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Drapac Cycling have sent in the Stage 2 report from Taiwan, from rider Thomas Palmer, where the Aussie squad is battling it out in the heat and wind in their attempt to retain the race they won last year with Rhys Pollock.
Stage 2 was a 128.9km race run at quite a clip with the riders covering the distance at an average speed of 44km/hr.
Windy conditions and a lack of control by any one team led to havoc on the road, with attacks going off like Chinese firecrackers all day.
A final 5km climb put paid to the general classification aspirations of many a rider (The Roar’s cycling editor Lee Rodgers included, who came in 1 minute, 35 seconds down), but Drapac’s Bernard Sulzberger managed a great ride to take second on the stage.
The stage was won in style by Nathan Earle of Huon Salmon-Genesys.
Baku’s Kirill Pozdnyakov retained the race lead.
Here’s how Thomas saw proceedings:
“Today turned out to be the spectacular finish we expected. Attacks lasted all day with no one willing to give up their hopes of making the break. Nothing stuck until the 109km mark when our man Gordon blasted away solo.
“The relentless pace meant weary legs going into the first climb of the tour, and the final part of the stage.
Some minor attacks got things under way but at the business end it we had Bernie Sulzberger, who hit out from about 500m to go to get a sniff of victory, before fellow Tasmanian Nathan Earle came ‘from the clouds’ at great pace to claim the honours.
“If today’s race is any indication, this tour is going to be a hard-fought battle.
“I skipped over them yesterday so now would be a good time to introduce the team.
“Floris Goessinnen is the team’s Dutchman. He thrives on long, hard days, loves an attack and, with about a million years’ experience in some of the biggest races in the world, he’s a great mentor and leader.
“Gordon McCauley is the stayer. At a remarkable 400 years of age (it seems) he too brings a lot of experience and a metronomic diesel.
“Robbie Hucker is our surprise packet. A recent cross over from the mountain bike he packs a huge punch, especially uphill. He’s at home on both the climbs and bunch sprints.
“Bernie Sulzberger is a real racer’s racer. It wouldn’t be fair to pigeonhole him except to say that he’ll capitalise on any opportunity especially small group sprints on hills like today. Going off that performance, he is in top shape.
“And me, I’m the narrator. I would like to think I’m versatile but I really like a bunch sprint.
Like the other four, I can hopefully interchange between roles, this could become important later on in a race with such small teams.
“Hopefully this will be the clan we need to make the top step again in Taipei.”
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