Crocodile Trophy
Brentjens Wins Sprint Finish at Outback Chillagoe
John Flynn / 27.10.2009
The great Dutchman Bart Brentjens today recorded his second Crocodile Trophy stage victory after outsprinting Swiss marathon specialist Urs Huber to the finish line of a grueling 157 kilometer Outback marathon from Irvinebank to Chillagoe. Brentjens was forced to call upon all of his energy reserves during the longest stage of Australia's Outback classic, after puncturing at the 20 kilometer mark and riding himself back into the lead group. In the end pure class shone through as Brentjens and Huber stepped on the gas, leaving in their wake the big talking Jure Robic, who had designs on winning the Chillagoe stage for the fourth time.
"It actually was a really long day on the bike. From the beginning it was really rough with lots of stones on the descent and pretty technical," Brentjens said. "I had a flat tyre after I think 20k, so I changed my tyre and then I came back, but still it was a long way to Chillagoe."
Taking into account time bonuses, Brentjens managed to peg back the margin between himself and Huber on the general classification to 1 minute and 57 seconds.
Brentjens will scan the race road book tonight, searching for technical sections to attack Huber over coming days, but may have to wait until the sandy Mount Mulgrave-Laura stage in three day's time for a serious assault on the race lead.
"Today at the end it was not technical enough to make a difference so we had to sprint for the victory," Brentjens said. "Hopefully there will be some more technical parts later in the race."
Fortunately, the Europeans were treated to unseasonably cool weather on today's journey to Chillagoe and it suited Huber, the overall race leader, who achieved his major objective. "I think it was the longest day with not really much hills, so my object was to stay with Bart, in the sprint he was better," Huber said. "In the first part with up and downhills I was stronger I think and then he had a flat tyre. "It was too long to go alone, so I slowed down and waited for him to join the group."
Despite promising to be with the leaders at the business end of today's stage, Slovenian Jure Robic was unable to produce the pure power when it mattered most. When the race ventured onto an old disused railway cutting near Mount Garnett, Robic was left with the difficult decision of whether to ride alone or wait for the next group that contained Australia's up and coming talent Josh Prete.
Testament to the bravery of the Slovenian military man, Robic soldiered on alone all the way to the finish and even made up time on Brentjens and Huber over the final 57 kilometers of mostly dirt road to Chillagoe.
"I'm satisfied with my performance because I go really well in the climbs," Robic said. "With such great riders as Bart Brentjens and Huber, I couldn't follow them in the downhills." But the four-time solo winner of the Race Across America is yet to give up on his Crocodile Trophy ambitions, continuing a love affair with the race he describes as "the most beautiful race in the world", "It's still a long race and I will search for my next chance in the other stages," Robic said. See All Event Posts
