Dennis grabs a second stage win

South Australian Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) claimed his second stage victory in the GMHBA Tour of Geelong today, to set up a showdown with race leader Rhys Pollock (Drapac Professional Cycling) over the final two days.

Dennis, chosen this week to race for the Cyclones in the U23 men’s event at next month's UCI Road World Championships, won the 23-km time trial at Portarlington in convincing style from David Pell (Drapac Professional Cycling) and youngster Adam Phelan (McDonagh-Blake Witness).

Pollock, 30, continues to defy the odds, with an excellent time trial performance that saw him finish fifth, 33 seconds behind Dennis.

Dennis slashed his overnight general classification deficit to only seven seconds on Pollock and the pair will battle it out for overall honours in the 143km road race at Anakie tomorrow and the 45km criterium in Geelong’s Eastern Gardens on Sunday.

Pollock has led the five-day tour since Wednesday’s rain-battered criterium, won by Dennis and is hopeful of hanging on for the first major victory of his long career.

Dennis said he would endeavour to muster his Team Jayco Skins team-mates into applying heavy pressure on Pollock in some of the tough and twisting hill-climbs in tomorrow’s Anakie road championship.

“It may be easier said than done. Rohan has got some pretty good form.”

Stage 4 results

1. Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) 00:24:48.20
2. David Pell (Drapac Professional Cycling) +00:23.15
3. Adam Phelan (McDonagh Blake-Witness) +00:29.06

Overall General Classification after stage four

1. Rhys Pollock (Drapac Professional Cycling) 04:53:37.20
2. Rohan Dennis (Team Jayco Skins) +00:06.99
3. Joseph Lewis (Drapac Professional Cycling) 0:49.07

Photo: Rohan Dennis in action in the time trial. (Shane Goss / www.licoricegallery.com)