Calvin Watson celebrated his twentieth birthday in some style today, the Jayco VIS Apollo rider jumping from second to first overall in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour and taking the biggest victory of his career.
He started the day fourteen seconds off the yellow jersey worn by Aaron Donnelly (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers), but climbed better than his rival on the climb of Arthur’s Seat and got the time he needed.
Watson finished 21st on the stage, 55 seconds behind the day’s winner Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers); a suffering Donnelly was 29th, one minute 46 seconds down and slipped 37 seconds back in the final general classification. Third place went to Josh Atkins (Grays Online New Zealand National Team).
Watson was dropped from the national under 23 squad last year and said that his annoyance at that was something which fuelled him, both in his preparation for the race and also on today’s stage.
“I was fuelled by a bit of anger and disappointment at being left out of the national program, so I’m happy I can show I’m a real force in Australian cycling,” he explained.
“We came here as underdogs and we really showed the guys we weren’t here to mess around. The boys did a phenomenal job to look after me today…without them, this victory wasn’t possible.”
The twenty year old was riding the race for the first time but, being based in Frankstown, just fifteen kilometres from the finish, he knows the area well. He has been working hard in the buildup to the race, riding the final climb twice a week behind a motorbike, and so knew every corner and pitch of gradient.
“This is my backyard and you couldn’t ask for a better place to train,” he said. “I knew the climb back-to-front and I knew where I could ease off and where I had to really dig deep. I knew every corner and that really played into our hands.
“We knew we had to put Donnelly under pressure so we raced for the win…that was our tactic, and it paid off in the end because we got to the bottom (of the first climb) and Donnelly and Josh were straight out the back. We knew we had to race aggressive in the wind, so it paid off.”
Donnelly said he gave it all he could, but it wasn’t to be. “I left everything out there, I rode my heart out,” he said with some disappointment. “The boys were awesome and I couldn’t do anything more. I was beaten by a better man on the day.”
Early on, defending champion Nathan Haas (Jayco Australian Team) went on the attack in a small move and took the KOM at Borneo Road (km 12). This secured him the mountains jersey.
Soon after, a big breakway of fourteen riders went clear, including Haas’ race team-mate Stuart O'Grady, New Zealander James Oram, and Bernard Sulzberger (Drapac Cycling). This break opened a gap of one minute 47 seconds but was eventually hauled back.
Later, on the final ascent of Arthurs Seat, Nathan Earle got the nod to chase the stage win once it became clear that his Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisors team-mate Donnelly wouldn’t be able to hold onto yellow.
He reached the line seven seconds ahead of Dan McConnell (Suzuki - Bontrager), nine up on Mark O'Brien (SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness) and sixteen ahead of Vuelta a España mountains jersey winner Simon Clarke (Jayco Australia National Team).
“The crowd’s amazing up here and it’s a stage that suited me,” he said after crossing the line for a very big success. “The plan was to look after Aaron to the base of the climb, and keep him in the best shape we could. When we got to the climb I was told just to follow not attack, the first and second time, just follow.
“It’s been a very successful tour for the team. It would have been nice to win, but we did everything we could. To get two stage wins, a second in the prologue, second overall and the sprinters jersey…it’s been a good week.”
It’s been a good week for Watson too, of course, given that he won the race outright. He said that once he realised the jersey had cracked, he gave it all he had. “When we started climbing Arthurs Seat and I looked back and Josh was out of sight, that’s when I really knew that I had to suffer those last few kilometres to make it happen.”
He did, and he as a result he took the final yellow jersey in Australia’s oldest stage race.
Jayco Herald Sun Tour
Stage 3, Moonah Links to Arthurs Seat:
1, Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) 93 kilometres in 2 hours 18 mins 42 secs
2, Dan McConnell (Suzuki - Bontrager) at 7 secs
3, Mark O'Brien (SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness) at 9 secs
4, Simon Clarke (Jayco Australia National Team) at 16 secs
5, Will Walker (Drapac Cycling) at 17 secs
6, Marc Williams (Team Budget Forklifts)
7, Simon Yates (Great Britain National Team) at 20 secs
8, James Oram (Grays Online New Zealand National Team)
9, Bradley Linfield (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team)
10, Darren Lapthorne (Drapac Cycling)
11, Campbell Flakemore (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team)
12, Simon Gerrans (Jayco Australia National Team)
13, Robbie Hucker (Drapac Cycling) at 45 secs
14, Pat Shaw (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) at 51 secs
15, Cal Britten (Search2retain / health.com.au) at 53 secs
16, Alex Clements (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team)
17, Michael Crosbie (Hyster / Rush Racing) at 55 secs
18, Lachlan Norris (Jayco VIS Apollo)
19, Patrick Lane (Jayco VIS Apollo)
20, Jack Anderson (Team Budget Forklifts)
21, Calvin Watson (Jayco VIS Apollo) all same time
Intermediate sprint at Balnarring (km 49):
1, Neil Van Der Ploeg (Search2retain / health.com.au) 6 pts
2, Joseph Lewis (GPM Data #3) 4
3, Bernard Sulzberger (Drapac Cycling) 2
KOM at Borneo Road (km 12)
1, Nathan Haas (Jayco Australia National Team) 6 pts
2, Adam Phelan (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) 4
3, Chris Jory (GPM Data #3) 2
KOM at Arthur’s Seat (km 76):
1, Damien Howson (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) 24 pts
2, Simon Clarke (Jayco Australia National Team) 16
3, Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) 8
KOM at Arthur’s Seat (km 93):
1, Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) 24 pts
2, Dan McConnell (Suzuki - Bontrager) 16
3, Mark O'Brien (SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness) 8
Final general classification:
1, Calvin Watson (Jayco VIS Apollo) 10 hours 16 mins 55 secs
2, Aaron Donnelly (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) at 37 secs
3, Josh Atkins (Grays Online New Zealand National Team) at 1 min 18 secs
4, Bradley Linfield (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 1 min 31 secs
5, Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) at 1 min 34 secs
6, Will Walker (Drapac Cycling) at 1 min 40 secs
7, Simon Clarke (Jayco Australia National Team) at 1 min 52 secs
8, Simon Gerrans (Jayco Australia National Team) at 1 min 56 secs
9, James Oram (Grays Online New Zealand National Team) at 2 mins 3 secs
10, Darren Lapthorne (Drapac Cycling) at 2 mins 6 secs
11, Mark O'Brien (SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness)
12, Jordan Kerby (Suzuki - Bontrager) at 2 mins 28 secs
13, Robbie Hucker (Drapac Cycling) at 2 mins 41 secs
14, Jack Anderson (Team Budget Forklifts) at 2 mins 42 secs
15, Lachlan Norris (Jayco VIS Apollo) at 2 mins 44 secs
16, Alex Clements (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 2 mins 49 secs
17, Jason Spencer (Hyster / Rush Racing) at 2 mins 53 secs
18, Cal Britten (Search2retain / health.com.au) at 2 mins 55 secs
19, Patrick Lane (Jayco VIS Apollo) at 3 mins 2 secs
20, Adam Phelan (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 3 mins 21 secs
Sprint classification:
1, Aaron Donnelly (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) 16 pts
2, Neil Van Der Ploeg (Search2retain / health.com.au) 16
3, Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) 10
4, Simon Clarke (Jayco Australia National Team) 10
5, Calvin Watson (Jayco VIS Apollo) 8
6, Josh Atkins (Grays Online New Zealand National Team) 8
Mountains classification:
1, Nathan Haas (Jayco Australia National Team) 48 pts
2, Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) 32
3, Damien Howson (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) 24
4, Simon Clarke (Jayco Australia National Team) 24
5, Chris Jory (GPM Data #3) 18
6, Dan McConnell (Suzuki - Bontrager) 16
7, Mark O'Brien (SASI Cycling / Feelgood Fitness) 8
8, Campbell Flakemore (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) 8
9, Josh Atkins (Grays Online New Zealand National Team) 6
10, Adam Phelan (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) 6
Under 23 classification:
1, Calvin Watson (Jayco VIS Apollo 1) at 16 mins 55 secs
2, Aaron Donnelly (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers) at 37 secs
3, Josh Atkins (Grays Online New Zealand National Team) at 1 min 18 secs
4, Bradley Linfield (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 1 min 31 secs
5, James Oram (Grays Online New Zealand National Team) at 2 mins 3 secs
6, Jordan Kerby (Suzuki - Bontrager) at 2 mins 28 secs
7, Alex Clements (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 2 mins 49 secs
8, Patrick Lane (Jayco VIS Apollo) at 3 mins 2 secs
9, Adam Phelan (Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 3 mins 21 secs
10, Oliver Kent Spark (Target Trek Racing Team) at 3 mins 39 secs
Team classification:
1, Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers 3) at 55 mins 24 secs
2, Jayco VIS Apollo) at 1 min 3 secs
3, Degani Bakery Café World Tour Academy Team) at 1 min 19 secs
4, Drapac Cycling) at 1 min 40 secs
5, Team Budget Forklifts) at 4 mins 29 secs
6, Grays Online New Zealand National Team) at 5 mins 28 secs
7, Jayco Australian National Team) at 10 mins 50 secs
8, SASI Cycling p/b Feelgood Fitness) at 14 mins 50 secs
9, Target Trek Racing Team) at 17 mins 2 secs
10, search2retain p/b health.com.au) at 19 mins 8 secs