Irish cycling team Aqua Blue Sport has beaten off the WorldTeam men to take the stage win at the Herald Sun Tour. It also took the race lead as the field split to pieces in crosswinds.
Aqua Blue Sport sees off WorldTour men at Herald Sun Tour
Irish ProContinental team Aqua Blue Sport has taken its first victory of 2018; at the Herald Sun Tour.
Lasse Norman Hansen is the man of the moment, not only winning the day but also taking the race lead.
The Dane was 3rd in yesterday’s prologue TT, won by Ed Clancy (JLT Condor). That meant he had a great chance of striking for the race lead in the following day.
He had shown his form at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race last Sunday. He was the strongest of the breakaway and took the climbers’ classification.
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And when the crosswinds hit in Australia today on stage 1 of the Herald Sun Tour the cream came to the top.
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Hansen proved strongest; claiming victory into Warrnambool after 161km.
He had pulled clear in a group of very strong men early on the stage.
At the finish a group of nine was clear to contest for victory. Hansen got the verdict from Steele Von Hoff (Bennelong-SwissWellness) and Cameron Myer (Mitchelton-Scott).
The nine leaders were 23 seconds ahead of a group of 20 riders. The next group on the road was 50 further seconds back on a day when the breeze wreaked havoc.
Hansen now leads the race, with three stages remaining, by nine seconds from WorldTour man Meyer. And Von Hoff is a further second back in 3rd.
More to follow.
Stage 1: Colac - Warrnambool (161.6km)
1 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport 3:36:57
2 Steele von Hoff (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness
3 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
4 Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
5 Thomas Stuart (GBr) JLT Condor
6 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij
7 Damien Howson (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott
8 Cameron Bayly (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness
9 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:03
10 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:23
11 Tim Ariesen (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij
12 Zakkari Dempster (Den) Israel Cycling Academy
13 Ryan Thomas (Aus) Brisbane Continental Cycling Team
14 Pat Lane (Aus) KordaMentha Real Estate - Australia
15 Kane Richards (Aus) Team McDonalds Downunder
16 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) Aqua Blue Sport
17 Chris Harper (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness
18 Dylan Sunderland (Aus) Bennelong SwissWellness
19 Robbert De Greef (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij
20 Esteban Chaves (Col) Mitchelton-Scott
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