BENNELONG Swiss Wellness Cycling Team’s Ayden Toovey leads the Tour of the Great South Coast after a credible performance in Stage 2 yesterday afternoon.
After his team mates Michael Freiberg and Tristan Ward shared the podium in Stage 1, it was Toovey who pulled his weight in the 65km road race around the iconic 6.5km Blue Lake circuit when he greeted the finish line first.
Both Toovey and Phoenix Cycling Collective’s Sam Hill broke away and held a 34-second lead ahead of the main peloton after lap nine.
However, it was Toovey who sprinted over the finish to claim a clear race victory in front of the cheering Reidy Park Primary School students.
He was followed by Hill – who was awarded the most aggressive jersey at the Stage 2 presentations – and Australian Cycling Academy-Ride Sun’s Sam Welsford who led the remainder of the peloton in a sprint finish to secure third.
The race both start and finished in front Reidy Park Primary School, before competitors made their way up and around the Blue Lake and down Bay Road.
Attempted breakaways kept riders on their toes, as they battled for ascendancy.
The 10 laps of racing – which included four sprints and four hill climbs – ensured plenty of action as all riders vied for the overall tour lead.
However, that jersey can only go to one competitor and after an impressive 1.32.32 of pushing the pedals, it is Toovey who holds onto the honours coming into today’s racing.
The 22-year-old, not only won the stage and the King of the Mountain jersey, but also holds the leaders jersey coming into another gruelling road race.
Toovey is in superb form, but the modest young cyclist said it was early in the tour and his focus was the big picture.
“I am travelling alright,” he said.
“But, I am looking forward to the rest of the week really.
“We have a pretty good team and hopefully we can carry this momentum in the stages to go.”
With four stages remaining, including a 92.9km road race starting and finishing in Port MacDonnell today, working together will be even more important for the Bennelong Swiss Wellness Cycling
Team, particularly with the calibre of riders.
Inform Make NRS cycling team’s Raphael Freinstein is one to watch.
The German rider continued his form from the opening stage and will wear the sprint jersey into today’s race.
South Australian Sports Institute’s Jarrad Drizners road a solid race at the opening stage and backed it up with a top 10 finish yesterday afternoon.
As a result, Drizners was awarded the rising star jersey, for riders under 21 years of age.
After competing in the opening three stages of 2017 event, Drizners said he was eager to contest the complete tour this year.
“It is pretty good out there,” he said.
“I rode the tour last year, but only did the first three stages, but I am sticking around this year.”
Bennelong Swiss Wellness Cycling Team also holds onto the leading team honours coming into today’s racing.
Riders will endure another tough road course today, with Stage 3 starting and finishing at Port MacDonnell.
Competitors will cover more than 92km of roads around country side, before heading across the border the Victorian Border for the final three days.
