Favourable weather conditions characterised the first days of competition in the FKG Tour of Toowoomba, the third round of the 2013 National Road Race series – the only round to be staged in Queensland. Now in its fourth year in Toowoomba, the FKG Tour is firmly established on the local sporting calendar as well as the national cycling tour schedule.
Building on last year’s evolution to a proper four day event, the FKG Tour of Toowoomba from May 9th-12th features all four elements of traditional road racing – three gruelling road stages, the challenging Team Time Trial and an inner city Criterium around Queens Park, offering spectators the thrill of intense competition.
Thursday 9th May
Stage 1 Highfields Village Shopping Centre’s 113km Road Race
START 11am Community Cultural Centre, Oakey
FINISH 1.30 -2pm approx. Highfields Village Shopping Centre
Drapac’s William Walker won an up-hill bunch sprint to clinch the 113 kilometre road race from Oakey to Highfields ahead of Tasmania’s Ben Grenda (Team Polygon) and Brodie Talbot (Racing Kangaroos).
Friday 10th May
Stage 2 New Hope Group 123km Road Race
START 11am Crow’s Nest Town Centre
FINISH 2.30pm approx. Hilltop finish at TV Towers, Mt Mowbullan, Bunya Mountains
Tasmania’s Nathan Earle (Huon Genesys) battled it out in a thrilling hill-top finish before winning a sprint to the line from Matthew Clarke (Charter Mason) while teammate Jack Haig rounded out the podium.
Saturday 11th May
Stage 3 IJC Fabrications 27km Team Time Trial
START 9.30am First team leaves from Ramsay Street, Greenmount
FINISH 10.05am First team finishes. Final team due in at 10.35am Ramsay Street, Greenmount
The time trial specialists of Huon-Genesys clinched victory by more than a minute to Drapac Cycling and Budget Forklifts. Huon-Genesys stopped the clock in the 27 kilometre time trial at 34 minutes 12 seconds making them the only team to post a sub 35 minute time. Drapac Cycling finished their effort in 35min 22sec while Budget Forklifts – a man down after noted climber Michael Cupitt pulled out of the tour due to a concussion – narrowly made the podium with 35min 34sec.
Stage 4 Stonestreet’s Coaches 113km Road Race
START 12.30pm Ramsay Street, Greenmount
FINISH 3.10pm Criterum Circuit, Harvey Road, Glenvale
Tasmanian Ben Grenda (Team Polygon) who showed his strength to win a sprint to the line on the Glenvale criterium course. Grenda broke away from the field within the final 500 metres, holding off a fast finishing Malcolm Rudolph (Drapac) and Neil Van der Ploeg (Search2Retain).
Sunday 12th May
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Corporate (15km),
School (15km) & Mothers Day (10km) Challenge Rides
6.30am – 7.15am Registration
7.30am – 7.40am 10-12 year olds (one lap, 2.5kms)
7.45am – 8.05am 13-15 year olds (two laps, 5kms)8.10am – 8.30am 16-19 year olds (three laps, 7.5kms
8.45am-9.25am Mothers Challenge (four laps, 10kms)
9.40am-10.10am Corporate Challenge (six laps, 15kms)
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Family Festival
10am-3pmLindsay Street Oval, Queens Park, Toowoomba
Market stalls, laser skirmish, live entertainment and kiddies corner
(St Vincent’s Hospital is the charity of choice for the 2013 Tour of Toowoomba)
Details from www.stvincents.org.au
Stage 5 Platinum Health Group 50km Criterium
START 1.15pm Lindsay Street near Arthur Steet, Toowoomba
FINISH 2.15pm approx. Lindsay Street
Won by Search2Retain sprinter Neil Van der Ploeg in a bunch sprint ahead of stage four victor Ben Grenda (Polygon Australia) and Josh Taylor (GPM Wilson).
RESULTS by Courtesy of Cycling Australia
Presentation Ceremony to follow the final Stage (5)
Presentations to the Stage Winner, Jersey Winners and Overall Winner of the 2013 FKG Tour of Toowoomba
Tasmania’s Nathan Earle (Huon Genesys) has claimed victory in the FKG Tour of Toowoomba, the third round in the Subaru National Road Series. Earle’s win makes it three from three for the Tasmanian based outfit who topped the general classification at both the Tour de Perth and Battle on the Border.
“It’s pretty special to be able to come here and win,” he said. Nathan Earle clinched the leaders jersey on stage two of the Darling Downs tour, winning a sprint to the line at the summit of Mount Mowbullan in the Bunya Mountains before the team cemented their lead with a solid performance in the team time trial on Saturday.
“My highlight is definitely the win on the Bunya Mountains,” Earle said. “But also the team time trial was pretty special, just to be a part of that and to dominate by more than a minute to the second place was awesome.”
Earle, 24, took out the tour eight seconds ahead of teammate and current Subaru National Road Series leader Jack Haig while teammate Ben Dyball finished third overall, 16 seconds behind.
Round four in the men’s Subaru National Road Series now heads to Adelaide for the inaugural Jarvis Subaru Adelaide Tour on May 24. The tour will also be run in conjunction with the women’s NRS. The 2013 Subaru NRS will feature 17 individual events across Australia, including six combined men’s and women’s events, and a total of 77 days of racing.
