Cycling: Dylan Sunderland wins Tour of Tasmania title

The Inverell cyclist, who has twice won the young rider category in the Tour of Tasmania, finished 11 seconds ahead of Michael Vink in the general classification after stage podium finishes in three of the four stages.

“I’m pretty happy to get that,” said the 22-year-old who has not looked back since winning the opening stage up to Grindelwald.

“We did not have to do too much today and the Bennelong guys were awesome defending my lead and made it easy for me.”

He only had to follow twice, he told NRS media.

With not much time between the top riders heading into the final-stage 54-kilometre criterium around the Devonport seafront the race was quite aggressive.

Cameron Ivory finished the week as he had begun it, with a victory double.

Seven days after claiming both the hill challenge and elite criterium titles at the Stan Siejka Launceston Classic, the Adelaide-based New South Welshman added the tour’s final stage to his second successive victory in the prologue.

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Sunderland iced another powerful performance and tour win by Bennelong Swisswellness by finishing safely near the front of the main group to follow finishes of first, second and second.

Carrying an 11 second buffer over Vink heading into the stage, Sunderland said the team’s plan was to try to keep things moving in the peleton.

“Not necessarily having to ride the whole day, just let the race naturally race itself just with myself following Michael Vink. It made it pretty simple once we did that,” he said.

Sunderland also finished fourth in the sprint and fifth in the hill climb classifications, while fellow Inverell product Ryan Thomas, who Sutherland beat to win the opening stage, was 51st overall.