AYDEN Toovey claimed the lead in Cycling Australia’s National Road Series after victory in the Tour of the Great South Coast.
Toovey, who won the Battle Recharge on the eve of the tour, made it consecutive NRS wins, both times defeating German international Raphael Freienstein, who he now leads by 20 points in the NRS.
Toovey coasted to general classification victory in the tour on the final stage criterium over 48km, comprising 30 laps of the 1.6km circuit around Portland township and waterfront.
However, the day belonged to Freienstein, as he burst clear to win the sixth and final stage, making it six individual stage winners over the 491.8km from Mount Gambier to Portland.
Freienstein gathered 24 bonus points around Portland, winning the stage in a three-way sprint with 2012 Tour winner Anthony Giacoppo and 20-year-old Victorian Kell O’Brien, who was part of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games pursuit gold medal combination.
Games hero Sam Welsford, who also won the individual scratch gold medal, was fourth.
The 27-year-old Freienstein led the young Inform team and showed the way with gusto.
He collected the stage win, as well as the sprint title and the criterium championship title.
“I set out to help educate a young team and they learned a lot from this tour,” he said.
“I am in good form and that continued throughout this tour and it is nice to win the final stage, as well as the sprint and criterium awards.”
Toovey, who led from the end of the opening day at Mount Gambier, eventually won the general classification by 16s from Freienstein, with Nicholas White 34 seconds adrift in third and Welsford in fourth a further 12 seconds back.
White won the King of the Mountain championship by only two points from Toovey, while young Victorian Cameron Scott (Australian Cycling Academy) defeated Jarrad Drizners for the Rising Star award.
Scott and Drizners had a neck-and-neck battle throughout the five days, with Scott eventually winning by only eight seconds.
The Bennelong Swiss Wellness Cycling Team dominated the competition, headed by overall winner Toovey.
“We put in a super effort as a team and everyone did well,” he said.
“It was an outstanding effort over the five days.”
Bennelong finished 32 seconds ahead of the powerful Australian Cycling Academy, while Olivers was 1:31 off the pace in third.
Meanwhile, in a tour that threw up many challenges, potential star Liam Magennis defied a massive climate change to complete a stunning victory on stage five.
The 21-year-old won the world university championships’ individual time trial in 50-plus degree heat earlier this month, but had to brave hail, icy winds and 10 degrees to salute in the 121.4km stage at Cape Bridgewater.
“This was a massive change in conditions,” he said.
“I can’t remember the last time I had a blocked nose and frozen body.”
Magennis won his maiden Victorian Road Series title in the Tour of Mansfield in March this year.
Category winners: General classification – Ayden Toovey; Sprint champion – Raphael Freienstein; King of the Mountain champion – Nicholas White; Criterium champion – Raphael Freienstein; Rising Star – Cameron Scott; Most aggressive rider – Sam Hill.
