With strong winds and plenty of rain, the Great South Coast presented weather challenges inherent to the Mount Gambier area, with stage one taking our boys on a wet, 30-lap 1.2km criterium circuit in the CBD. Stage two saw both sun and rain as we took to the undulating 65-kilometre road race lapping the iconic Blue Lake.

Bennelong Swiss Wellness pulled off two victories with Michael Freiberg taking stage one, while Ayden Toovey plucked the win in stage two.

Stage One

Bennelong Swiss Wellness set a fast pace early in the stage one criterium, with a break away formed by Giacoppo, Carter Turnbull (InForm MAKE) and Ben Metcalfe. The three cyclists, who along with our Raphael Freienstein (InForm MAKE), also dominated the sprints.

It was 2009 track world champion Michael Freiberg who nicked the win followed by team-mate Tristan Ward. Raphael Freienstein (InForm MAKE) came in third to maintain his position as National Road Series leader after a string of powerful sprints.

Metcalfe was the stage one Most Aggressive Leader, Turnbull (InForm MAKE) took out the lead for the Rising Star classification.

Post race Raph said

“I just stayed up in the front all day, and I was well protected by my teammates. Young Carter took the pressure off so it was a really good start to the tour, but there’s still a long way with five stages to go and I think every second counts.”

Photos by – Con Chronis

Stage Two

Aggressive racing from the gun riders meant that it took some time for an attack to stick in stage two, with early breakaway attempts fired and then squashed. Ayden Toovey took out the stage and is now in leading GC and the King of the Mountain classification.

A well earnt second place went to Samuel Hill who also took the honour of Most Aggressive, while team pursuit world record holder Sam Welsford came in at third and South Australia Institute of Sport’s Jarrad Drizners claimed his position as Rising Star leader.

With a forecast showing no signs of improvements, stage three’s Port MacDonnell road race is set to challenge us with similar gruelling conditions.