Victoria's Patrick Shaw (Genesys Wealth) claimed a slender lead after stage 3 in the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong, the fifth event in the Cycling Australia 2011 National Road Series.

Shaw finished second to team‐mate Steele Von Hoff in the 63km Grovedale criterium, however nine bonus seconds from the intermediate sprints and another eight for his second placing put Shaw seven seconds ahead of Von Hoff in general classification, with another Genesys team‐mate Nathan Haas in third place, 15secs in arrears.

Both riders were on equal overall time of 2hours 53mins 30secs after yesterday's chaotic, rain‐marred opening two stages, with Von Hoff awarded the yellow leader's jersey because he won the 79.6km trek from Lara to the You Yangs.

Von Hoff, winner of five stages at the recent Lakes Oil Tour of Gippsland, relished the clear, dry conditions of the Grovedale speed test, conducted over 30 laps of a 2.1km circuit in front of hundreds of school children.

The powerful Genesys team and the V Australia contingent, back racing the Scody Cup circuit after several months in America, threw down the gauntlet to each other over the final six laps, but the best the V boys could manage was third place to Ben Kersten.

The tour continues Friday with the Victorian open time trial championship at Gnawarre‐Ceres, with the GMHBA's Women's Tour also getting underway with a 28.2km time trial over the same Barrabool Road course at 10am.

The EOS men's tour features six stages across five days totalling 408km through Lara, the You Yangs, Grovedale, Gnarwarre, Ceres and Anakie before ending in Geelong's Eastern Gardens on Sunday.

The GMHBA women's tour is the fourth in the National Series and will be raced in three stages - a time trial, road race and criterium.

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2011 National Road Series > Information
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