Haas Leads Sun Herald Tour

Last updated : 06 February 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Nathan Haas moved into the lead of the Jayco Sun Herald Tour in Australia after taking a stage one win.

With Jack Bauer in the leader's jersey for this 125km stage from Geelong to Ballarat, three riders in Thomas Hamilton (Jayco Australian U23 team), Nathan Elliot (African Wildlife Safaris) and Alberto Bettiol (Cannondale) took an early lead.

A lead of three minutes was taken by the time, Bettiol had taken the points at the intermediate sprint but down to 1.20 when Hamilton was first over the day's category one climb, to put him in the King Of The Mountain's jersey.

Hamilton stayed away but the pace being set by Garmin was too much and they were soon caught by an eighteen man group, that included the race leader Bauer and British rider Thomas Moses.

Those escapers allowed their team-mates back in to set up the sprint and although Drapac's Will Clarke was one to try and snatch a win with just under five kilometres remaining, it was a bunch sprint and Nathan Haas got in front of Matt Goss to take a win in 3.04.12 and take the Points Jersey as well as the Leaders Yellow Jersey.

Result:1 Nathan Haas (Garmin Sharp), 2 Matt Goss (Orica Green Edge), 3 Jonathan Cantwell (Drapac), 4 Simon Clarke (Orica Green Edge), 5 Neil Van Der Ploeg (Avanti)