Crocodile Trophy
Belgian Vermeulen Wins at Laura
John Flynn - Crocodile Trophy / 27.10.2008
It may have come by way of a gift from the Czech Republic, but whatever the case, consistent ef-fort was rewarded again today at the Crocodile Trophy as Belgium’s national marathon mountain-bike champion Nic Vermeulen claimed victory in the race’s signature 149 kilometre stage from Mount Mulgrave to Laura, the spiritual home of the Quinkans. Vermeulen, who has toiled long and hard against the Czech juggernaut VIG+ Racing over the past seven days, was in an impossible position once again, outnumberd 4-1 by the Czechs in the final kilometres of today’s stage.
The gutsy Belgian from Team Lingier, who has earned respect all-round at this race, found himself in the “survivors� group, not a breakaway as such, containing race leader Ondrej Fojtik and his team-mates Tomas Trunschka, Ivan Rybarik and Martin Horak.
In another display of sportsmanship, the Czechs decided to honour their opponent, opting not to attack Vermeulen in the final kilometres as the race headed into the Laura. Had they attacked, Vermeulen would have found himself faced with an almost unwinnable scenario.
“ I think it was a gift from the Czechian team,� Vermeulen admitted at stage end.
“The team are too strong for me, I can attack but they ride four against me, but I’m happy with the stage win. Thank you.�
Confronted with a one hundred and forty-nine kilometre journey, on roads littered with bull-dust pits and long patches of soft sand, many riders suffered as the fierce elements helped rip apart the time splits in the General Classification.
One to feel the heat was Australia’s solo entrant Craig Gordon, who fought doggedly, above his weight, in a stage where pure power counted for much. Gordon ended his day 23minutes down on the race leader in the general classification, with his hopes of winning the Crocodile Trophy ef-fectively extinguished.
“I hate that bulldust, I disappeared into it, gone,� Gordon said as he wiped dust from his eyes at stage end.
“I struggled today with the bulldust and the sand, maybe I’ve just gotta get psyched and be on it.
“Of course I’d love to win a stage but it’s very, very tough with these guys and I’m not gonna give up, but certainly days like today just don’t favour me at all.�
The stage began with an ambitious breakaway that featured two Australians in Nick Both and Reece Stevens along with Belgian Kris Hertsens and stage six winner Kejval Lubos.
Rolling through the undulating country to the west of the Laura Ranges , the breakaway group was never far beyond the site of the G.C leaders, as the serious play-ers in the Crocodile Trophy emerged from the pack.
For Australia’s Reece Stevens, the breakaway move was a gamble worth taking on a stage that’s earned itself a justifiable repu-tation as the toughest of the race.
“Yeah, longest stage of the tour i think, the longer they are the more testing they are,� Stevens said
“The Czech’s came through and i got dropped about 50 or sixty k to go and had to do the last 50 or 60k on my own which was pretty hard work.
“The Toughest stage to date., the last ten k’s was the toughest ten k’s of my life.� See All Event Posts
