Team CSC Saxo Bank managed to maintain both first and second place overall for Stuart O’Grady and Lars Bak in the final 66 kilometer stage of Herald Sun Tour on the streets of Melbourne.

As it became clear that the criteria stage would not remove the yellow jersey from the Danish team the focus was moved to the stage victory and the green jersey of the sprints classifications. A jersey worn by Matthew Goss ever since he passed over the yellow jersey to Stuart O’Grady after stage two.

Team CSC Saxo Bank did not get the stage victory, since Barloworld’s Daryl Impey managed to stay half a minute clear of the peloton by beating Panasonic’s Chris Jongeward in a two man breakaway, but Goss maintained the green jersey by winning the mass sprint in the peloton which gave him third place in the stage.

“It feels bloody fantastic. I didn’t want to celebrate anything untill the race was all done. In bike racing anything can happen – that’s the beauty of the sport – but in the end we managed to pull it off. I was expecting a little more attacking in the final stage but everyone has had a pretty tough week with fast racing from start to finish in each stage, so when the boys hit the front of the peloton they were in control,” said O’Grady with great compliments to the team mates after the stage.

For O’Grady the race victory is extra special since it’s coming a year after his return to cycling after the horrific crash in Tour de France 2007. He made that comeback by going to Herald Sun Tour 2007.

“I came back last year and I was shocked with how good the race was run. I convinced the team to join the race this year and I’m sure all the boys here are happy to have been in this race,” said O’Grady.

Results
1. Stuart O’Grady, Team CSC Saxo Bank 14.20.48
2. Lars Bak, Team CSC Saxo Bank +0.17
3. Benjamin Day, Toyota-United +0.23
4. Chris Froome, Barloworld +0.52
5. Richie Porte, Praties +0.58

Final Stage
1. Daryl Impey, Barloworld 1.31.23
2. Chris Jongeward, Panasonic +0.04
3. Matthew Goss, Team CSC Saxo Bank +0.30
4. Hilton Clarke, Toyota-United s.t.
5. Gene Bates, Drapac Porsche s.t.

9. Stuart O’Grady, Team CSC Saxo Bank s.t.
13. Lars Bak, Team CSC Saxo Bank s.t.
36. Bradley McGee, Team CSC Saxo Bank +1.00