Stage victor and new yellow jersey Aaron Donnelly leads one of today’s escapes under a hot sun
After strong displays in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic three-crit series in Australia in recent days, Aaron Buggle got his first taste of life on the open road today as a pro rider and it looked pretty uncomfortable.
The Rapha Condor JLT man was Ireland’s sole representative in the field for the first road stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour which unfolded in the early hours of this morning Irish time.
The start of the 148km stage from Sunbury to Bendigo was moved forward to 9am to try and avoid the worst of the sweltering heat that has hit Australia in recent days. However, the mercury was over 30C for the race start and climbed to 46C along the route.
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Not content with frying the riders under a scorching sun, the elements also battered them with strong winds making for a very tough day in the saddle.
Those conditions and a stage route that featured a number of climbs, saw the field split considerably with Buggle coming home in a group just over 34 minutes down on stage winner Aaron Donnelly (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers).
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Buggle was in good company though, with the likes of Matthew Goss (Orica GreenEdge) and other strong riders finishing around him.
The Irishman is now 92nd overall, some 34:39 down on new yellow jersey Donnelly. The race began with a prologue on Thursday, in which Buggle was 70th at 32 seconds.
Today’s stage winner, Donnelly was very active off the front throughout the stage and when the eventual winning breakaway was whittled down to just three riders on a hill with 10km remaining, it was the 21-year who did the damage.
However, despite riding all the way to the line to gain time and the yellow jersey, Donnelly still had enough in the tank to outsprint his two breakaway companions after a closing lap of the outdoor velodrome in Bendigo.
The race continues to a finish with two more road stages tomorrow and Sunday.
Jayco Herald Sun Tour
Jan 4th: Stage 1 Sunbury to Bendigo 148km
| Position | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Donnelly (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers | 4:04:36 |
| 2 | Calvin Watson (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo | |
| 3 | Josh Atkins (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team | |
| 4 | Bradley Linfield (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team | 0:02:03 |
| 5 | Alexander Malone (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team | |
| 6 | Brock Roberts (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team | 0:02:15 |
| 7 | Nathan Earle (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers | 0:02:29 |
| 8 | Wil Walker (Aus) Drapac Cycling | |
| 9 | Luke Davison (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness | |
| 10 | Richard Lang (GBr) Great Britain National Team | 0:02:35 |
| 11 | Robbie Hucker (Aus) Drapac Cycling | |
| 12 | Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Drapac Cycling | |
| 13 | Simon Gerrans (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team | |
| 14 | Shaun McCarthy (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 15 | Jai Crawford (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
| 16 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team | |
| 17 | Jasper Ockeloen (Ned) Pro Team Down Under | |
| 18 | Adam Phelan (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team | |
| 19 | Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Cycling | |
| 20 | Lachlan Norris (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo | |
| 21 | Jack Anderson (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 22 | Cal Britten (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au | |
| 23 | James Oram (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team | |
| 23 | Sam Rutherford (Aus) GPM Data #3 | |
| 25 | Jordan Kerby (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager | |
| 26 | Jason Spencer (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing | |
| 27 | Patrick Lane (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo | |
| 28 | Alex Clements (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team | |
| 29 | Mark O'Brien (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness | |
| 30 | Oliver Kent Spark (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team | |
| 31 | Karl Evans (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | 0:02:44 |
| 32 | Mathew Marshall (NZl) Pro Team Down Under | 0:05:03 |
| 33 | Westley Gough (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team | |
| 34 | Jay Bourke (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team | |
| 35 | Nathan Elliott (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team | |
| 36 | Richard Handley (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT | |
| 37 | Joseph Lewis (Aus) GPM Data #3 | 0:05:07 |
| 38 | Tom Scully (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team | 0:06:15 |
| 39 | Joseph Cooper (NZl) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
| 40 | Jack Beckinsale (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team | 0:07:31 |
| 41 | Chris Jory (Aus) GPM Data #3 | |
| 42 | Michael Cupitt (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 43 | Thomas Hamilton (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo | 0:08:38 |
| 44 | Rico Rogers (NZl) Search2retain / health.com.au | |
| 45 | Thomas Palmer (Aus) Drapac Cycling | |
| 46 | Marc Williams (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 47 | Greg Henderson (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team | |
| 48 | Rhys Pollock (Aus) Drapac Cycling | |
| 49 | Tom Leaper (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing | |
| 50 | Damien Howson (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team | |
| 51 | Jay McCarthy (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team | |
| 52 | Mike Northey (NZl) Grays Online New Zealand National Team | |
| 53 | Simon Yates (GBr) Great Britain National Team | |
| 54 | Alistair Slater (GBr) Great Britain National Team | |
| 55 | Cameron Bayly (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au | |
| 56 | Ben Grenda (Aus) Team Polygon Australia | 0:10:46 |
| 57 | Neil Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au | |
| 58 | Pat Shaw (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers | 0:11:27 |
| 59 | Stuart Smith (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au | 0:11:32 |
| 60 | Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team | |
| 61 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team | |
| 62 | Sam Witmitz (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness | |
| 63 | Sam Horgan (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 64 | Edward White (Aus) GPM Data #3 | |
| 65 | Dean Windsor (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager | 0:13:03 |
| 66 | Michael Crosbie (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing | 0:13:18 |
| 67 | Ian Richards (Aus) Pro Team Down Under | 0:15:51 |
| 68 | Edward Laverack (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT | |
| 69 | Julian Dean (NZl) Jayco VIS Apollo | |
| 70 | Luke Grivell-Mellor (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT | |
| 71 | Anthony Giacoppo (Aus) Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers | |
| 72 | Campbell Flakemore (Aus) Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team | |
| 73 | Robert John McCartney (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness | |
| 74 | Sam Spokes (Aus) Jayco VIS Apollo | |
| 75 | Michael Cuming (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT | |
| 76 | Jayden Copp (Aus) Pro Team Down Under | |
| 77 | Nick Woods (Aus) Pro Team Down Under | |
| 78 | Brendan Johnston (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager | 0:24:04 |
| 79 | Sam McCallum (Aus) Team Polygon Australia | |
| 80 | Geoff Straub (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team | |
| 81 | Andrew Roe (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness | |
| 82 | Scott Law (Aus) GPM Data #3 | 0:27:04 |
| 83 | David Kelly (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing | 0:27:15 |
| 84 | Oliver Martin (Aus) Team Polygon Australia | 0:31:02 |
| 85 | Mitchell Lovelock-Fay (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager | 0:34:03 |
| 86 | Alexander Smythe (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team | |
| 87 | Alex Edmonson (Aus) SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness | |
| 88 | Thomas Donald (Aus) Search2retain / health.com.au | |
| 89 | Dylan Hately (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team | |
| 90 | Stuart Shaw (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager | |
| 91 | Henry Morley (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team | |
| 92 | Peter Smith (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team | |
| 93 | Shannon Johnson (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing | |
| 94 | Ryan MacAnally (Aus) Hyster / Rush Racing | |
| 95 | Samuel Lowe (GBr) Great Britain National Team | |
| 96 | Graham Briggs (GBr) Great Britain National Team | |
| 97 | Aaron Buggle (Irl) Rapha Condor JLT | |
| 98 | Matthew Goss (Aus) Jayco Australia National Team | 0:34:08 |
| 99 | Kristian House (GBr) Rapha Condor JLT | |
| 100 | Jack Matthews (Aus) Team Polygon Australia | |
| 101 | Jake McMahon (Aus) Team Polygon Australia | |
| 102 | Rowan Dever (Aus) Target Trek Racing Team | |
| 103 | Josh Taylor (Aus) GPM Data #3 | |
| 104 | Dan McConnell (Aus) Suzuki – Bontrager | 0:37:30 |
| DNF | Christopher Latham (GBr) Great Britain National Team | |
| DNF | Sean Whitfield (Aus) Pro Team Down Under | |
| DNF | Joel Stearnes (Aus) Team Polygon Australia | |
| DNF | Aaron Slavik (Aus) Satalyst Giant Racing Team |
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