The Australian national parcours are well known - 11 climbs of the steady but sapping Buninyong climbs greets the riders.
Oz Cycling Project dominate the Australian racing scene these days - whose cyclists had been used to ply their trade scattered across the worlds teams. There is still a fairly well spread out talent pool but it is Oz Cyclings to control.
It is four of the younger riders in McCarthy (Wikipedia), Porte (Vesuvio), Haas (Aker) and Morton (HTC) who are likely to challenge the more experienced Oz Cycling leaders Gerrans and Lloyd.
Oz Cycling also have a third team in a way with two of Simply Red Bull's Trio being Oz Cycling loanee's. Bobridge could possibly be Oz Cycling best card!
The pattern of the race is no surprise with the Gold and Green boys controlling the break.
Dennis (Adira), Lane (HTC), Howson (Risa), Edmondson (Rothaus), Cam Meyer (Koeniggsegg) and Matthews (Heineken) have made the break.
With about 40km to go and the gap down to three minutes, Oz Cycling relax the chase slightly with three riders bridging.
These riders are William Ford (Oz Cycling), Sulzberger (Simply Red Bull) and Travis Meyer (Wikipedia). This proves a masterstroke as without Oz Cycling to chase the other favourites are pretty much stuffed!
Indeed the three bridge up to the break and the gap remain over three minutes as we enter the last 15 kilometers.
Onto the final climb of Buninyong and the late attackers W Ford, T Meyer and Sulzberger go to the front with Ford initially powering it dropping Travis' brother Cameron.
With his brother dropped Travis hammers it now with Dennis and Edmondson now out the back door.
Matthews and Howson are struggling here slightly but both manage to get back on the descent. It means we have a six way sprint for the Aussie Road Race crown.
The late attackers clearly have the best legs as even Matthews struggles to hold these three in the subsequent sprint. It looks like it is between T Meyer, W Ford and Sulzberger.
The situation does not favour the man in front usually in these cases as the two journeymen Sulzberger and W Ford leave it until 750m to go to make their moves.
It is Sulzberger who proves the fastest, the one Simply Red Bull rider who is not an Oz Cycling loanee becomes the champion!
Ford is second with Travis Meyer third.
Oz Cycling's tactics may have been justified as behind McCarthy edges out Bobridge in between the favourites.
That said no-one tends to remember the second places in these events. As for Sulzberger the 28 year old can celebrate perhaps his best career win.
Results
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Wes Sulzberger
Simply Red Bull
4h09'38
2
Travis Meyer
Wikipedia
s.t.
3
William Ford
Oz Cycling Project
s.t.
4
Patrick Lane
HTC Nieuwsblad
s.t.
5
Michael Matthews
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
6
Damien Howson
Risa - Ergon Cycling Team
s.t.
7
Rohan Dennis
Adira-Isq Project
+ 1'26
8
Alexander Edmondson
Rothaus - Aegon
s.t.
9
Cameron Meyer
Koenigsegg
s.t.
10
Jay McCarthy
Wikipedia
+ 3'21
11
Jack Bobridge
Simply Red Bull
s.t.
12
Simon Gerrans
Oz Cycling Project
s.t.
13
Matthew Lloyd
Oz Cycling Project
s.t.
14
Nathan Haas
Aker - MOT
s.t.
15
Matthew Goss
Wikipedia
s.t.
16
Richie Porte
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
17
Steele Von Hoff
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
Just perfect for the Oz Cycling trio of favourites:
Miles Olman gets an early start -
... and sets the early pace setter that no-one can get near until our last two starters:
Michael Ford
and Michael Rogers.
Rogers has had a quite a season riding a large variety of continental Tour races, likewise for Ford having been Protour stallwarts for so long. They both manage to comfortably eclipse teammate Olman's times, but are close to each other.
Olman set 54.53. Ford 54.23 and Rogers 54.13.
Rogers takes the Australian TT crown.
Results
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Michael Rogers
Oz Cycling Project
54'13
2
Michael Ford
Oz Cycling Project
+ 10
3
Miles Olman
Oz Cycling Project
+ 46
4
Jack Bobridge
Simply Red Bull
+ 49
5
Luke Durbridge
Simply Red Bull
+ 1'01
6
Rory Sutherland
Team WWE
+ 1'28
7
Adrian Laidler
Oz Cycling Project
+ 1'29
8
William Ford
Oz Cycling Project
+ 1'39
9
Richie Porte
Vesuvio - Accumalux
+ 1'51
10
Glenn O'Shea
Oz Cycling Project
+ 1'53
11
Rohan Dennis
Adira-Isq Project
+ 1'57
12
Damien Howson
Risa - Ergon Cycling Team
+ 2'02
13
Nathan Haas
Aker - MOT
+ 2'21
14
Cameron Meyer
Koenigsegg
+ 2'22
15
Travis Meyer
Wikipedia
+ 2'28
16
Anthony Giacoppo
Risa - Ergon Cycling Team
+ 2'31
17
Adam Phelan
Oz Cycling Project
+ 2'37
18
Michael Hepburn
Cisco Cycling Team
s.t.
19
Leigh Howard
Milka - AVG
+ 2'49
20
Lachlan Morton
HTC Nieuwsblad
+ 3'02
21
Calvin Watson
Risa - Ergon Cycling Team
+ 3'04
22
Matthew Lloyd
Oz Cycling Project
+ 3'16
23
Matthew Goss
Wikipedia
+ 3'24
24
Steele Von Hoff
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
+ 3'25
25
Michael Matthews
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
