Chequered flag: Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) is an emerging rider and has rapidly improved under the guidance of former ONCE and Tour de France rider Patrick Jonker.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The leading five make their way up a climb on the outskirts of Anakie.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Joanne Hogan (Jayco VIS) just before she attacked the leading bunch and powered towards victory in Anakie. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Emma Smith (Lawson Homes) grimaces her way to the top of a climb near Steigletz. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Sarah Cure from Tasmania out of the saddle and trying to stay in touch with the front of the race. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The women's podium (l-r): Laura Luxford (2nd,Lifecycle Cycling Club), Joanne Hogan (1st,Jayco VIS), and Loren Rowney (3rd,Gold Coast Goldstars CC). (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Riders on a climb near Steigletz where the winning move evolved with a group of five getting clear.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The field make their way through Meredith during the womens 95km road race.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The chasing peloton was around one-and-a-half minutes behind the leaders nearing the final twenty kilometres.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Zoe Watters (Lifecycle Cycling Club) made it into the lead group of five but dropped her chain on the last lap which ruined any chance she had of a medal. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
More gold mum: Melbourne's Joanne Hogan (Jayco VIS) phones home to tell them the good news, another gold medal in the Victorian Open Road Cycling Championships.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
A group of riders chasing the leading five on the second and last lap near Anakie. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Five riders got away from the peloton on the first lap of the 95km womens open road race championship in Anakie.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Joanne Hogan (Jayco VIS) takes out the womens Victorian Open Road Cycling Championship in Anakie. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The lead group on the last lap with Jayco Skins Rohan Dennis (third wheel) relaxed in the bunch.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Eventual winner Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) on the climb before descending into the finish in Anakie.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Sour taste: Tour leader Rhys Pollock (Drapac Porsche) finds the going tough on a climb before relenquishing his yellow jersey to Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) at the completion of the stage.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Nathan Haas (Genesys Wealth Advisers) on a climb after the lead group was reeled in by a chasing bunch.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Drapac Porsche's David Pell struggled to play any major part in the stage and finished in 21st place nearly five minutes behins stage winner Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans).(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Tour leader Rhys Pollock (Drapac Porsche) was back in the second group on the final lap around one minute behind the leading bunch.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The leading group on the final lap which included eventual stage winner Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) and new tour leader Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins).(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Left to lament: Rhys Pollock (Drapac Porsche) lost touch with a small second group on the road and finished thirteenth 2:37 minutes behind winner Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans).(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Peterson first, daylight second: Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) takes out stage five of the tour and the gold medal in the Victorian Open Mens Road Race Championship.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
How good is this: Gold medal and stage winner Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) is all smiles(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The stage five podium (l-r): Patrick Shaw (2nd,Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans), Cameron Peterson (1st,Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans)(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Brodie Talbot (Search2Retain/MyTeam2) was a member of the leading quartet which was eventually caught with a lap to go.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) out of the saddle on a climb nearning the final lap of the race.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Cameron Peterson is congratulated by his Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans injured teammate, Rhys Gillett, after his win in Anakie.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Stage winner Cameron Peterson is congratulated by his Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans team-manager Patrick Jonker.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The peloton descend on the first lap of the 143.1km road race around Anakie.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The team of Drapac Porsche on the front of the peloton working for their tour leader Rhys Pollock in yellow. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Witchety grubs and wallaby anyone: Riders pass by an Australian feed-zone? (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Tom Robinson (51) of Genesys Wealth Advisers and Brett Tivers (152) from New Zealand on a climb near Steigletz.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Riders at the back of the field find the going tough on one of the courses many climbs. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Riders descend towards Anakie during the 143.1km road race which consisted of three laps of a 47.7km course. (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Search2Retain/MyTeam2 riders Brodie Talbot and Neil Van Der Ploeg follow Cameron Jennings (partially obscured) of Budget Forklifts and Nathan Haas (Genesys Wealth Advisers) during their daring break.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Strong winds buffeted riders on all parts of the course ; Around 130 riders began and forty-three riders pulled out of the race (Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The early break (l-r): Neil Van Der Ploeg and Brodie Talbot, both of Search2Retain/MyTeam2, Cameron Jennings (Budget Forklifts) and Nathan Haas (Genesys Wealth Advisers).(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Patrick Shaw (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) follows David Pell (Drapac Porsche) through in the chasing peloton.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
The strong winds forced riders into echelons during the race.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) is the new leader of the 2010 GMHBA Tour of Geelong. Dennis will take a 1:38 minute lead over Patrick Shaw (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) into the final stage around Geelong's Eastern Gardens.(Image credit: Shane Goss/licoricegallery.com)
Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) took the overall lead at the GMHBA Tour of Geelong on stage five after gaining time on his nearest rival Rhys Pollock (Drapac Porsche) in hilly country around the Brisbane Ranges on Saturday.
Dennis, 20, finished fourth to Sydney’s Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue/RBS Morgans) in the 143-km fifth stage, which doubled as the Victorian open road championship. However Pollock, who had led the Tour since the opening criterium stage on Wednesday, was down in 13th place, 2 minutes, 27seconds behind Dennis.
Pollock rode bravely over the three-lap testing circuit, but his team was no match for Dennis’ Jayco Skins squad. He received great support from teammates Patrick Lane and Richard Lang at the business end of the event.
Dennis, who this week was named in the Australian Under 23 squad for next month's the world road championships, revealed after the wind-hammered stage that Jayco Skins had planned to attack Pollock on the many hills which peppered the circuit.
“Our plan was to have a crack in the last lap and basically get rid of Rhys,” Dennis said. “I think we pretty much softened him up in the second last lap and I could see that he was in a bit of trouble.”
Pollock, who led Dennis by seven seconds going into today’s road race, said afterwards that he was extremely disappointed to lose the race lead. “You can only do so much by yourself and it was an exceptionally tough stage,” he said.
A field of 145 riders lined up for the championship but only four – Peterson, Patrick Shaw, defending title holder Cameron Jennings and Dennis – remained in contention at the finish. Peterson, 26, won by 200 metres from Shaw, who won the recent Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland, with Jennings third.
The Tour of Geelong, backed by Tourism Victoria and the City of Greater Geelong, concludes tomorrow with the Victorian open criterium championship in Geelong’s Eastern Gardens.
The women’s 95km open road championship was won by Melbourne’s Joanne Hogan from Queenslanders Laura Luxford and Loren Rowney. Hogan also won the women’s open time trial championship at Portarlington yesterday.
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