Stage 3 – Race Report
DAY 3: Suai to Ainaro, 67 kilometres
After yesterday’s long and brutal ride, today was comparatively easy. Thirty kilometres of seriously-potholed dirt and tar with numerous river crossings tested riders’ strength and perseverance as well as their bikes’ suspensions. Around 30 kilometres from the day’s finish at Ainaro the road is smooth, albeit with the occasional “Timor” pothole. Hit one of these at speed and you are in real trouble. Fifteen kilometres from the stage end, the road begins a twisting ascent of 700 meters to the finish.
The town of Ainaro is dominated by a statue of a local Portuguese lord, Dom Alatio, astride a horse. He was executed by Japanese invaders. Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies and later with Indonesia. The first Europeans to arrive in the region were Portuguese in 1515. Today the beautiful architecture of the Portuguese can be found across Timor-Leste and there is great affection between the two countries. The official language is Portuguese.
Von Hoff holds off AJ by one second in thriller
His run of bad luck just had to end, and so it did as Australian Steele von Hoff avoided his usual cramps and crashes to be first in a thrilling one-second win over Adrian Jackson on Day 3 of the 2010 Tour de Timor Ride for Peace.
After being almost in sight of the Day 1 Balibo finish and cramping up so severely that he had to get off his bike and push it for about two kilometres, and then yesterday hitting a pot hole and crashing within 100 meters of the Suai line, von Hoff today finally had a trouble free run.
Malaysia’s Shahrin Amir was third with countryman Nor Shariel Halzat Ahmad Nazall fourth. Jackson’s second keeps him in the Yellow Jersey for the Tour de Timor. Yesterday’s Stage winner Dan McConnell got a flat tyre and finished in 3:09.36.
Amir performed outstandingly to come in 23 seconds behind the winner. Amir’s effort was that much more impressive as he rides with no team and has had to rely entirely on his own strategies.
Tasmania’s Rowena Fry continued her amazing form as the first woman finishing in 2:45.12. She was the 13th rider to cross the finish line today.
The 2010 Tour de Timor is considered the toughest mountain bike race in the world and is once again sponsored by Digicel. Over five days and 420-kilometers, more than 320 riders are competing for this year’s $US100,000 in prizes. The race is an initiative of the Government and President of Timor-Leste and is part of a wide-ranging strategy to help reduce poverty throughout the nation by attracting adventurers and tourists.
Timor-Leste National Team brothers Orlando and Jacinto Da Costa finished in eighth and ninth today just 18 minutes off the leaders’ pace. The two finished 17th and 18th yesterday and seem to be handling the hills much better. Hundreds of local children went berserk as the two brothers came in sight of today’s finish.
Von Hoff has just competed in three Australian road races and that preparation was crucial in today’s stage on some good bitumen. Von Hoff finished in 2:23.21 at an average speed of 28.04 kph. AJ was one second behind him – and with the same average speed.
“I did the Tour of Gympie, Tour of Geelong and Tour of Murray River down in Victoria and it really helped me,” von Hoff said. “Today had a lot rougher roads for the first 60 kilometres so I just had to hang in there.” In last year’s Tour de Timor the 22-year-old from Melbourne crashed heavily on Day 2 requiring stitches and again on Day 3 resulting in a split eyebrow.
AJ praised his teammate Ben Mather: : “Ben sat on the front for 60 kilometres through all the rough roads and then the smooth roads, he was just driving it and driving it trying to stay in front of Dan McConnell.
“He took me to the bottom of the climb where I was feeling fresh.”
The murderous mountain tracks between Balibo and Suai claimed dozens of bikes and riders on Day 2, although there were no serious injuries. In contrast, the track today wound through forested areas and provided a much-needed break from the sun.
Heat stroke has been the major danger to riders along with abrasions and stitches from crashes. On Day 1 a UN rider was air lifted to Dili with very severe heat stroke and many more were treated by medics. Again yesterday dozens of riders had to be treated by medics as the open hills with absolutely no shade made the cloud-free sky even more unbearable. Sixty two riders were collected by the sag wagon at the close of race time last night and 70 bikes needed repair work – mainly brakes, gears and spokes.
Digicel runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programs.
