2010 Tour of Gippsland

The Tour of Gippsland is the traditional start for Rush Racing’s road cycling season. This year Rush Racing welcomes our new partners AAL Hyster and a new team leader on the road, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Gordon Mc Cauly.

Fresh off the plane from New Zealand, Gordon was keen to put in a strong performance in the opening race of the Tour he won in 2005.

“I’m looking forward to racing Gippsland again. I have good memories of this event. I have worn all of the jerseys in this race before, and the course suits my style of racing.”

Gordon leads a mixed team of riders such as the experienced Jake Sutherland racing his 3^rd tour of Gippsland and road tour debutant Michael Crosbie who has swapped his mountain bike for a road machine.

Tim White and Rowan Dever are looking to repeat their strong performances in the Tour of Canberra earlier in the year. Both riders were caught up in a crash in that tour which took them out of the final placing.

“I enjoy climbing the hills around Baw Baw. I feel good coming into the tour I hope to mix it with the climbers in the steeper ascents. Said Rowan.

The 2010 Tour of Gippsland opened with a Criterium around Wonthaggi.

Gordon was keen to test his competitors with some hard driving on the front of the bunch.

A large crash saw 2 riders sent to hospital and a couple more limping across the finish with lycra and skin missing.

With the nerves of stage 1 out of the way the first road stage took riders from Wonthaggi to Cape Paterson, Inverloch and back to Wonthaggi.  Tim White’s bad luck continued with 2 riders falling in front of him and sending him over the bars. His damaged bike can be repaired, but his tailbone and lower back are very sore.

Several breakaway attempts were chased down and the field finished together.

A long stage in the hill around Mt Baw Baw started and finished at the Warragul country club. The 134Km stage should have suited the climbers but Rush Racing AAL Hyster’s Gordon McCauly started a breakaway of 4 riders. Gordon kept the break clear of the chasing main field for more than 60Km before a second chasing group formed and chased down the front four riders.

Gordon’s continued attempts to escape by himself earned him the most aggressive rider award for the day.

Gordon finishes the 3^rd stage in 9^th position thanks to a number of time bonuses picked up on route today..

The breakaway was caught within the last five kilometres and finished in a bunch sprint. Tim White’s lower back is causing too much pain and he has withdrawn from the race a returned to Melbourne to seek medical attention.