Cantwell inches to a win in Burnie criterium

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A hard, fast and action packed criterium was – in the end – decided by a photo finish. Fly V Australia teammates Jonathon Cantwell and Bernard Sulzberger were separated by a mere 2 centimetres. The former declared victor after close scrutiny by the race jury.

Either way, it would not have overly perturbed the Fly V boys. Sulzberger is leading this Tour and the Cantwell holds a tight grip on the overall series: the Scody Cup. Cantwell's win today adding to points already scored at the Tour of Gippsland, Tour of Geelong and Tour of the Murray River.

It was Sulzberger’s second runner-up placing this week, finishing bridesmaid both times to Cantwell who has now won six races of the last 24 conducted throughout the Scody Cup series.

Today’s criterium, held on a rectangular, hilly course within the school grounds of Burnie’s Marist College, offered riders little respite from tough Tasmanian racing.

Eleven intermediate hill climbs from laps 6 to 26 saw the peloton put the hammer down and the tempo saw many riders fall by the wayside, unable to maintain the pace.

British Champion Kristian House, who started the stage 10th overall, 22 seconds behind Sulzberger, featured in a number of the time-bonus primes. He moved to third overall, but lost a second to the leader, now 23 seconds ahead.

Former Australian road champion Darren Lapthorne won the award as the stage’s most aggressive rider and it was his tempo that was largely responsible for the decimation of the field.

But the stage, like the opening in Devonport on Monday, belonged to Fly V Australia. Sulzberger and Cantwell being supported strongly this week by Ben Day, Ben King, David Kemp, Hayden Brooks and American Phillip Zajicek.