Anderson wins Tour of Gippsland.

In a thrilling finish to the 2013 Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland in Traralgon on Sunday, Queensland's Jack Anderson (Budget Forklifts) clinched the crown by the narrowest possible margin. Anderson, 26,  finished just one second ahead of Tasmania's Nathan Earle (Huon-Genesys) after the five-day eight-stage Tour which covered over 500 kilometres, with Earle's podium finish catapulting him into the Subaru NRS individual standings lead.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Anderson said. “It’s been a great win. I haven’t raced in the NRS since 2009 so it’s nice to come back and get a win,” said Anderson, who has raced in Europe for a number of years. Anderson clinched the yellow jersey on a wet and gusty day three in Licola on Friday where he edged Earle in a three man sprint to the line.

“Nathan [Earle] is a quality bike rider and credit to him. He’s a fantastic talent and he’ll go along way and maybe this will be my claim to fame to say that I beat him,” Anderson said of the newly signed Team Sky rider.

 

Second placed Earle was relentless in his attempts to claw back time on the general classification leader, finishing in second place on the final stage to fall just one second short of an overall victory.

“I have mixed emotions,” said Earle, who replaces team mate Jack Haig in the lead in the individual standings. “Taking the NRS series lead is bitter sweet. It’s great to be in the jersey but to lose the tour by one second is a little upsetting, but that’s racing.

“It made it exciting for everyone – it doesn’t get much closer than that,” Earle added. Traralgon hosted the tour's eighth and final stage of the tour with riders contesting a hotdog style criterium in blustery conditions. 2012 Olympian Alex Edmondson (Euride Racing) took line honours in a bunch sprint with Earle and teammate Russell Gill rounding out the podium.

The win was Edmondson's second of the week following the 19-year-old's victory on the stage three road race from Leongatha to Yinnar and secured him third overall for the Tour.

“To win today is just unreal,” Edmondson exclaimed. “I have to take my hat off to the team though, they were unbelievable.

“I came into this tour not knowing how I would go, we’ve got a young team and we’ve only started racing in the NRS this year and I think we’re starting to show what we can do,” Edmondson said of the South Australian based team who were victorious at the Jarvis Subaru Adelaide Tour.

The Subaru NRS continues on the 14th August with the Campolina Fulton-Hogan Tour of the Great South Coast.

Words: Cycling Australia Media Release.

Pic: Mark Gunter http://markgunter.com.au/