Lloyd secures King of the Mountains crown in Jayco Herald Sun Tour

(October 12 - 2006) SouthAustralia.com-AIS rider Matthew Lloyd today claimed stage honours and secured the King of the Mountain crown in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour on the 183 kilometre stage from Benalla to Lake Mountain.

The 23 year old Victorian, who was second on Tuesday's stage, was the only member of the seventeen man breakaway group who managed to stay ahead of the chasing main field after a hard day of racing in 30 plus degree temperatures and hot, gusting winds. Lloyd powered up the final climb to the finish line 1m38s clear of second placed Mitchell Docker (Drapac Porsche) with Peter McDonald (FRF Couriers) third a further 17 seconds back.
 
Lloyd had gone into the Tour with hopes of overall victory but a crash during the opening criterium stage in Shepparton on Sunday left him with arm and hip injuries and put paid to that aspiration. Instead the gifted climber, who will ride with ProTour team Davitamon Lotto from next year, was forced to set new goals of stage and climbing results and today he secured both.

“I was not going to jeopardise my career when I was injured," said Lloyd. "I spoke to Cadel Evans who has been a remarkable help over the last two years and he said to take it easy - try get a stage win if I could but don’t be unsafe about it. So that’s the way I approached it.
 
“It means so much to me now. I was disappointed with what happened at the outset of the Tour as I had bigger ambitions, but it is pretty good the way it’s turned out."