks off the 2018 National Road Series with his first ever NRS race win. The gifted climber, who rides his first season for Mobius after a promising year with Jayco/VIS, finished an unlucky 2nd in the key stage around Kalamunda, but slipped into yellow thanks to his good performance in the prologue. Bennelong completes the GC podium with Joe Cooper and Chris Harper, who took the queen stage in a thrilling sprint against Lyons.
The challenging road race around Kalamunda was always going to be the key for any GC success and despite the real action kicking off only 2-3km before the uphill finish, both GC leader Michael Vink (losing one and a half minute) and his teammate Jordan Kerby (seven minutes) lost all GC ambitions here. When a group of 14 riders went clear late in the race, Angus Lyons looked like the strongest, but an impressive sprint from Harper made Bennelong celebrating their first stage-win eventually.
Team Ultra Racing did well, too: Ian Talbot was amongst the strongest of the day, finishing 6th on the stage and moving up to 10th in the GC. Comeback rider Keagan Girdlestone suffered on the hilly parcours, but finished as still a respectable 34th on the stage. The final criterium through Langsley Park in Perth wouldn't do any more damage for the GC, so Team Ultra Racing had a great start into the NRS with Talbot finishing 10th in the final GC.
Nicholas Kergozou (Mobius) took the final stage in a fast sprint against Anthony Giacoppo (Bennelong) and Cameron Scott (Australian Cycling Academy). A great day for Mobius, which underlined their ambitiouns to fight for the team's NRS competition this year. And - of course - Angus Lyons is someone to watch out for in the upcoming events.
Girdlestone suffering from the pace with 12km to go in the queen stage..
Angus Lyons, Pat Lane and Chris Harper leading the uphill sprint then..
..a strong Ian Talbot not far behind to finish as 6th on the stage!
Harper takes the queen stage with an impressive finishing kick then..
Cameron Scott in the leading position for the bunch sprint in Perth..
..but he got passed by stage winner Kergozou and runner-up Giacoppo..
Angus Lyons celebrating the Tour de Perth victory: Mobius with a great start!
The Jayco Adelaide Tour goes into it's fifth edition and will feature the second NRS event this year. The race organziation has confirmed the same courses like two years ago: Campbelltown City Council has confirmed its support again in 2018 taking on Stages 1 & 4. The City of Onkaparinga will stage two circuit road races in the McLaren Vale region. Stage 1 will start in Tanunda north of Adelaide weaving its way back to the Corkscrew and finishing on the outskirts of Campbelltown.
Those four partly hilly, partly flat stages promise some exciting racing (again). The past three years saw some very close decisions for the overall victories - like Jack Anderson's win by one second ahead of Mark O'Brien in 2015 or Brendan Canty's victory on the same time as runner-up (and his teammate) Jack Bobridge in 2016. No bonifications at the finish, so every stage result will be crucial, if you're on the same time as your opponents!
He probably couldn't have imagined a better second race of his comeback: Keagan Girdlestone (Team Ultra Racing) leads the GC at the Adelaide Tour with two of four stages done. He was part of a 4-men-group, that broke clear on the famous Corkscrew climb in the opening stage and slipped into yellow thanks to a Top-10 result on second day. Sam Crome (Bennelong) and stage one winner Cyrus Monk (Drapac EF), as well as James Whelan (Drapac EF) sit on the further GC positions - all on the same time as Girdlestone.
The first stage was already the key stage for all GC contenders: the Corkscrew climb close to a fast finish down to Campbelltown saw the already mentioned four riders going clear from the bunch and hold on to a crucial 13-seconds-gap on a next group, where top sprinter Raphael Freienstein (InForm) sprinted to a 6th place just behind Ben Dyball (St. George). Monk took the stage through the sprint from the leading group, where Crome and Girdlestone completed the podium. A great start for Monk and Crome in their first NRS race this season, but of course the story of the day was Girdlestone's magnicifent ride almost one year after his horrible crash in Italy.
Speaking of crashes: some tough luck for several favorites in this first stage, as a group of 19 riders was involved in a big crash just ahead of the crucial final climb. Chris Harper (Bennelong), Daniel Fitter (Australian Cycling Academy) and Ian Talbot (Team Ultra Racing) as the most notable victims, who lost several minutes eventually.
A tricky second stage ended in the expected bunch sprint decision: Stuart Shaw(Australian Cycling Academy) proved, that he still got some legs, as he took the stage ahead of a surprisingly strong NRS leader Angus Lyons (Mobius) and Freienstein. A crucial 8th place for Girdlestone then, as his three biggest GC contenders were involved in a crash inside the final kilometre! Thus leaving them with very low stage finishes. A big advantage for comebacker Girdlestone, who should fancy his chances to retain the leader shirt until the very end.
Girdlestone, Crome, Whelan/Monk go clear with 1km to the hilltop..
..to fight for the stage-win: Monk going past Crome..
..for the win! Girdlestone 3rd and the next group loses 13 seconds..
NRS leader Angus Lyons leading the bunch into stage two's finishing stretch..
Shaw takes the stage, with Lyons a strong 2nd ahead of Freienstein!
Girdlestone avoids being involved in a late crash and finishes a great 8th..
..to slip into yellow at halftime! Can he hold on for his first ever GC victory?
Really nice to see, you brought this story back from the dead.
So many times I would love to bring back one of my 2 stories but simply lack the time for it. And don`t want to just play slowly without writing about the continuation.
In this case here, the whole process is just huge. Not only the story but also all the detail and love, you have put into the NRS.
Thanks for stopping by, roturn! And thanks for the kind words. Obviously, I would very welcome to see you coming back with a story, but I guess it's a mission impossible. Maybe one day
Adelaide Tour Stages 3-4
TWO BREAKAWAY WINS AND GIRDLESTONE KEEPS YELLOW UNTIL THE END
In his second NRS race since his terrible crash, that almost costed his life, Keagan Girdlestone (Team Ultra Racing) proved his talent and rode to a stunning GC victory in the Adelaide Tour! The climber, who will turn 21 at the end of this month, easily defended his race lead in the last two stages of the tour and achieved his first ever NRS race win. A phenomenal story for Girdlestone, who probably couldn't expect such a result prior to his comeback season.
Up and coming James Whelan and Cyrus Monk (Drapac EF) completed the podium for a strong Drapac result (with Liam Magennis adding a 6th place as well), Sam Crome (Bennelong) and Raphael Freienstein (InForm) round up the Top-5 in the final GC. Quite some bad luck for Bennelong, who lost two possible GC contenders in a crash on day one.
Both of the final two stages were taken by early breakaway riders: Peter Livingstone (Mobius) went clear from a strong breakaway group on day three, eventually winning the stage by twenty seconds on Oliver Martin (Brisbane) and more than a minute on Freienstein as the best finisher in the peloton. In the final Kermesse through Campbelltown, Christopher Miller (Nero Racing) took the stage from a reduced early break. The pack again losing a minute, but Girdlestone finished safely inside the group to maintain his GC lead for his first ever race win in the NRS. His comeback year could hardly kick off better than that.
Peter Livingstone going clear from the breakaway on the final climb..
..to take stage three by twenty seconds on breakaway companion Oliver Martin!
Raphael Freienstein wins the bunch sprint to finish 3rd on the stage..
Team Ultra Racing and Brisbane Continental controlling the breakaway's gap..
..but they couldn't catch the escapees in the final stage: Miller takes the stage!
Girdlestone finishes safely in the bunch, 52 seconds down on the breakaway..
..and he achieves his best NRS result ever: winning the Adelaide Tour 2018!
Great stage win from Vink in Perth! Also Cooper not bad on GC and Kergozou with a close-fought win as well. And then what a story in Perth, adopted Kiwi Girdlestone with a great race in his comeback, amazing.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Great to see Keagan back too - what an amazing story 
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
