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Pearson on track for Tour of Murray success
Thomas Palmer and Gordon McCauley won stages 12 and 13 respectively at the Elgas Tour of the Murray River as Joel Pearson grabbed the overall race lead ahead of Sunday's final stage.
In the penultimate stage on Saturday afternoon, 38-year-old McCauley - the oldest competitor in the 133-man field - proved too strong to claim the 57.6km road race at Cardross, conducted over 12 laps of a 4.8km wind-hammered circuit.
The New Zealander beat home his Hyster - Total Rush team-mate Alexander Ray and Pearson of Genesys Wealth Advisers.
Earlier in the day, Canberra’s Thomas Palmer won his third stage of the tour by eclipsing his rivals in the 33km Merbein criterium.
Palmer, who has produced tremendous bursts of speed over the final stages of most criteriums throughout the tour, defeated Scott Law (Virgin Blue RBS Morgans), with his Drapac team-mate Stuart Shaw in the minor placing.
The 14th and final stage will be raced on Mildura’s waterfront Sunday.
Stage 12 results:
1. Thomas Palmer (Drapac) 00.44:15, 2. Scott Law (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans), 3. Stuart Shaw (Drapac), 4. Ben Grenda (Genesys Wealth Advisers), 5. Russell Gill (Swan Hill Rural City Council), 6. Alex Carver (Jayco Skins), 7. Nicholas Walker (Jayco/VIS/QAS), 8. Pat Shaw (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans), 9. Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers), 10. Adam Phelan (McDonagh Blake-Witness)
Stage 13 results:
1. Gordon McCauley (Hyster - Total Rush) 01:22:20, 2. Alexander Ray (Hyster - Total Rush) +0.02, 3. Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers) +0.02, 4. Stuart Shaw (Drapac) +0.11, 5. Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans), 6. Damien Howson (SASI Cycling), 7. Rohan Dennis (Jayco Skins) +0.17, 8. David Pell (Drapac), 9. Steele Von Hoff (Genesys Wealth Advisers), 10. Ben Grenda (Genesys Wealth Advisers)
Overall classification:
1. Joel Pearson (Genesys Wealth Advisers) 19:01:26, 2. Stuart Shaw (Drapac) +0.11, 3. Gordon McCauley (Hyster - Total Rush) +0.12, 4. Cameron Peterson (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans) +1.12, 5. David Pell (Drapac) +1.30, 6. Steele Von Hoff (Genesys Wealth Advisers) +1.44, 7. Scott Law (Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans) +1.46, 8. Damien Howson (SASI Cycling) +1.47, 9. Ben Grenda (Genesys Wealth Advisers) +1.50, 10. James Williamson (Hyster - Total Rush) +1.58
