Pearson sets the Murray Tour pace

The 27-year-old won the 103 kilometre sixth stage from Swan Hill to Nyah, sprinting to glory ahead of Malaysia's Harrif Saleh, with West Australian Anthony Giacoppo.

Saleh was not to be denied in the afternoon's 56.9 kilometre ride from Nyah to Manangatang, beating home New Zealander Rico Rogers and stage one winner Stuart Shaw to claim his second stage success of the 2010 event.

With seven of the eight-day tour’s 14 stages completed, Pearson holds four-second advantage over young New Zealander James Williamson, with Canberra's Stuart Shaw 16 seconds back in third place.

“Hopefully, I will be able to hold on to the Elgas purple jersey until the tour finishes in Mildura on Sunday,” Pearson said.

“The boys in my team are riding strongly and I am feeling fresher by the day.

“The Genesys team is now one of the forces to be reckoned with in Australian cycling. Most of them are from Tassie but then you have blokes like me who hail from New South Wales but live in Victoria.

“I’m feeling pretty confident about this tour. My team covered all the attacks today quite nicely.”

Stage six results:
1. Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers) 2:19:15, 2. Harrif Saleh ( Malaysian National Team) s.t., 3. Anthony Giacoppo (Plan B Racing Team) s.t., 4. Scott Law (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) s.t., 5. Nicholas Walker Jayco/VIS/QAS) s.t., 6. Sean Joyce (Blackpeloton) s.t., 7. Thomas Palmer (Drapac Professional Cycling) s.t., 8. Rico Rogers (Swan Hill Rural City Council) s.t., 9. Rene Kolbach (Bike Bug North Sydney/Carroll & O'Dea) s.t.,10. James Williamson (Hyster - Total Rush) s.t.

Stage seven results:
1. Harrif Saleh (Malaysian National Team) 1:14:18.00, 2. Rico Rogers (Swan Hill Rural City Council) s.t., 3. Stuart Shaw (Drapac Professional Cycling) s.t., 4. Nicholas Walker (Jayco/VIS/QAS) s.t., 5. Scott Law (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) s.t., 6. Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers) s.t., 7. Dale Scarfe (McDonagh Blake - Witness) s.t., 8. Zamri Saleh (Malaysian National Team) s.t., 9. Patrick Shaw (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) s.t., 10. James Mowatt (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) s.t.

Overall classification:
1. Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers) 11:50:03.00, 2. James Williamson (Hyster - Total Rush) four seconds, 3. Stuart Shaw (Drapac Professional Cycling) 16 seconds, 4.Thomas Robinson (Genesys Wealth Advisers) 18 seconds, 5. Harrif Saleh (Malaysian National Team) 19 seconds, 6. Gordon McCauley (Hyster - Total Rush) 19 seconds, 7. Scott Law (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) 22 seconds, 8. Rico Rogers (Swan Hill Rural City Council) 26 seconds, 9. Nicholas Walker (Jayco/VIS/QAS) 32 seconds, 10. Patrick Shaw Virgin Blue RBS Morgans) 33 seconds