Law and von Hoff victorious on Geelong opening day

2011 National Road Series: EOS Tour of Geelong, August 10-14, 2011.

Scott Law (V Australia) and Steele Von Hoff (Genesys Wealth) took the spoils in the opening two stages in tough conditions at the Eastern Oak Tour of Geelong, the fifth event in the Cycling Australia 2011 National Road Series

Wet and wintery weather greeted the riders for the opening 48km criterium with a number of riders hitting the pavement due to the greasy roads.

New South Wales' Law, the reigning Australian scratch and omnium champion, prevailed to take the opener ahead of the series' rising star, Victoria's von Hoff. Law's teammate and 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ben Kersten, was third.

The treacherous conditions continued during the afternoon stage two road race from Lara to the You Yangs, with von Hoff adding another stage win to his growing collection.

A number of attacks were nullified throughout the early stages of stage two, before Patrick Shaw (Genesys), winner of June's Tour of Toowoomba, along with Peter Herzig (Budget Forklifts) and Nathan Elliot (Search2Retain), managed to escape the peloton and build a lead of almost 50 seconds midway through the 79kilometre stage.

As the riders hit the foot of the You Yangs, the front group were absorbed a well oiled Genesys and V Australia lead peloton, with twenty-three-year-old Hoff, who claimed five stages at last months Tour of Gippsland coming through with the stage win in a sprint from Ben Hill (Jayco - 2XU) and teammate Nathan Haas (Genesys Wealth).

The 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 of Geelong, the fourth in the National Series, gets underway Friday and will be raced in three stages - a time trial, road race and criterium.