2009 Crocodile Trophy - Stage 8
Urs Huber Wins Queen's Stage & Reclaims Time on Brentjens. Lisa Pleyer Breaks through for stage win... Matej Mugerli Heroic Domestique

Stage 8 Laura - Cooktown 140 km

Huber Wins Queen Stage in Cooktown
Swiss mountain biker Urs Huber today covered himself in glory by winning the Crocodile Trophy’s Queen stage from Laura to Cooktown and in the process further extending his race lead over the great Dutchman Bart Brentjens by 25 seconds.

The performance from the World Marathon Championship bronze medalist oozed class, on a day when the physical and mental capabilities of every rider remaining in the Crocodile Trophy were tested to the limit over a hellish 140 kilometre journey.

Conditions along the much feared Battle Camp Road between Laura and Cooktown proved to be far worse than predicted, with a fifty kilometre section of deep corrugated trail and sand, sapping every drop energy from even the fittest and strongest of protagonists.

In the end, Huber, Brentjens and veteran Czech Milan Spolc prevailed as the race ventured headlong into the South-East tradewinds along the coast near Cooktown.

Timing his move to perfection, Huber launched an attack at the base of the steep 1 kilometre climb to the summit of Cooktown’s Grassy Hill, where he held his bike aloft to celebrate a glorious stage victory.

“It’s very nice place and I knew that the last kilometre today is good for me, so I concentrated for this,” Huber said as peered out across the Pacific Ocean. “ Bart pushed very hard in the corrugations after depot 2, I had to fight to make contact with him.”

Huber took 20 seconds out of Brentjens on the climb and earned a further 5 seconds in time bonuses to extend his margin in the general classification to 1 minute and 26 seconds. Mike Mulkens of Belgium finished today’s stage in third after Spolc faded towards the finish.

The Swiss cyclist knows Brentjens will need to find something special on tomorrow’s mountainous and technical stage from Cooktown to Ayton to rope in his main rival. But he also knows not to underestimate the class of the former Olympic and World Champion, who will attack in an instant if the right opportunity presents itself.

“I will fight with all I can,” Huber said. “The day tomorrow is good for me with steep climbs and good downhill, I think it’s a good stage for me.”

Ever the strategist, Brentjens again turned to studying his race book in the evening following today’s stage, searching for likely points along the technical zig-zag track to launch an attack. At the same time, he was trying to recover from the day’s pounding, which was one of the most brutal he has dealt with in a long and celebrated career.

“When the corrugations started they never ended it was more than thirty, forty k’s of loose sand and corrugation, it was terrible to ride. I tried to get away from Urs Huber once, it was a good attack but he came back,”  a weary Brentjens said.

Brentjens is certain of one thing for tomorrow’s stage nine, where the General Classification will be decided. He will attack Huber, the only question is when and where...

“I think definitely I’m going to make an attack, I will do it. I don’t know, he’s strong and he survives every day, I didn’t expect he would be as strong as he is so far. Tomorrow it’s another stage, another chance, so yeah let’s get it on.”

Steve Rankine and Isaac Tonello, both of the Tropical Tableland Discovery Team were the highest placed Australians today in ninth and tenth. The pair are now both situated in the top ten overall, with Tonello rating this as one of his toughest Crocodile Trophy outings.

“I don’t know how to describe how rough it was, corrugations a foot deep sometimes, seems like it went on for fifty k’s, tough, tough, real tough,” Tonello said. “It’s a true Crocodile Trophy stage, way more brutal than last year.”

Pleyer Breaks Through For a Victory
After eight stages, the beaming smile of Austria’s Lisa Pleyer, last seen before the start of the Crocodile Trophy, finally returned this evening. Pleyer managed to hang onto the peloton containing women’s race leader Monique Zeldenrust and Australia’s Abby McLennan, then hung with Zeldenrust on the climb of Grassy Hill, to claim the Tro-phy’s Queen Stage.

“Today was the first time that I can honestly say at this race that I enjoyed myself,” Pleyer said. “It was like a real race today, the riders swapping turns, it was so good to win here too.”

McLennan and her Rattle & Hum team suffered numerous technical problems today with brake failure followed by flat tyres and minor crashes.

Isaac Tonello fighting on

Matej Makes a Difference
The heart-warming story to emerge from today’s Crocodile Trophy Queen stage to Cooktown was the act of sportsmanship from Slovenia’s Matej Mugerli. The former Liquigas cyclist, who exited the general classification following an ugly crash on stage one has been continuing to ride with the Trophy bunches, but today made a point of joining the last group of cyclists, containing the two oldest riders in the race. Mugerli acted as a domestique for the group, spending at least four more hours in the sun and baking heat than he really needed to, to ensure everyone made it to the finish.

“I’m going to ride with the real heroes of the Crocodile Trophy,” Mugerli said at the start of today’s stage. His act of kindness certainly touched the hearts of his riding companions.

Australia’s Sharman Parr was choking back tears as she thanked Mugerli at the finish line atop Cooktown’s Grassy Hill.

“I’ve never had a pro rider as a domestique before,” Parr said. “It was such a beautiful act of kindness.”

Stage 7 Results
Elite Men
1 1 Urs Huber SUI Elite Team Stöckli-Craft 4:59:59 
2 2 Bart Brentjens NED Trek-Brentjens mtb racing   0:20
3 3 Mike Mulkens BEL  1:29
4 5 Jurij Robic SLO Matej & Jure  12:58
5 7 Kai Hundertmark GER Dream Team T7 5:13:24 0:13:25
6 8 Tomas Kozak CZE Di-ELCOM-Outdoor sports club  13:34
7 9 Steve Rankine AUS Tropical Tablelands Discovery T5  13:48
8 13 Daris Zubani ITA NEVIPROGETTOAVVENTURA  42:58
9 14 Shane Taylor AUS ADCC/Rocky Trail Entertainment 44:36
10 20 Morten Larsen DEN Team Sun-Print T3 03:29
11 36 James Banner-Smith AUS Rattle N Hum T4  1:31:04
12 37 Ivan Negro ITA NEVIPROGETTOAVVENTURA   1:37:46
13 38 Christoph Kirchmeier AUT 6:41:28 1:41:29

kElite Women
1 25 Lisa Pleyer AUT Female Roadbike Holidays - KTM 6:10:10 1:10:11
2 26 Monique Zeldenrust NED  1:10:19
3 33 Abby McLennan AUS Rattle N Hum T4 1:20:03
4 43 Eva Hasek CZE Outdoor sports club 7:49:14 2:49:15
5 55 Sharman Parr AUS jungle patrol; wilderness medicine T1  3:26:13

Men 1
1 6 Alexander Valdiek GER M1  Team Deutsche Sepsisgesellschaft  13:21
2 10 Isaac Tonello AUS M1 T5  13:55
3 12 Nikolaus Syc GER  34:00
4 17 Glen De Bont BEL Shifting Gears  45:55
5 18 Franz Preihs AUT Radsport Kotnik-Focus  0:53:17
6 21 Sam Nathan AUS Team Nathan 6:08:33 1:08:34
7 23 Sam Brovender CAN Team SDC Chris Nicholson 6:08:33 1:08:34
8 24 Raimund Burböck AUT 6:08:40 1:08:41
9 27 Per Imer DEN Team Sun-Print T3 6:11:51 1:11:52
10 30 Dennis Bergen DEN Team Sun-Print T3 6:13:30 1:13:31
11 34 Ron Whitehead AUS M1 Ron Whitehead 6:20:02 1:20:03

Men's 2
1 4 Milan Spolc CZE M2 Dream Team T7 5:06:45 0:06:46
2 11 Branko Grah AUT Team RC Sereno 5:32:25 0:32:26
3 15 Günter Weichbold AUT 5:45:05 0:45:06
4 16 Erich Reith AUT 5:45:10 0:45:11
5 19 Pieter van Rooyen SAF Team Van Rooyen 5:57:26 0:57:27
6 22 Chris Nicholson AUS Team SDC Chris Nicholson   1:08:34
7 28 Josef Neururer SUI Velolade-Hittnau.ch  1:12:15
8 29 Yvan Vekemans BEL Belgian Power/Granville  1:12:15
9 31 Pio Tomasetig ITA Team Tomesetig  1:19:46
10 32 Scott McLennan AUS Rattle N Hum T4  1:19:57
11 35 Kees Zuidhoek NED Team Kees Fietsshop T6   1:22:37
12 39 Rudolf Hansgut CZE 6:51:08 1:51:09
13 40 Jörg Steenbock GER WINGSforLife.com 6:54:29 1:54:30
14 41 Mohammed Boufessile BEL Belgian Power/Granville  1:56:32
15 42 Marten Zeldenrust NED 7:12:15 2:12:16
16 44 Bernhard Weixelbaum AUT Team RC Sereno 7:49:19 2:49:20
17 45 Hennie Schoonheim NED 7:49:19 2:49:20
18 46 Paul van Hattem NED Team Kees Fietsshop T6 7:49:19 2:49:20
19 47 Geert Matthijs BEL Team Matthys 7:49:19 2:49:20
20 48 Andrew Graham AUS jungle patrol; wilderness medicine T1 2:49:20
21 49 Willemjan Hopstaken NED Team Kees Fietsshop T6  2:49:20
22 50 Aaron Pickett-Heaps AUS  2:49:20
23 51 Theo Molenbrugge NED Theo Molenbrugge  2:49:20
24 52 Erwin Klocker AUS 8:22:11 3:22:12
25 53 Heinz von Holzen SUI 8:22:11 3:22:12
26 54 Greg Parr AUS jungle patrol; wilderness medicine T1 8:26:12 3:26:13
27 56 Jan van Baast NED 8:28:00 3:28:01
28 57 Erik Stokman NED 8:28:00 3:28:01
29 59 Chris Neal AUS 9:42:24 4:42:25
1 58 Klaus Sever AUT Z-E-Bike Radsport Weichberger BionX   3:44:04
Matej Mugerli SLO Elite Matej & Jure   3:26:13

General Classification After Stage 7.pdf

• Discuss the sport with fans from around the world on the Daily Peloton Forums & Chat Room.
• Sponsor the Daily Peloton - advertise your product - contact us
• Would you like to try your hand at writing about the sport? contact us.
• Link your site or blog to  www.dailypeloton.com